Chapter 88 Meng Yanxi, I love you
That evening, Jin Zhao put the little one to sleep early and waited alone for Meng Yanxi to come home.
She thought a lot that day, reflecting on herself and her relationship with Meng Yanxi. She had indeed done poorly, perhaps even worse; she had a bad personality, which she hadn't even realized.
At first, she patiently coaxed the little one to say "Mama" and "Papa," hoping to use this as a way to talk to him, to talk about the baby, to talk about other things, and then move on as if nothing had happened. But after spending most of the day getting the baby to say "Mama" and "Papa," and having even recorded a video, she started to regret it.
Wouldn't this bring us back to square one? He was clearly hurt, yet she deliberately ignored him.
No, this can't be done, Meng Yanxi will really break if this happens.
Jin Zhao thought for a moment, then took out her phone and typed out a long message. Now that she had a baby, the little one would occasionally come over and cause trouble, so she was afraid of accidentally sending half-finished messages. She even avoided the WeChat chat window and used her phone's notes app instead. After much revision and editing, she finally copied it to WeChat, and it was already evening.
I hesitated three or five times, but ultimately didn't send it.
Let's talk face to face.
Meng Yanxi, however, never returned.
He rarely stays out this late now. Even when he has social engagements, he never stays out past 10 p.m., and he will video call her beforehand to ask her to wait for him or go to bed early.
Jin Zhao kept clicking on Meng Yanxi's profile picture, feeling a little nervous, like when he was a child and had made a mistake and was about to face his teacher.
If he hasn't returned by 11 o'clock, she will ask him where he is and go to find him.
As Jin Zhao was thinking this, at 10:30, she first saw Luo Heng's WeChat Moments.
Even without Luo Heng's location tracking, Jin Zhao could immediately recognize it as Meng Yanxi's private suite in Luxi, and could even smell the alcohol through the phone screen.
On the coffee table, a pile of empty wine bottles lay scattered about, the glass mirror reflecting the bright crystal chandelier on the ceiling. The man who had been keeping her in a daze all day was slumped in the sofa, his arm bent over his face, his bangs disheveled, and the taut muscles of his forearms conveying a sense of utter exhaustion. He was motionless, as if all his strength had been drained away.
Jin Zhao stared at Meng Yanxi in the photo, feeling a dull ache in his heart as if something had squeezed it tightly.
When Jin Zhao rushed to Luxi, Meng Yanxi was complaining that Luo Heng's mobile network was bad, and he couldn't even post a message on his WeChat Moments.
Attorney Luo was quite adept at delivering a fatal blow, saying with a forced smile, "That's still better than you. Your phone, worth tens of thousands of yuan, doesn't even ring. At least mine rang. Si Tian just called me, and it was at least 65 decibels. Did you hear it?"
Meng Yanxi: "..."
Meng Yanxi lowered her eyelids, her gaze silently fixed on her feet.
Seeing his reaction, Luo Heng sighed softly and sat down next to Meng Yanxi: "Brother, you can't just stick to pure love like this. You're not exactly heartless, you're practically cunning, but you just can't seem to use it when it matters. If you used even a little of those tricks on your wife..."
Meng Yanxi suddenly looked up at him.
Meng Yanxi's peach blossom eyes were dark and deep, exuding an oppressive aura when he was silent. Luo Heng was startled by him and touched his nose guiltily: "I didn't ask you to do anything immoral. I just wanted to introduce a little competition so she would know that you are quite sought after. If she doesn't cherish you, someone else will snatch you away."
Luo Heng put his hand on Meng Yanxi's shoulder and said, "Let me tell you, brother, this trick really works. Look at me, Si Tian and I have been childhood sweethearts, but for so many years that girl has always been indifferent to me. I've been like a lapdog. Recently, a new girl came to our law firm and started flirting with me for two days, and she immediately felt threatened. Now she's even worried about me. Let me tell you, with people, whether they are men or women, you have to make them realize things first. A little jealousy is good for getting them to realize things."
