Chapter 44
When Zhou Meng woke up, her whole body ached. The room was dark. As she was getting up, she heard a meow, followed by a jolt of the mattress and then a continuous 'coo coo coo' sound.
Startled, she immediately hid under the covers. There were two more meows. Zhou Meng had never owned a pet before, but she could tell from the indentation in the mattress that it was a very large cat!
Last night's memory was vivid. She tried calling Chen Tianyun's name, but no one answered. Instead, the cat meowed twice and kept walking around her.
Zhou Meng was almost suffocating when, thankfully, she heard Chen Tianyun's voice the next second: "Kiri, come here."
She heard a heavy thud and guessed that the cat had gotten off the bed. She slowly peeked out from under the covers and saw Chen Tianyun shirtless, holding a silver tabby Maine Coon in his arms. It was the same one in his WeChat profile picture!
Zhou Meng said tremblingly, "It...it's huge!"
Chen Tianyun scoffed, "Last night you insisted on seeing the cat, but now that you've seen it, you look terrified."
Last night, after they got into the car, Zhou Meng was dizzy from his kisses. She seemed to have asked him if his WeChat profile picture was of his cat, and she really wanted to see it with her own eyes...
It was too dark at night, and Zhou Meng didn't know which of his lodgings she had arrived at. Anyway, the room seemed to be small. The two of them had been making love for a long time last night, so long that she was still in a lot of pain.
"Who knew this cat was so big! Hey, what are you doing! Don't come any closer, I'm scared!"
Zhou Meng was startled by his gesture of throwing the cat at her and quickly hid back under the covers.
"Alright, I won't scare you anymore. Come here, I'll carry you to take a bath."
Zhou Meng felt sticky all over and just wanted to take a shower. She thought he was going to take her to the bathroom, but the man was incredibly audacious: "Chen Tianyun! I'm tired!"
Unexpectedly, the man lowered his head and pressed his lips to his, saying, "I could tell from your eyes that you wanted it. What, did I misunderstand?"
Zhou Meng felt shy, but when he held her, she felt very comfortable and at ease, and it definitely left a lingering feeling...
In the end, she still went along with him.
It was an hour later when Zhou Meng finished dressing and sat in the cramped living room with only a sofa.
The house was so small that it didn't even have a dining room. A breakfast plate with sandwiches was placed on the coffee table, and Zhou Meng, who was so hungry, couldn't wait to eat it with her hands.
Chen Tianyun came out of the kitchen, holding his sandwich. Zhou Meng asked out of sheer curiosity, "Is this your house?"
Chen Tianyun sat down on the sofa, their thighs touching; the sofa was really too small!
"My mother's ancestral home, the place where I grew up."
The house was so small that you could see the whole thing at a glance, and it was probably only about 50 square meters. Zhou Meng couldn't believe that such a small house could house a family!
"That's really inspiring! Last time, you could see Victoria Harbour from your other home! What about your mother?"
Upon hearing the word "Mom," Chen Tianyun's eyes sharpened instantly, and she threw the sandwich in her hand onto her plate: "She's gone."
Zhou Meng exclaimed "Ah!" and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry."
Chen Tianyun didn't reply to her. He got up and walked to the balcony, pulled back the curtains, and behind the closed balcony door was the imposing Maine Coon cat.
The door opened, and the cat stretched lazily, strolling over to Zhou Meng's legs. She instinctively pulled her legs up onto the sofa.
"Don't be afraid, Maine Coons are the gentlest breed. She's just curious about you."
Seeing it lying under the sofa, Zhou Meng gradually calmed down. She pointed to the balcony, which had been decorated like a cat's bed: "You're so good to your cat. The whole balcony belongs to it!"
Chen Tianyun stared at Zhou Meng, and Zhou Meng stared at his cat. The scene was quite harmonious, but to him, it was ironic.
Last night, he actually brought this woman to his real home just because she said she wanted to see his cat.
Can this woman bear his dark side?
