Chapter 19-019 "We kissed there too."...
This was the second time Meng Ran had entered Chen Sulin's study.
The first thing she noticed upon entering was the windowsill.
The succulents she bought when she graduated are still there, growing well and thriving.
Seeing it for the second time, my feelings were completely different from the first time.
Last time it was a time of surprise and nostalgia, but this time my heart is filled with confusion.
Meng Ran couldn't help but wonder if, if their relationship was still harmonious after marriage, she and Chen Sulin had taken care of these plants together.
After she disappeared, what were Chen Sulin's feelings when he saw these flowers every day?
The soft sound of a door closing behind her pulled her back to reality.
Meng Ran turned around and saw the tightly closed door, her breath caught in her throat.
Chen Sulin: "Would you like to sit down?"
A black two-seater sofa was placed against the wall in the study.
Meng Ran: "No need."
Standing makes her feel more at ease.
“I…” Meng Ran took a deep breath and said with a determined look, “I have a question for you.”
How exactly did we get married?
Having held back the question for so long, Meng Ran finally asked it, and felt a sense of relief.
Chen Sulin seemed to have anticipated her question, and his tone remained calm: "Each gets what they need. I need a wife, and you need my help to get rid of your father and stepmother's harassment."
Meng Ran was somewhat stunned.
This answer was actually quite similar to her guesses over the past few days.
Given the vast difference in their social statuses, the possibility of them falling in love freely was extremely slim.
But now that I've actually received this answer from Chen Sulin, an indescribable sense of unease arises within me.
If this is the truth, was it necessary for Chen Sulin to keep it a secret from her from the very beginning?
Suppressing her doubts, Meng Ran pressed for an answer: "What do you mean by getting rid of the harassment?"
Chen Sulin: "The news of your breakup reached your father and stepmother. They heard that you received a breakup fee and they have their eyes on that money. Your stepmother even came to your company herself to demand the money."
He spoke in a calm tone, as if he were recounting some social news, deliberately trying not to let her get emotionally involved.
But Meng Ran could still imagine that her life must have been a mess at that time.
She knew her stepmother's personality well; she was capable of being completely shameless in order to achieve her goals.
Therefore, it's not impossible that her affair with Zhao Yanzhou, fueled by that woman, became common knowledge throughout the company.
Jiang Yuqing had told her that she resigned shortly after breaking up with Zhao Yanzhou, which might be the reason.
Meng Ran felt a little heavy-hearted and forced herself not to think about it anymore: it had been a long time since then, and she didn't need to go back and relive those painful memories.
“Then…” Meng Ran paused, her fingertips unconsciously curling up, “What do you mean by saying you need a wife?”
Chen Sulin: "Literal meaning. At that time, I was taking over Hengyue from my father. For a young person in power, being married made it easier to stabilize the situation and win trust."
Meng Ran: "Why me?"
Chen Sulin's tone remained calm, revealing no emotion: "Your background is simple, without complicated family entanglements, and you happen to have something to ask of me, making you a very suitable wife candidate for me."
Meng Ran: "..."
That strange feeling resurfaced, like a thin layer of mist, lingering and refusing to dissipate.
Meng Ran: "But you said that we had feelings for each other after we got married."
Chen Sulin: "From the very beginning, we had a good impression of each other. After marriage, spending so much time together, it's normal for feelings to develop over time, isn't it?"
Meng Ran blinked slowly, swallowing back the rebuttal that was on the tip of her tongue.
Her first impression of him was hardly "good".
When she first met Chen Sulin, she felt that he looked aloof and unapproachable, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay. He was the typical wealthy man who was arrogant and haughty.
They are completely different kinds of people from Zhao Yanzhou.
...
The name "Zhao Yanzhou" popped into Meng Ran's mind, and she suddenly understood the root of what had always seemed strange to her.
In all the backstory Chen Sulin told her, he didn't mention the name Zhao Yanzhou at all.
This former boyfriend of hers, who was also her childhood friend, was deliberately avoided in the story.
Meng Ran hesitated whether to voice her doubts.
Reason told her that since Chen Sulin deliberately avoided mentioning Zhao Yanzhou, she would definitely not get the answer she wanted from him.
