study
Yu Xi frantically rummaged through the bedroom drawer for the key to that room, accidentally knocking over a vase on the dressing table with a 'bang,' scattering shards of glass everywhere.
Hearing the commotion, the housekeeper rushed upstairs. Just as she was about to enter, she remembered Yu Xi's rule that no one could enter her bedroom without permission. She carefully stood at the door and asked, "Madam, are you alright? Let me clean for you."
Yu Xi didn't answer her, but asked anxiously, "Auntie, do you remember where I put the key to the study?"
The aunt's heart tightened at the mention of this. She lowered her head and hesitated for a while before speaking: "I remember that Madam put it in the wooden box containing your and Mr. Meng's marriage certificate."
After Meng Chou's death, Yu Xi was distraught and unwilling to accept the fact. She held the wooden box containing her marriage certificate with Meng Chou and locked herself in the study for three whole days, refusing to open the door no matter who knocked.
That study was Meng Chou's home office, and also the place where he spent the most time besides his bedroom.
Yu Xi clearly remembers that because the Meng family opposed her marriage into the family, they cut off Meng Chou's credit card, forcing the two of them, who had just graduated from university, to squeeze into a rented room.
The room was small, with no windows. The old air conditioner on the wall was yellowed and covered with cobwebs. Apart from the new bed painted yellow, the furniture included a low white desk. There was only one bathroom and toilet, which had to be shared with the people on the floor above.
In the evening, Yu Xi lay in bed and turned to look at Meng Chou, who was still busy with 3D digital pattern making of sample garments. The faint light from the computer screen reflected on his face.
As Meng Chou pondered his manuscript intently, Yu Xi slowly asked, "Meng Chou, do you feel wronged living with me in a rented apartment?"
Sensing the probing and unease in her tone, Meng Chou turned off the computer, sat down on the edge of the bed, and gently kissed her forehead.
"I'm glad you don't feel wronged, Xiaoyu. You've suffered because of me." He said, lying down and pulling her into his arms. "Trust me, I will definitely make sure you live in a big house and buy you everything you like."
"Once the sample garment design is completed, we can start production on this batch of clothes. Everything is slowly getting better. Don't worry, Xiaoyu."
Meng Chou held her tightly, his hot chest firm and strong. Yu Xi rested her head against his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat, and for some reason felt very at ease.
"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been implicated." Yu Xi's voice was low, echoing in the small room.
Meng Chou raised his hand and rubbed her head. "My little fish will never drag me down. It's my fault. I'm not capable enough to give you a good enough life."
Meng Chou comes from a prestigious family and has lived a life of luxury since childhood, never having to worry about money. Now, however, he has broken ties with his family because he insists on marrying her.
Two recent college graduates emptied their savings and took out bank loans to start a clothing company specializing in Hanfu (traditional Han Chinese clothing) design.
"Once we've earned enough money to buy a house, I'll definitely build you a comfortable home office space."
Seeing that Meng Chou was busy at the company until late every day, and then squeezed into a small desk to continue working at home, sitting on the only backless hard stool in the room.
Several times, Yu Xi couldn't wait for him any longer. She would fall asleep on the bedside table and then see him taking a break from his busy schedule to rub his sore neck. A feeling of heartache and guilt welled up inside her.
Meng Chou smiled slightly, "Okay, when the time comes, I want to decorate with Xiaoyu. We'll also reserve a walk-in closet for Xiaoyu, filled with beautiful clothes."
The room was dimly lit, but the young people, full of youthful passion, were planning for the future together, each thinking of the other.
—
"Found it, this is it." After rummaging through drawers and cabinets, Yu Xi finally found the wooden box deep inside the top of the wardrobe. With trembling hands, she carefully opened the box.
The keys with the Talking Tom keychain and two marriage certificates came into view, and a sudden pang of pain surged in her heart. Today, she finally understood the idiom "seeing things reminds one of loved ones."
Without a moment's delay, Yu Xi rushed up to the room at the corner on the second floor. She could hardly contain her emotions. When she heard the crisp sound of the lock opening, she held her breath and pushed open the study door.
The curtains were drawn, and the room was dimly lit. The moment Yu Xi turned on the light, all the familiar furnishings came into view, but they hadn't been cleaned for a long time and were covered with a thick layer of dust.
She looked up at the computer desk, where the ghost on the gaming chair was sleeping, completely unaware that she had entered the room.
A familiar scene flashed through her mind again. In a daze, it was as if the same figure overlapped with her at this moment. Yu Xi suppressed her sobs and stepped forward quietly.
In the past, when Yu Xi saw Meng Chou resting on his desk because he was tired, she would do the same thing as now, gently taking a blanket and covering him with it.
"You...you're back?" Yu Xi asked, her voice trembling with tears, her gaze fixed on the ghost.
The ghost's reply shattered her illusion the next second: "I've always been here."
"I promised you yesterday that I'd be there whenever you called." The lighthearted tone pulled her back to reality from her reverie.
Yu Xi raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes. "Why did you come here?"
The ghost stretched, as if he had slept well, and floated slowly to Yu Xi's side. "We ghosts also need to rest. I thought this place was quiet and away from the light, so I came over."
"Don't ever come into this room again," she said coldly, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.
The ghost didn't understand and followed behind her, "Why? I'm just here for a nap, and I can't possibly move anything."