Meng Yanxi didn't seem to hear her, as she remained silent.
Luo Heng: "Why don't you give it a try?"
Meng Yanxi stared at Luo Heng, remained silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly asked, "Is your WeChat Moments set to be visible only to me?"
Luo Heng: "..."
For a moment, he was unsure whether to use self-deception or empty rhetoric in this situation.
The teacher never taught that.
Fortunately, the phone rang in time to save the unfortunate Mr. Luo. Never before had Luo Heng felt that the flat landline ringtone was like heavenly music.
As soon as the receptionist said someone was looking for President Meng, Luo Heng jumped up with joy, crying tears of happiness: "Coming! Coming! Your wife has come to pick you up and take you home!"
Meng Yanxi, who had been sitting upright on the sofa, immediately lay down and covered his face with his arms upon hearing this. His sullen appearance made it unclear whether he was sulking or feigning distress.
Luo Heng stared dumbfounded at his outrageous actions, speechless.
We're not brothers, but after knowing each other for so many years, I never knew you had this kind of face. You've kept it well hidden!
Even so, when the door was opened, Attorney Luo still tactfully carried Lu Jingyue out as well.
As soon as the door opened, Luo Heng was stunned, and Lu Jingyue, who was groggily waking up, was also stunned at the same time.
The three people looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Wu Fei, is that you?" Luo Heng asked hesitantly, even glancing behind her with a hint of desperation.
What about Jin Zhao?
Jin Zhao wasn't at the door. Wu Fei stood there gracefully, wearing a fitted halter dress. She tucked her hair behind her ear and adjusted her thin cardigan, saying, "My friend and I were having dinner nearby when we saw Yan Xi's post on WeChat Moments. He didn't look well, and I was worried something had happened to him, so I came to check on him and see if I could help in any way."
At 11 p.m., a young, unmarried woman in the prime of her life went alone to a married man's room. Luo Heng thought to himself, "This is not hard to judge, this is too good to be true."
It's practically the same as Meng Yanxi's wife's name—"Sima Zhao's intentions are obvious to everyone."
Luo Heng turned around and glanced at Meng Yanxi.
Meng Yanxi seemed to be completely devastated, lying motionless on the sofa with her arms covering her face.
The landline in the room rang again, but Meng Yanxi didn't answer. Luo Heng sighed inwardly, "What kind of life is this?" and dutifully went back to answer the phone.
Someone else was looking for him, and this time Luo Heng asked warily who it was.
Receptionist: "Mrs. Meng."
Luo Heng glanced at the person on the sofa who seemed to be sulking or pretending to be dead, and deliberately said loudly, "What? You said Mrs. Meng came to pick up President Meng to go home?"
The man on the sofa finally moved very slightly.
*
When Jin Zhao entered the elevator, he happened to meet Luo Heng, Lu Jingyue, and Wu Fei coming down from upstairs.
Everyone was anxious about their own lives. After a brief greeting, Jin Zhao entered the elevator, while Luo Heng helped Lu Jingyue out and asked the receptionist to arrange a car. Wu Fei took a few steps, then suddenly turned back and said to Jin Zhao through the elevator door, "I heard you and Yan Xi are getting married soon. Congratulations."
Jin Zhao paused for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, "We are already married. Next month is just a wedding ceremony."
“Is that so?” Wu Fei smoothed her hair and said with a half-smile, “But for families like ours, we’re only considered married if we have a wedding ceremony.”
The phrase "families like ours" is used subtly, implicitly separating the present-day Showa and Meng Yanxi.
Wu Fei added, "Yanxi spent a lot of money on this wedding. You probably don't know, but many people couldn't earn that much in several lifetimes. You're so lucky, I envy you. If you could, could you tell me how you made him like you so much?"
Jin Zhao's gaze was anxiously fixed on the elevator button, wondering if it would be impolite to press the close button in front of people. Upon hearing this, his eyes met Wu Fei's.
The elevator doors began to close automatically because they had been stopped for too long.
Jin Zhao slowly said, "Perhaps it's because..."
