Chapter 1 (8)
As soon as his mother left, Yu Shuang felt like half of his soul had been sucked out of him.
Over the past thirty years, her mother has been with her through many difficult times in her life.
The year before the college entrance exam, her grades weren't improving. She was anxious and anorexic, only able to eat one steamed bun a day, and languished to just 42 kilograms. It was her mother who quit her job, took unpaid leave, rented a house near her, and cared for her, helping her navigate the difficult times. When her first college romance turned sour, her mother rushed to soothe her trauma. And even more so after she started working: every promotion and every important decision she made was marked by her mother.
Yu Shuang once jokingly said that her mother was the Empress Dowager Cixi of her life. With her behind the scenes, she, the emperor, could attend court normally. But she could never have imagined that her mother, who had always helped her through difficult times, would now unexpectedly create her biggest hurdle. She now had no support, neither spiritually nor physically. She was completely orphaned, both physically and spiritually.
Now that Yu Rui and Sister Meng are by my side, things are a little better. But I still have to try to stop the fire from boiling over.
Sadness filled the air and she couldn't get out of it.
"Eat something." Yu Rui called her.
Shuang couldn't move. Rui tried to support her. Yu Yi bought a few extra stir-fries, filling the small dining table with a dazzling array of dishes. Yu Shuang reluctantly picked up her chopsticks, and after taking the first bite, her eyes were red again. How could these dishes compare to what Mom cooked? There was a world of difference, a world of difference. Yu Yi saw Sister Shuang's jealous eyes and was at a loss.
Rui knew that she missed her mother again, so she ate a few bites and helped her back to the house to rest.
"The look in his eyes is wrong. Stupid." Yu Yizhi.
"I haven't recovered yet." Yu Rui remained calm.
"We have to think of a way." Yu Yi said.
Useful nonsense. Everyone knows that they need to think of a solution. However, Yu Rui wanted to hear Yu Yi's opinion. Yu Yi said bluntly, "I think Shuangjie should still find a relationship and find a man. Auntie is gone, and someone needs to fill the gap."
Using human flesh to fill the hole? Ridiculous. Yu Rui said nothing, but she and Yu Yi agreed on the solution to Shuangjie's excessive sadness. She also thought Shuangjie should find a boyfriend. She hadn't before, because her aunt was there, so she was blinded by her own concerns. Now, finding a man has become a necessity.
Yu Shuang and her mother used to be a family, inseparable. Now, the family is broken, and reconciliation is unrealistic. The best way is to reshape the clay mold, recreate the lotus, and build a new family.
Yu Rui shared this idea with Sister Meng.
Yu Mengshen believed it. She said, "Xiao Shuang has never tasted the benefits of a man." Then she said, "When we were doing it that day, all those men..." She snorted and continued, "They always ate vegetables instead of meat. It was annoying."
Yu Rui felt sympathetic, but she wasn't as direct as Sister Meng. She just smiled and said nothing.
Yu Meng added: "Especially the one working on big data, he's a talented person."
Yu Rui subconsciously blurted out, "Bai Yuankai."
"You know him?" Yu Meng was surprised.
"I'm responsible for registration." Yu Rui explained naturally.
Yu Meng smiled and praised Bai Yuankai profusely. Finally, she concluded, "How could a guy like that not have a girlfriend? There's probably no chance of him having fun. If there was a story, it would have been a novel by now. That guy doesn't like having fun."
"Oh?" Yu Meng teased her with doubt and expectation.
"You have a chance," Yu Meng said. Yu Rui covered it with a laugh. Yu Meng continued, "But it's not big. Men like this prefer strong alliances. Going straight for a female elite would help their careers. But out of a hundred, there might be one who enjoys traditional culture and nostalgia and would marry someone like Bai Liusu." Bai Liusu? Yu Rui thought quickly. Yu Meng offered an answer: "Have you seen 'Love in a Fallen City'? The heroine. Someone like Bai Yuankai, who studied abroad and is in technology, might like Chinese food, just like those CEOs." Yu Meng spread out her fingers, her ten nails painted red. "Murdoch married Wendi Deng, and the Facebook CEO's wife is also Chinese. It's trendy." Although Yu Rui instinctively resisted Yu Meng's words, she had to admit that Sister Meng's advice made sense.