But I'm unwilling to not ask.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Meng Ran took a deep breath: "But, before marrying you, I and..."
For the first time since entering the study, Chen Sulin interrupted her: "The past is not important to me, and I don't care. What's important is that we are still husband and wife now, and that we have Miaoying."
Meng Ran: "..."
"So that's why you haven't told me what happened in the past?" she asked. "You don't think the past is important?"
Perhaps it was Chen Sulin's calm demeanor at that moment that gave Meng Ran the courage to press for more information.
Chen Sulin did not deny it: "That's one of the reasons."
Meng Ran: "Then... what are the remaining reasons?"
Chen Sulin: "I hope you can gradually adapt to your current identity, rather than forcing you to be the same as before."
“Of course.” Chen Sulin looked at her meaningfully, “If you want to immediately return to the way we got along five years ago, I don’t mind.”
Meng Ran's heart tightened, and she unconsciously repeated, "How did we get along five years ago?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Sulin suddenly took a step closer.
His tall figure descended, accompanied by a crisp, cool aura. He leaned down slightly, and the distance between them suddenly closed, so close that she could clearly see the darkness in his eyes.
The calm and composed Chen Sulin suddenly disappeared, replaced by a dangerous and extremely aggressive man.
“Just like this evening in my office,” he said. “Five years ago, we kissed there too.”
...
Meng Ran practically fled in panic.
She had a premonition that if she continued to stay in Chen Sulin's study, the man would kiss her again without hesitation.
Meng Ran felt a chill on the back of her neck. She reached out and touched it, only to find that there was a thin layer of sweat on the back of her neck.
My heartbeat hasn't completely calmed down yet.
Open your palm, and there lies a Polaroid photo.
It was handed to her by Chen Sulin before she came out of the study.
Meng Ran remembered that their kiss in the office was interrupted, and Chen Sulin did not take this photo with him when he went out to check on Chen Miaoying.
I don't know when he took it.
Meng Ran's gaze lingered on the photo again, her fingertips tracing the woman's face in the picture.
So her feeling was right; at that time, she did indeed like Chen Sulin.
Did Chen Sulin like her back then?
The man's words suddenly rang in my ears: Five years ago, we kissed there too.
A sudden surge of heat rose within her body. Meng Ran bit her lip in annoyance and flipped the photo over, placing it on the bedside table.
What is she imagining?
Meng Ran suddenly stood up and went into the bathroom.
After a shower, I finally felt refreshed and invigorated.
Since arriving seven years ago, whenever Meng Ran is home, she makes sure to say goodnight to Chen Miaoying every night without fail.
Meng Ran herself certainly wanted to go and be with her daughter, but today was different.
Thinking about how she had kissed Chen Sulin just that evening, and how they had almost kissed again in the study just now... she felt a little resistant to being in the same room with that man again.
But not going was impossible. Meng Ran could imagine how disappointed the girl would be if she suddenly told Chen Miaoying that she couldn't say goodnight to her tonight.
Besides, even if you manage to get away with it today, what about tomorrow? What will you do in the future?
We can't keep hiding forever.
Thinking of this, Meng Ran got up and went to the children's room without waiting for anyone to call her.
When I arrived, Chen Miaoying was still taking a shower.
Meng Ran was worried that if she ran into Chen Sulin while she was outside, the two of them would inevitably have to spend time alone together again.
So she went to Chen Miaoying's private bathroom.
Chen Miaoying was pleasantly surprised that her mother came to bathe with her: "Mom, why did you come to keep me company so early today?"
Meng Ran smiled and said, "Because Mommy misses her baby."
Chan Miu-ying never hesitates to express her love for her mother. Upon hearing this, she giggled and said, "My baby misses her mother too!"
Aunt Zhang, who was washing Chen Miaoying's hair, also laughed.
At first, she was very worried when her wife came, but now it seems that the blood ties between mother and daughter cannot be severed, and her worries were unnecessary.
I just don't know why such a wonderful wife disappeared for five years.
Aunt Zhang came to take care of Chen Miaoying when she was six months old. At that time, the mistress's affairs were taboo in the family, and the housekeeper strictly forbade anyone under him from discussing them.