Wu Fei: "What?"
The metal door slid along the track at a moderate speed, taking two or three seconds.
Through the slowly closing elevator doors, Jin Zhao looked into Wu Fei's eyes and calmly said, "I deserve it."
*
When Jin Zhao went upstairs, Meng Yanxi sat up again. As Jin Zhao pushed open the half-closed door, he looked up.
Under the bright, warm yellow light, their eyes met, and the air seemed to become quiet for a moment.
Meng Yanxi didn't speak, her dark eyes fixed on her.
Jin Zhao closed the door and walked towards him, glancing at the empty wine bottles on the coffee table: "When I first saw Luo Heng's WeChat Moments, I thought you were the one who drank all this wine."
Meng Yanxi looked up at her without saying a word.
Jin Zhao stopped in front of him and said softly, "It breaks my heart."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yanxi slightly curled her lips: "You lied to me again. Your lies always sound so convincing."
His voice was low and muffled, like a big boy throwing a tantrum and saying something in a huff. Jin Zhao often found Meng Yanxi's drunkenness somewhat amusing; if she were to compile all the things he did while drunk, she could laugh at him for the rest of her life.
But Meng Yanxi wasn't funny at all today, which made her heart ache with a subtle, persistent pain.
She didn't know why she had caused him to misunderstand her so deeply.
Is her personality really that bad?
She sighed softly and sat down next to him.
She didn't know where to begin. After thinking for a while beside him, Meng Yanxi turned his head and stared at her in disbelief, as if he had suffered a great injustice: "You actually admitted it? Don't you know that I said this to make you deny it?"
Okay, she took back what she just said. Meng Yanxi was also a bit funny tonight.
“I know,” Jin Zhao said helplessly. “I was just thinking about where to begin so that you would be more willing to believe me and wouldn’t feel like I was lying to you.”
Meng Yanxi pursed her thin lips slightly, and after two seconds, said arrogantly, "That depends on your sincerity. I'm not easily fooled."
Jin Zhao couldn't help but chuckle: "Meng Yanxi, let me tell you something you don't know."
Meng Yanxi's ears immediately perked up: "There's something else I don't know?"
“It happened many years ago.” Jin Zhao thought for a moment and slowly began to speak. “When I was in my second year of high school, my stepmother was pregnant and a postpartum nanny moved into our house. One night, the chickens they kept on the balcony knocked over a stainless steel basin, which woke me up. The next day, when I wanted to bring the basin in, the nanny told me that it was my problem, that I was too sensitive, and that with a sensitive personality like mine, I would get depression sooner or later.”
Meng Yanxi clenched her fist.
Jin Zhao looked at him: "I still remember this matter to this day. It was actually just a very small thing, but I just remember it. Do you know why?"
Meng Yanxi: "Why?"
"Because I didn't argue with her at the time. It wasn't that I didn't want to, I was just a bit slow, and in those few seconds my mouth couldn't react. Only after it was over did I belatedly realize that I should have yelled back, that I should have said something like this..."
Jin Zhao paused, looking into Meng Yanxi's eyes: "When you told me today that I don't love you, I didn't agree. I just didn't react in time. By the time I figured out how to refute you, you were already gone. So, next time you're angry with me, can you wait for me for a minute? No, even half a minute is fine. Let me organize my thoughts. After all, your Lingling is like that, a little slow on the uptake. You have to wait for her."
The crystal chandelier overhead was glaringly bright. Meng Yanxi stared at her quietly, then suddenly chuckled softly, "Jin Zhao, you've become smarter. You're saying all this just to make me feel sorry for you so you can fool me."
Jin Zhao said sincerely, "I do want you to feel sorry for me, but I'm not trying to fool you."
Meng Yanxi twitched her finger: "Then refute me now."
Perhaps Meng Yanxi was right; she had indeed become smarter. Such subtle hints, which she used to need a moment to process, she could grasp instantly today.
She looked steadily into Meng Yanxi's eyes and said, word by word, "Meng Yanxi, I love you."
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