He reached his hand into the half-open door, his arm going straight through the doorframe, gesturing for Yu Xi to see, "Really, I really like this room."
"You talk too much!"
“There aren’t that many whys,” she said, as her phone vibrated in her pocket.
Yu Xi waved for him to come out, quickly locked the door, and the moment the call connected, Dr. Liang's anxious voice came through, "Can you come over this afternoon?"
"Or rather, can you still see that so-called ghost?"
Yu Xi paused for two seconds, then turned her head slightly to look at the ghost floating beside her, and said, "He's right next to me right now, I can even let him answer the phone."
"..."
Dr. Liang, sitting opposite him, remained silent for a long while. Having seen all sorts of patients, he maintained his calm tone and said, "Mr. Yu, please listen to me first. When you are under a lot of pressure, you may also see what you call ghosts. These are all spiritual and ethereal things."
"After resting for a while, the ghost you mentioned will naturally disappear."
"Is this person a doctor? Is he sick?" the ghost asked, arms crossed, clearly annoyed.
"And to say I'm some ethereal, intangible thing, that's utterly disrespectful to ghosts."
"Do you know that every ghost exists because there are still people in the world who miss it and love it?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Xi was taken aback. "You mean, as long as someone remembers the deceased, they will exist as a spirit?"
The ghost nodded and said without hesitation, "Of course, there are rules in the underworld. If a ghost is completely forgotten by the living and doesn't have enough merit to be reincarnated, it will slowly disappear."
“Then he must be here too, that’s great.” Yu Xi said, her lips unconsciously curving upwards.
The ghost floated close to her, almost touching her, even in its semi-transparent ghost form. Yu Xi could even clearly see its long, feather-like eyelashes, and its exceptionally alluring eyes.
"You look beautiful when you smile, you should smile more often."
Yu Xi hurriedly took two steps back, coughed lightly, and said in a deep voice, "Don't get so close to me."
—
The plagiarism controversy surrounding Jinxuexiao Clothing Design Company is escalating, with a deluge of negative public opinion and a surge of online criticism directed at Yu Xi.
Driven by the desire for traffic, marketing accounts spread rumors and targeted Yu Xi, the president of Jin Xuexiao, who was accused of plagiarism, before the results were released.
The moment Yu Xi stepped out of the car, she was surrounded by a swarm of reporters, who even pushed the ghost following behind her five meters away.
"President Yu, Jin Xuexiao has been slow to take any action regarding this plagiarism scandal. Are they afraid?"
What are your thoughts on stealing someone else's work?
"The details and patterns are all similar, and even the fashion shows were held on the same day. Isn't all of this too much of a coincidence?"
Aren't you going to apologize yet?
Various comments reached Yu Xi's ears. Because of this matter, she had been running back and forth in court for the past few days, and was already physically and mentally exhausted. Her emotions piled up like snowflakes, and she was just a hair's breadth away from collapsing.
"Have the results come out yet? Why are you blocking this place to ask?" Yu Xi asked coldly.
"A plagiarist dares to talk like that?"
"Which clothing brand can be exactly the same in terms of details and cut?"
"Go to hell, you plagiarist!" Someone said, and a fist-sized rock flew towards Yu Xi. In an instant, the ghost sensed it even before she did and quickly floated in front of her, protecting her behind it.
But the ghost himself has forgotten, so how can he come into contact with things in the human world now?
The stone pierced his heart and struck Yu Xi with pinpoint accuracy, a blow powerful enough to send the world reeling. Yu Xi staggered two steps, nearly falling.
"I told you, it wasn't me who plagiarized, it was her who stole my work!"
"Give me back my work! Give it back to me!" she shouted frantically, startling the reporters at the front of the group who all backed away.
For a moment, the scene was completely silent, leaving only Yu Xi angrily brushing her long, loose hair back.
She didn't have the habit of having bodyguards with her, and this had never happened before. Whenever there was danger, Meng Chou would always be the first to protect her from harm.
No one protects her like that anymore.
A black sedan sped towards the crowd, screeching as it braked suddenly, leaving behind a piercing sound of wheels scraping against the concrete. Meng Yun got out of the car amidst the stares of the crowd.
Without saying a word, a group of his bodyguards rushed into the crowd, forming a human wall to clear a path for Meng Yun.
Meng Yun jogged over to Yu Xi's side, unfolded the black coat she had attached to her wrist, twirled halfway in the air, and steadily wrapped Yu Xi inside.
Meng Yun tugged at his coat sleeve, signaling Yu Xi to follow him.
The scene was in complete chaos. The best course of action now is to leave, at least to ensure that you are not harmed further.
"Don't run away, you plagiarist! Give me an explanation!" Someone else, oblivious to the danger, chimed in.
Meng Yun turned and swept his fierce gaze across the jeering crowd. His subordinates naturally knew what to do; the surveillance cameras in front of the company clearly captured everything that happened at the main entrance, and everyone present was detained for investigation.
"Why did you come all by yourself? You didn't even tell me. Look, you even got hurt." Inside the car, Meng Yun said reproachfully, noticing that the red scratches under Yu Xi's collarbone were already bleeding.
Yu Xi remained silent, but then saw Meng Yun take out cotton swabs from the spare medicine box and pretend to apply medicine to her.
The neckline of her long dress wasn't high, and even a slight bend over would reveal a glimpse of her fair skin, which was somewhat inconvenient, and the location of the wound was also rather embarrassing.
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