Zhou Meng usually frequented places like school or Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok. When she returned to school from Sham Shui Po, she had a dazed feeling. It was as if what happened last night was a dream, but it had only been two hours since she left that dilapidated tenement building in Chen Tianyun's car this morning.
She muttered Chen Tianyun's Chinese and English names to herself dozens of times, which resulted in her being called on by the teacher during class. The teacher was very strict, and Zhou Meng immediately snapped back to reality.
After class, her roommate asked her where she had gone last night. Zhou Meng, who couldn't keep a secret, bluntly said that she had a boyfriend. Her roommate also asked if her boyfriend was very rich, but Zhou Meng didn't answer directly, only saying that she was quite rich herself.
Another roommate asked her, "That Li Shihao is so pitiful, are you just going to abandon him like this? I heard he was thinking of confessing his feelings to you."
"Huh? He and I are just friends, don't talk nonsense. I'm too tired, I'm going back to catch up on sleep. If you're going to the cafeteria, please bring me some food, thanks!"
In the following days, Zhou Meng was completely obsessed with romance, spending her days studying makeup and fashion. A single reply from Chen Tianyun on WeChat could make her happy all day. This caused her to fall behind in her studies, dragging down the overall performance of her study group.
Zhou Meng felt terrible for handing in her group assignment in the last twenty minutes before it was time to leave, and planned to treat Li Shihao and the others to a late-night snack. Unexpectedly, Chen Tianyun called her, and she answered eagerly, asking where she was so he could come pick her up.
What could possibly be wrong with picking her up in the middle of the night? It's just that she's in the throes of first love, and friendships with classmates have to take a backseat.
However, Zhou Meng never expected that the tenderness after their intimacy would vanish instantly because of his words.
She was already exhausted, and her voice was hoarse: "What... what do you take me for?"
Zhou Meng watched him get dressed and lean against the windowsill. The moonlight was too dim for her to see his expression, but his words were resolute, as if everything that had just happened was just an illusion!
"Zhou Meng, I've told you before, I'm not the kind of person you imagine. If you're not happy about that, don't contact me again."
What does "lover" mean? It means a girlfriend you can't announce to the world! It's just a transactional relationship! Zhou Meng trembled all over. How could Chen Tianyun be that kind of man? How could he say such a thing!
He clearly takes good care of her, and although he is sometimes cold to her, he is actually very thoughtful.
"Why? You've had girlfriends before, why can't I? I thought..."
In the darkness, a scornful laugh interrupted her.
"Zoe, you're so naive. You think you can be tied to me after just two nights together? If it didn't feel good, do you think I would have come to you tonight? You're such a naive college student from mainland China."
Zhou Meng gripped the thin bed sheet tightly with both hands, her heart pounding wildly. She was speechless. Was this a dream? This must be a dream!
So, in his eyes, she's just like those other women? Just someone he uses for amusement? Then what about all their previous interactions?
But thinking about it carefully, it seems like she's always the one who's throwing herself at him...
But why toy with her like this?
Tears, uncontrollably, streamed down my face.
Chen Tianyun knew the woman on the bed must be crying, but he couldn't go over to wipe her tears. Even though he felt sorry for her suffering such heartbreak at such a young age, the reality was that he didn't want to drag her down with him.
She was from a completely different world than him. Even when they first met, he knew this girl was more lively than a rabbit, loved to laugh and joke, loved wearing outlandish clothes, and had a head full of all sorts of ideas.
Innocent and naive.
He grew up in a cramped, dark, dilapidated house, experienced despair and rebirth, and now, he still hasn't been able to break free from those shackles.
Who told him to be the illegitimate son of Chan Ching-lung, the leader of the biggest gang in Hong Kong, the Ching Shing Society?
Even though he swore five years ago that he would no longer fight openly or covertly with Chen Qinglong's legitimate son, Chen Tianjing, he was still arranged to his current position by those people, putting on an act for the police officers in the station to show that he, Chen Qinglong's son, even if he was an illegitimate child, was doing legitimate business.
