Chapter 44 Mo Yu is a person who is so beautiful that she is neurotic.
Perhaps the hospital air conditioning was too cold, because Lan Jia unconsciously touched her arm and got a patch of goosebumps.
The feeling was so strange, like being caught in a giant, venomous spider's web in the rainforest, its silk layers clinging to her body, sticky and suffocating her, yet she couldn't break free.
Suddenly, someone stood quietly beside her, and she was startled when she noticed.
Seeing Lan Jia tremble, the man chuckled softly, "Sorry, I just walk without making a sound."
He was so tall that she had to look up to see his face clearly, and she was startled again.
It was the same Mr. Meng I bumped into in the hospital lobby earlier; he seemed like someone you didn't want to mess with.
Even though she wasn't very happy, Lan Jia still maintained social etiquette and gave a perfunctory reply: "Maybe I was just too focused on what I was looking at."
"Is it a friend's child?" he asked.
Lan Jia was too lazy to explain and just mumbled "uh-huh" in response.
He leaned closer, hands behind his back, and peered inside intently, praising:
"Judging from her features, she will definitely grow up to be a beautiful little girl."
Why is he always trying to get close to her? Lan Jia had a gut feeling that he was a dangerous person. Seeing that he was paying attention to Sister Xinwen's child, she immediately said in a protective tone, "He's still so young, you can't tell anything. For a child, health is the most important thing."
Meng Shiyuan sensed her wariness, but still nodded with a smile, "You're right, health is the most important thing, and it will also save our parents worry."
He glanced at Lan Jia, then continued, "I have a friend whose child was born weak. He cherished the child terribly, but he didn't trust the nanny to take care of him. So he kept the child by his side to take care of him personally, but he couldn't sleep well night after night and lost a lot of weight."
"So sometimes I wish she didn't have children. It's too exhausting, too much to give, and too draining. Men who haven't experienced it firsthand will never understand her difficulties and pain. I also hate her husband. No matter how much he does, he can't make up for the damage she's done."
He was like an old man sitting in a wicker chair, basking in the afternoon sun, chatting casually with the younger generation.
Lan Jia was truly astonished. When she first met him, his face was so imposing that she could hardly believe she was listening to him say these things.
However, she was also most afraid of saying something that would cause an awkward silence, so she continued, "Perhaps becoming a mother was a well-considered choice for her. She loves her child, and although the process was a bit tough, the result was worth it."
Growing up, she had a near-perfect family, receiving so much love from her parents, and she naturally believed that children are born into love. With this in mind, welcoming a new family member would only increase the family's happiness.
Meng Shiyuan said, "Yes, so I respect her choice. Now that I'm older, my thinking has gradually changed, and I'm actually glad that she made that decision back then."
"Fortunately, she still has children in this world, which continues her life."
"People often say that seeing an object reminds them of a person, but objects are ultimately inanimate and cannot hold any meaning. It was only when I saw her bloodline that I understood what it meant to see the shadow of a deceased person."
"She's gone?" Lan Jia keenly sensed this. Having experienced it herself, she was particularly moved.
Meng Shiyuan nodded, his brows and eyes deep and unfathomable, like a bottomless pool of gloomy water.
“An accident happened.” He paused, his voice low and cryptic, “Over the years, I’ve always regretted letting her come to me that day.”
"No matter what, I should go see her in person, find her, keep an eye on her, protect her, and not let any accident have any chance."
"Did she have an accident on her way to see you?"
“No.” He slowly shook his head, as if he had lost all his strength, and said self-deprecatingly, “I only found out after her accident that she never intended to see me.”
Lan Jia gave him a sympathetic look but didn't reply. If they continued talking, there would definitely be a whole story behind it, and she had no intention of reopening old wounds.
The two stood side by side, only an arm's length apart, yet for some reason, the sadness emanating from him radiated out like invisible sound waves, and she, standing too close, was affected the most deeply.
All these years, he has never let go, and Lan Jia inexplicably thought: he must love her.
perhaps……
For the first time in her life, she was listening to a stranger recount his past at length, utterly baffled. Even knowing something was amiss, she couldn't help but be drawn away. Had she truly been caught in a spider's web, unknowingly falling into a trap?
After a moment of silence, she became more aware of her surroundings and felt even more strongly that she was standing on a glass walkway with a dangerous primeval forest below. Her heart pounded and she trembled, yet she still couldn't help but look down.
“Later I met her daughter,” he suddenly said.
"Oh." Lan Jia snapped out of her reverie and replied casually, "Does she look like your friend?"
“Not at all,” he laughed. “Not even a fraction as beautiful as her. Perhaps she looks more like her wretched father, who really makes me angry.”
If they don't look alike, they don't look alike, so why smear the father? Lan Jia was speechless. Is it true that if you can't have something, you have to slander it?