Yu Meng invites Weng Yue to have afternoon tea.
Weng Yue invited her to her studio. She was the distributor of a Japanese toothpaste brand and had rented an office in the city to facilitate meetings. Yu Meng was surprised, then jealous. She envied Weng Yue for having her own career, already a director of a listed company, and now taking it a step further, representing a small brand for fun, seemingly enjoying herself. However, it was precisely because Weng Yue was doing so well that Yu Meng felt the need to continue her relationship with her was warranted.
Before going, Yu Meng had planned to tell her, "I'm getting a divorce," but after learning the meeting address, she changed her mind. She couldn't reveal her secrets just yet. She'd have to find out first. After all, her relationship with Weng Yue wasn't comparable to Jia Shuangrui's. Their relationship was based on being in the same "upper class." If Weng Yue discovered that Yu Meng was broke (she wouldn't get much in the family fortune after divorcing Luan), she could easily kick her out of the social circle. She couldn't even hope to get a man from her.
Yu Meng walked in elegantly, dressed in gorgeous clothes. She had sneaked home to get them.
Weng Yue didn't intend to be polite. He was wearing a purple suit. The brooch pinned to his lapel looked expensive, inlaid with gemstones.
The room was decorated in a traditional Chinese style, with mahogany furniture. On the table was a tea set. Yu Meng was surprised. In her impression, Weng Yue was a Westernized woman. She had never expected her to be so closely aligned with Chinese culture.
Tea was brewing, and snacks were ready, stacked on three shelves. A dazzling array of colors. Atop the top layer of pastries was a small, sequined crown. Yu Meng, not wanting to leave unattended, had brought a set of thread-bound books as a gift. A touch of culture. Weng Yue accepted them without hesitation. Sitting down and catching sight of the ashtray on the table, Yu Meng suddenly understood. Weng Yue's Chinese-style decor was likely tailor-made for his "clientele"—a place for conversation and laughter with the most distinguished scholars, and no ordinary people among them—necessarily, the majority of these scholars were men.
The two chatted for a while, never getting to the point. Yu Meng didn't want to directly ask Weng Yue to introduce her to someone. It was too rude. At best, she could only say that Lao Luan and she wanted to do business and make a fortune together.
Attract people with business.
However, Yu Meng was not in a hurry. She wanted to find out about Weng Yue's situation first. Yes, renovation is a good starting point. She looked up and down, "You are strong enough now."
"It's work," Weng Yue said, adding, "I'm almost like a nun now." Yu Meng called her a liar. Weng Yue leaned in and said, "If you don't believe me, come and smell it." Yu Meng leaned in a little closer. The scent of perfume was overwhelming. In her presence, the whole room was fragrant. It was all aura.
"Okay, the more you try to hide it, the more obvious it becomes." Yu Meng joked.
"What's the point of covering it up? It's the feeling of being single," Weng Yue half-said. She'd just broken up with her boyfriend, and the heartbreak was so intense that she'd moved to a new place to start over. To everyone, she explained it was for business expansion.
While chatting, Weng Yue suddenly said, "Your husband Luan will come over in a while." Weng Yue and Luan Chengyun had business dealings before and were considered friends.
Yu Meng was furious and her face looked a little strange.
Weng Yue noticed and hurriedly explained, "He asked."
Damn it! Just answer him if he asks. What's the relationship? Yu Meng was unhappy. But she couldn't show it on her face, and she couldn't blame Weng Yue entirely. Luan Chengyun had great magical powers, and she thought he would come to Yu Shuang's house. Unexpectedly, there was silence for a while.