He was still restricted in every way. Just today, Chen Qinglong had the rare opportunity to see him. Ha, of course, he had a mission for him. After all, every meeting was just him being used, and he was already used to it.
Nowadays, the Hong Kong police are cracking down hard on illegal businesses, and the business of the Green Wing Society is also restricted everywhere. Recently, the On Tong Society issued an invitation to make peace. For those dirty interests, the two gangs that have been fighting for decades have shaken hands and made peace.
One of the costs was marriage alliances.
Deng Jiahui, the beloved daughter of the leader of the He'an Hall gang, specifically asked to marry him.
Of course, Chen Tianyun wouldn't do a losing business, and his only condition was the abolition of Fanning Hong Kong's board of directors mechanism.
Chen Qinglong had no objection, probably thinking that he had performed well in Fanning over the past few years. He only told him to get along well with Deng Jiahui, and to hold the wedding once their business cooperation was on track.
Ah, everything is decided by his father, who has the final say.
Even though he had his own plans, he still had to deal with Chen Qinglong, so he didn't refuse the marriage proposal. He also needed Deng Jiahui's resources; a brainless woman like that was perfect for exploitation.
He looked at the woman hurriedly getting dressed on the bed and felt a little strange, but soon he smiled and asked himself, when did he become so kind and compassionate?
Unfortunately, he broke the contract, and if Zhou Meng complains to Li Junqian, he is prepared to be beaten up by Li Junqian.
He didn't originally intend to do anything to her, but he, who is usually rational, lost control for some unknown reason.
"Shall I take you back to school?"
Zhou Meng picked up the short skirt from the ground and threw it at him hard, but her strength was limited, and she couldn't make him look bad. The skirt fell to his feet.
"Get lost! Who wants your gift! You hypocritical man, I wish you contract every STD! Please give me the skirt!"
Chen Tianyun saw her resume her aggressive demeanor and said nothing. If this was her way of venting, then so be it. The reason he said hurtful things was simply to cut the Gordian knot quickly. He knew she wasn't that kind of woman, and only in this way could he push her away.
………
The email announcing Li Junqian's departure as Vice President of Greater China and appointment as President of the Singapore branch was also forwarded to her. Coincidentally, Chen Tianyun was sitting opposite her, and the man also received the email on his phone.
“Many people are eyeing the Karsten position, but I must congratulate you in advance, Suzie.”
Liang Shi pursed her lips. She wouldn't make too many expectations about things that hadn't been officially confirmed; getting excited too early wasn't a good thing.
"Leo, I can't say much, but I hope you'll take my good wishes with you."
As it neared the end of the workday, Liang Shi prepared to pack her things. Over the past month or so, she had noticed something amiss in her private conversations with Zhou Meng and Chen Tianyun. In particular, Zhou Meng no longer mentioned that man in their chats.
Today, Zhou Meng invited her to dinner to celebrate finishing her last exam and welcoming summer vacation. Liang Shi naturally wouldn't refuse.
Chen Tianyun glanced at his watch, raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "The Overtime Queen is so excited about the email that she's going to celebrate?"
Liang Shi shrugged: "Zoe asked me to dinner. She's never patient, and there's going to be traffic soon, so I have to leave early. Want to come along?"
Zoe, an English name he hadn't heard in over a month, quickly changed Chen Tianyun's expression, a change that Liang Shi noticed.
It seems there's something fishy going on between these two.
"Really not together? She's about to start her summer vacation, so she probably won't be in Hong Kong for the next two months or so."
Chen Tianyun stood up and pointed to his phone: "Josh, who is replacing you, is coming from Paris at nine o'clock tonight. I have to go pick him up."
Liang Shi was taken aback: "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Chen Tianyun smiled and said, "My old classmate. The headquarters will issue the notice next week, so I asked him to come two days early."
Liang Shi understood; this excuse was truly irrefutable. Liang Shi was quite curious about how Chen Tianyun had rejected Zhou Meng.
The usually lively Mei Bao became depressed and spent over a month glued to her books. Before leaving, Liang Shi asked Lily to get a box of Fanning's newly launched eye cream from the warehouse, so Zhou Meng could try it out.