However, no matter what, rumors could not be stopped from spreading. Aunt Zhang remembered that some people said that her wife had died in an accident, while others said that her wife had heartlessly abandoned her daughter and husband and went abroad to live with someone else.
It now appears that both rumors are false. The first one is undeniable; the wife is standing perfectly fine in front of her right now.
As for the second scenario, if the wife really abandoned her husband and daughter, why would the husband still be so considerate and attentive to her?
Aunt Zhang shook her head and decided not to think about it anymore.
She should just focus on doing her job well; the Chen family offers her a generous salary and benefits that you won't find anywhere else.
After taking a bath, Aunt Zhang helped Chen Miaoying change into her pajamas and dry her hair.
"I'll go call the gentleman over," Aunt Zhang said, leaving the room to the mother and daughter.
Chen Miaoying didn't seem sleepy at all, and excitedly shook Meng Ran's arm.
"Mom," Chen Miaoying said, "could you read me a picture book? Dad reads to me all the time, but you've never read to me before."
"Sure." Meng Ran had no reason to refuse, and smiled as she ruffled her hair. "Which one do you want to hear? Mom will read it to you."
Chen Miaoying ran to the bookshelf by the bedside, pulled out a beautifully bound picture book, and handed it to Meng Ran.
“This one!” Chen Miaoying said, “My dad bought it for me. It’s my favorite story about a family of little rabbits. This one is new, and I haven’t read it yet!”
Meng Ran agreed, sat on the edge of the bed, let her daughter snuggle in her arms, and opened the book.
The title page features a drawing of three chubby rabbits: the father rabbit is wearing a bow tie, the mother rabbit is wearing a floral dress, and the little rabbit in the middle has two small pigtails.
Meng Ran read softly: "In the forest at dusk, the baby rabbit chased butterflies all day, and its little face was red from exhaustion."
...
Each page of the picture book features an illustration paired with one or two lines of text. Meng Ran read it slowly and deliberately, glancing at Chen Miaoying's expression after each page.
Chan Miu-ying has great focus and seems completely immersed in the story.
Meng Ran: "The family of three returned to the cabin hand in hand. The mother rabbit carried her baby rabbit into her little room, where there was an adorable little rabbit bed."
The baby bunny frowned and clutched its mother's hand: "I don't want to sleep alone, I want to sleep with Mommy and Daddy!"
"Mommy Rabbit sat by the bed and said gently, 'My little one is growing up now, it's time to learn to sleep in your own bed. This is a sign of your bravery.'"
Upon reading this, Meng Ran understood that this picture book was meant to teach children how to sleep independently.
However, Chen Miaoying doesn't actually need this kind of guidance. Aunt Zhang said that Chen Miaoying has been able to sleep alone since she was three years old.
It's likely that Chen Sulin didn't look at the contents of the picture book very carefully when he bought it.
Thinking this, Meng Ran turned to the next page and fell silent.
Chen Miaoying: "Mom, why aren't you reading anymore?"
Meng Ran: "..."
She cleared her throat and, forcing herself to continue, said, "The baby rabbit lay in bed and asked, 'Then why can Mommy and Daddy sleep in the same bed, but I have to sleep alone?'"
"Mother Rabbit smiled and gently pinched her little nose: 'Because Mommy and Daddy are each other's partners, and partners should sleep together every day so that when they open their eyes in the morning, they can immediately see their loved one.'"
After reading this sentence, Meng Ran glanced at Chen Miaoying's expression, praying that the child's outstanding associative abilities wouldn't come into play at this moment.
Chen Miaoying blinked.
Just as she was about to ask that question, the door was pushed open.
Chen Sulin's figure appeared at the door.
When Meng Ran met Chen Sulin's gaze, she didn't know whether she should breathe a sigh of relief or become even more nervous.
Chen Miaoying called out "Dad" towards the door.
Chen Sulin walked into the room, his gaze sweeping over the picture book in Meng Ran's hands: "Reading a story to Miaoying?"
Meng Ran: "...Hmm."
Chen Miaoying then spoke up, "Dad, I have a question for you and Mom."
Chen Sulin asked gently, "What's the problem?"
Chen Miaoying asked with a serious look of confusion, "Why don't you and Mom sleep in the same bed?"
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