He still showed up now. Fortunately, Yu Meng was convinced that Luan Chengyun would maintain his refined and gentlemanly demeanor in front of outsiders. Or should he just leave? Yu Meng wanted to stand up. He was hesitating when Luan Chengyun walked in. With his hair slicked back and dressed in a suit, he looked like he'd just come off the business world. He was currently in the "encryption" business, collaborating with government departments, which required many relationships and frequent visits.
Luan Chengyun smiled and shook hands with Weng Yue.
Hypocrisy! Yu Meng cursed in her heart.
Sitting next to her steadily, Yu Meng moved his butt to keep a distance.
"Mr. Luan, what kind of tea would you like?" asked Weng Yue.
"Whatever you want." Luan Chengyun said softly.
Pretending.
Weng Yue placed a glass of Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea, walked around, and served tea. The three of them indeed engaged in a business discussion, mostly focused on the big data industry, with Luan Chengyun seeking advice from Weng Yue.
Weng Yue "tells everything she knows." Yu Meng, listening nearby, felt a bit jealous—not because she was jealous that Weng Yue had snatched the man away, but because she hadn't been professional in dealing with men for years, and when she met the professional Weng Yue, she felt a bit insecure.
Talking about feelings, Yu Meng deliberately said, "I don't have any freedom now. I'm just having tea with my bestie, and she treats me like a thief."
Luan Chengyun smiled silently, neither admitting nor denying. He always went all out. Weng Yue smiled and said, "Be content! Women have always been wary of men, and you, a man, are wary of women. You must have accumulated good karma in your past life." As he spoke, Weng Yue leaned back slightly, supporting his chin with one hand, pretending to watch from afar. "But if I were a man, I would also like Mengmeng. Beauty is a scarce resource. How beautiful."
Yu Meng was pleased in her heart, but she said perfunctorily, "What's so beautiful about it? She's just an old woman."
The property management called to say they needed to register with the fire department. Weng Yue said hello and said she would go downstairs. The couple was the only one left in the reception room.
Luan Cheng stretched out his arms. Yu Meng quickly stood up and changed her position. She wanted to throw a cup of tea directly into his face.
"Enough of that." He defined her as someone who was fooling around.
"nonsense."
"Not to the point of divorce." It means it won't lead to divorce.
"Don't you know who you are?" This is a heinous crime.
"I don't agree," he said, the same old thing. She was tired of hearing the same old thing.
"Then go to court, let the judge decide, and let the world know." For business reasons, she agreed to go into seclusion. It would benefit both parties.
"You have suffered a great loss."
"Besides money, what else can you see?" Yu Meng snorted, "What I want is freedom."
"Do you think there's any man who would dare to want you?"
An arrow pierced her heart. Yu Meng was instantly enraged. Luan Chengyun was truly unabashed. As soon as Weng Yue left, he revealed his true colors: simple, straightforward, and naked! This was only on someone else's property; if he were at home, she had no doubt he would have killed her with a knife.
Still, she had to acknowledge the truth of Lao Luan's words. She was worried. She was already old, with two sons, and finding another son wouldn't be easy. But she remained confident. She was Yu Meng. A stunning beauty, a talent that shook the world. This was her last hunt, and she was determined to use all her skills and give it her all. Last time, she'd caught a wolf, only to be bitten back. This time, she was determined to catch something bigger—a tiger. She wanted to use the tiger's power to dominate the forest.
Yu Meng calmed down and tried not to get angry. "Hmph, I'm not angry." She knew this was Luan Chengyun's trick. To lure the snake out of its hole.
She didn't fall for it.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Meng said, "Let's part ways amicably, okay?"
Luan Chengyun remained unmoved and drank his tea quietly.
Weng Yue came in and saw that the two people's positions had changed. He asked, "It's time to eat."
"Neither of us are hungry," Yu Meng replied. She didn't want to have dinner with Luan Chengyun.
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