Liang Shi arrived early. After ordering her food, she took out her phone and sent a message to Li Junqian.
Two minutes later, the other party replied with two words: "Thank you."
Actually, she really wanted to know if he would stay in Singapore from now on.
Counting the days, there are less than half a month left until the six months they agreed on.
For some reason, the restlessness in my heart became increasingly difficult to suppress.
When Zhou Meng arrived, she ran over and hugged Liang Shi. Looking at her clothes, Liang Shi realized that she was back to how she was when he picked her up at the airport. It seemed that it was really impossible for her to be with Chen Tianyun.
"Suzie, my foundation can't even cover my dark circles anymore. I've been so tired this past month!"
Liang Shi handed her the prepared eye cream and said with a smile, "It's your fault for not studying properly all the time. Cramming for a month is bound to be exhausting. Here's Fan Ning's new eye cream. Why don't you try it out for us?"
Upon hearing the name Fan Ning, Zhou Meng reflexively thought of that man, her expression shifting between light and dark. After all, it was a gift, and Liang Shi was unaware of her relationship with Chen Tianyun; she didn't want to spoil Liang Shi's good intentions: "Thank you, Sister Suzie! I'll definitely apply it properly when I get back!"
Where are you planning to go this summer? Back to Shanghai?
Zhou Meng held her water glass and drank ice water: "Anyway, I can't stay in Hong Kong. To be honest, I'm already looking at schools."
Liang Shi didn't react for a moment: "You... want to transfer schools? Little sister, HKU, how much do you dislike Hong Kong?"
Zhou Meng drew circles on the table with her long nail polish. It wasn't that she disliked the city, but rather that there was someone in this city whose mood was constantly worsening. Even if she couldn't see him, just thinking about him made her feel uneasy. Otherwise, she wouldn't have spent the past month or so in the library.
As for transferring schools, she only has this idea, but it's quite difficult to implement. First of all, her mother is a big hurdle, and secondly, with her grades, she would have to put in more effort to transfer to a better school.
"Ugh, so annoying. Li Shih-hao and the others invited me to Europe, but my mom says it's dangerous there because of theft and robbery, and she won't let me go. She says I should just stay in China, which is so boring. I'm thinking of flying to Singapore in a couple of days to visit my cousin. He's generous, so at least I won't have to use my savings. Suzie, do you have any vacation time? Do you want to come with me?"
Going to Singapore?
If Li Junqian found out, would he think that she had ulterior motives and that she wasn't going on vacation but specifically to see him?
"Suzie, what's wrong?"
Liang Shi snapped out of her reverie and chuckled. When did she become such a worrier?
"I'm probably not free. Best wishes for a happy summer in advance!"
The two clinked glasses, and just as the glasses made a crisp sound, Liang Shi looked up and saw a man not far away, gentlemanly pulling out a chair for the woman opposite him.
Oh dear, someone lied.
So, because Chen Tianyun got another girlfriend, their relationship cooled down?
She asked tentatively, "How are you and Leo doing? I haven't heard you mention him lately."
Still at an age where she can't hide her feelings, Zhou Meng's face immediately fell: "Really? He's just an old man, I'm not that persistent. There are plenty of handsome guys at my school, lining up to confess to me, I don't have time to care about Leo or Neo."
Liang Shi pointed in a direction behind her: "It seems like Leo is in a relationship?"
Zhou Meng turned around and saw that familiar back. The beautiful woman opposite him was smiling from ear to ear. This man had plenty of ways to make women happy.
For her, he's a lover; for others, he's a girlfriend?
Indeed, what man would brazenly have a clandestine rendezvous with his lover in such a crowded and inconvenient place!
But why? Because she's young? Because she's not as mature as those other women? Because he can't take her out in public and feels ashamed of her?
She turned back, her smile stiff: "Congratulations to him! He always has great taste in girlfriends, they're always very pretty. Suzie, can you give me your opinion? What do you think of Li Shih-hao? The guy who sent you the picture last time."