“But her demeanor is just like her when she was young, and her personality is exactly the same.” He showed a very comforting expression. “Even if it’s just this one similarity, it’s enough. She is the last gift she left me in this world.”
"Stop! How is this your gift?" Lan Jia felt that he was getting more and more outrageous, and said irritably, "You are just friends. How can a friend's child be considered your gift? She should be independent and not anyone's appendage."
And it sounded like they were going to do something to her.
She disliked that statement.
Meng Shiyuan insisted, "More than just friends."
Seemingly afraid she wouldn't believe him, he added, "When we were young, we also talked about marriage."
"Oh," Lan Jia said casually, "She still didn't marry you in the end."
She didn't choose him, so she guesses he has a lot of problems.
He wasn't annoyed by her retort; instead, he smiled knowingly.
Just like her, she used to love going against him, refuting everything he said, and he was happy to play that game with her.
Lan Jia stole a glance at him and saw a smile on his face, as if he were lost in his own imagination. She couldn't help but think: What's the point of arguing with an old man? When they were young, they couldn't have the love they wanted, so when they got old, they liked to make up fantasies to fill the void. These kinds of people are the most stubborn, and you can't reason with them.
The more she looked at him, the more strange he seemed, as if he didn't think like a normal person. Worried that the girl he mentioned might be innocently implicated, Lan Jia decided to try to persuade him, and said very seriously, "It's all in the past, she's gone, and you should try to let go. Her family also has their own lives to live, so it's best not to disturb them."
Seeing her serious expression, Meng Shiyuan said with a smile, "What can I do for her? I just want to make it up to her. All these years, she's been with those people, I wonder what kind of life she's been living. She must have been so bored. If she were my daughter, I wouldn't let her suffer like that."
Lan Jia was stunned, speechless for a long time. Wasn't his possessiveness towards other people's children a bit too strong?
Persuasion was useless; he was like an old, stubborn scar that couldn't be pried open. She didn't want to talk to him anymore, and the atmosphere became tense again.
Through a glass partition, the room was warm and cozy, and the baby slept peacefully in the shelter. The corridor outside was brightly lit, with almost deathly white lights shining down, a kind of exposed, head-on glare that also hinted at hidden dangers.
Lan Jia defensively crossed her arms, feeling as if the gaze from the side was scorching her like a flamethrower, causing waves of burning pain.
Why hasn't he left yet?
Her face darkened slightly, and she looked back at him with a less-than-friendly expression: "You're here to see the children too?"
At his age, it's not impossible for him to come and visit his grandchildren.
Meng Shiyuan smiled and stared at her silently.
It's not wrong to come and see the children.
The air was more stagnant than the glacier. In the few seconds that he came into view, Lan Jia noticed that his pupils were very deep. People often say that old age brings fading beauty, but his were like black jade chess pieces on a chessboard. His fair skin made his eyes appear even more dark and deep, like a terrifying, bottomless lake beneath a mine.
This person is by no means ugly, but is neurotically beautiful.
Lan Jia took a step back and turned to run away.
"Miss Yi."
His voice was warm and gentle as he called out to her.
She was taken aback at first, and then felt a chill run down her spine.
How did he know her surname?
Lan Jia turned around.
Meng Shiyuan took something out of his suit pocket and handed it to her.
Card pack?
She searched her entire body, wondering when she had ended up in his hands, perhaps it was when she bumped into him in the hall?
"Thanks."
She was about to take it when he suddenly withdrew his hand. Lan Jia looked at him in surprise.
"Now that the item has been returned to its rightful owner, may I ask for a small reward?"
What do you want?
"I'd like to be friends with you, Ms. Yi."
"Why?" Why did they specifically target her?
Lan Jia opened her two terrified eyes wide.
Meng Shiyuan's smile lines deepened. "You're a very interesting little girl."
You're a strange middle-aged person too.
She thought to herself.
Am I obligated to agree?
"It's just a suggestion."
"However, it's normal for someone like me who's getting old not to be popular with young people."
Lan Jia thought to herself: Being old isn't his biggest problem. If he could be a little more normal, he might be a respected elder.
Seeing her firm attitude, Meng Shiyuan smiled in relief: "Alright, think it over again. There will be other opportunities to meet in the future."
Lan Jia gave a vague reply, took the wallet, and turned to leave.
I walked straight out of the ICU and into the hallway outside, my heart still pounding.
"Lan Jia." Song Qingqu walked towards her from the other end. Seeing that she looked unwell, he asked, "What's wrong? Is something wrong with the baby?"
"No," she replied absentmindedly, "It's nothing."
At this moment, Meng Shiyuan also came out from inside, strolling leisurely and glancing at her intently.
Lan Jia had her back turned and didn't notice.
Song Qingqu, standing before him, suddenly froze.
That face...
His jaw tightened as he stared intently at the departing figure.
Author's note: Just treat Uncle Meng as a madman. [Sigh]
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