As the saying goes, the best way to forget a relationship is to start another one. Since they're all handsome guys, she can't lose out no matter what.
"Only the people involved have the right to speak about matters of the heart. But Zoe, you can't act impulsively in matters of the heart, or you'll hurt yourself and others."
Zhou Meng ran into Chen Tianyun at the entrance of the restaurant's restroom. It had been a long time since she had seen him. He was as charming as ever, and his dark blue shirt looked really good, exuding both nobility and mystery.
She intended to ignore him, but the man didn't move aside. She greeted him, "Zoe, long time no see."
Even a forced smile wouldn't work for Zhou Meng. A little over a month hadn't been enough time to forget the man who had already filled the crevices of her mind.
"So, is that beautiful woman a lover? Or a girlfriend?"
Zhou Meng bit her lip, mustered her courage, and looked up at him.
"fiancée."
Zhou Meng never expected to hear three more unfamiliar words from his mouth. Her steps were unsteady. Well, at this age, it was indeed time to enter the hall of marriage.
Sister Liang is right. There are four billion men in the world. Why should she feel sorry for herself because of just one of them?
"Wow, congratulations! I love sweets, so don't forget to prepare some for my wedding."
She finished speaking in a light tone, then took out her phone and pretended to check WeChat: "It's getting late, my boyfriend is here to pick me up, Leo, goodbye."
Chen Tianyun felt very uncomfortable watching her wave goodbye with her small hand, especially when he heard the words "boyfriend".
It was practically an escape; not only did he leave the restaurant without saying goodbye to Leung Si, but he also left Hong Kong the very next day with his suitcase.
The worst part was that she bought the wrong plane ticket. That day, her eyes were filled with tears, and she couldn't even see the screen clearly. Anyway, the destination was Singapore, so she just paid for it without thinking.
Little did she know that she hadn't bought a direct flight ticket, so she had to transfer in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and finally landed in Singapore after a 20-hour journey. She didn't sleep a wink the whole way, her mind filled with the three words Chen Tianyun had said. At 9:30 in the morning, Changi Airport was bustling with people. She was in a hurry to get her luggage and was running along when she accidentally tripped and fell while trying to avoid a child. She only realized she had sprained her ankle after walking a dozen meters.
Within minutes, her ankle swelled up. Fortunately, airport staff helped her in time. After she got her luggage and sat down alone, Zhou Meng leaned on her suitcase and cried softly.
So what if he's getting married? Why is she so heartbroken? Why is she running away? She came here on vacation, not to heal her heartbreak!
After calming herself down, Zhou Meng called Li Junqian and told him that she had arrived in Singapore. Unfortunately, a small incident had occurred, and she only felt at ease after her cousin had settled her in the hospital.
It's so nice to have family who care about me!
Li Junqian frowned as he watched his cousin, who was eating cake with a spoon from her hospital bed.
"Did you tell your mother about your trip to Singapore?"
Zhou Meng held up her spoon and waved it from side to side: "No. As long as you're there, even in Syria or Palestine, my mom won't say anything. Right now, for my mom, there's no safer place in the world than Singapore."
Li Junqian had just been officially promoted to head of the Singapore branch, and he was very busy, even on weekends. He was in a meeting with several senior executives when he received this troublesome phone call.
“I’ve been very busy lately and haven’t had time to take care of you. I’ll buy you a plane ticket so you can go back to Shanghai.”
Zhou Meng didn't want to go back. If her mother found out she had sprained her ankle, she probably wouldn't be able to leave Shanghai for the entire summer vacation.
"Brother! No way! You know what kind of person my mom is. Last time I just scraped my skin, she actually had my aunt call you to Hong Kong to come see me. This time I sprained my ankle, and if I go back to Shanghai I'll be stuck at home all day! Let me tell you, I studied for all my final exams this time, I definitely deserve a great summer vacation! And the doctor just looked at the X-ray, he said it's just minor, and it'll be better in less than a week. Besides, I can use crutches, it won't affect my mobility."
Li Junqian frowned: "You sprained your ankle and you still want to go out and have fun? Zhou Meng, there's no room for discussion. There's a flight to Shanghai at six o'clock. I'll have my assistant take you there later."
Zhou Meng almost flipped the cake over, exclaiming excitedly, "No! Liang Shi and I agreed to come to Singapore together! If I leave now, wouldn't I be standing her up!"
On the payment screen, Li Junqian paused, looked up at her, as if trying to determine if she was lying.
"Really, I already told her. She has some things to do at her company, so I flew over first."
Li Junqian didn't believe it. At this moment, he needed to verify it.
When the name Li Junqian appeared on the screen, Liang Shi was practicing yoga. He had picked up this new hobby because he was too bored after coming to Hong Kong Island.
She and Zhou Yun often talked on the phone, and she also learned from her, or rather from her man Frankl, that Li Junqian had been very busy lately. As everyone knows, Singapore holds a grand shopping festival in May and June, so it's no wonder he hasn't contacted her much recently.
Do you have time today?
“Karsten”.
"Xiaoshi, I heard that Josh will be taking over your position next week. The handover process will be very busy. Will you be able to handle it?"
Somewhat puzzled, Liang Shi frowned. Something was off about this man. This matter had nothing to do with his Singapore branch, so why was he calling her today about it? And why did he start by asking this question without any pleasantries?
It's truly baffling.
"Mr. Li, you're so busy, yet you still have time to care about things in Hong Kong. You've really gone to a lot of trouble."
Do you have any plans recently? Like... a vacation?
She's been working like a spinning top, and this weekend she's only free to stay home. Once Josh gets back to work, she'll probably be busy again for a while.
Could it be that he asked that because of... that agreement?
"No arrangements are made at the moment."
Just as she finished speaking, a message came in on her WeChat, flashing at the top of the screen. Liang Shi saw that Zhou Meng had sent three words followed by three exclamation marks.
Zhou Meng: There are plans!!!
Um?
Is Zhou Meng next to Li Junqian?
Is she in Singapore?
No wonder this man made such a sudden and abrupt phone call; it turns out Zhou Meng was using her as a shield.
Soon, the person on the other end of the phone confessed: "Zhou Meng flew from Hong Kong to Singapore yesterday and sprained her ankle. I arranged for her to return to Shanghai, but she said she wanted to come to Singapore for a vacation with you. It seems the girl isn't being honest. Did Zhou Meng cause you any trouble in Hong Kong when you were little?"
Another message came in: Sis, please, help me!
Whether it was because he heard that Zhou Meng had sprained her ankle or because of some other ulterior motive, Liang Shi stopped doing the splits that he had been holding for a while and said, "Karsten, I'm sorry, I just lied to you."
"Um?"
Liang Shi remained calm and fabricated a lie: "I said I hadn't made any arrangements, but actually... I wanted to surprise you. The truth is, I did make a promise with Zhou Meng to go to Singapore with her for a while."
Li Junqian glanced at Zhou Meng, who was fidgeting a lot on the bed, and walked out of the ward. He couldn't hide his smile: "Surprise? Xiao Shi, why?"
Sure enough, the man started to dig deeper.
Liang Shicai wouldn't give him what he wanted to hear. She'd have to wait at least six months until the agreement expired; otherwise, she'd be ruining her own reputation.
"You can interpret it however you like. Zoe is injured, and I'll fly to Singapore as soon as possible. By the way, congratulations to Mr. Li on becoming the big boss of Fanning Singapore."
The man on the other end of the phone chuckled softly: "Xiaoshi, I want you to tell me this in person."
In person? What to say? Congratulations or something else...?
This man always has a way of making people's hearts pound with desire.
"I'm hanging up now, I need to check flight tickets."
Send me your flight information, and I'll pick you up no matter what time it is.
How...so thoughtful. Liang Shi lay down on the yoga mat and quickly hung up the phone. Is there really any woman in this world who can resist the charm of a man like Li Junqian?
She was completely powerless against him.
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