Chapter 81 Proposal: "I want you to marry me."
The atmosphere suddenly became strange.
After a moment of silence, Lan Jia tentatively spoke up: "I can't stay here any longer. Next time I go out, can you help me escape?"
"this……"
"Miss, why don't you talk to your husband again? He's probably worried about your health if he doesn't want you to leave. Let's focus on resting and recover first, and then we can make some plans."
"So he doesn't mind doing these things to me?"
Aunt Zhou hesitated, "This isn't right..."
But she was just following orders; she had no right to interfere in her employer's private life.
Lan Jia knew her concerns and had anticipated her reaction. She hadn't originally planned to target her, knowing Meng Cenjun's temperament and unwilling to do anything that would jeopardize her livelihood.
“Actually, we’re not siblings,” she paused, “Just take it as something I said casually, don’t feel too much pressure.”
Zhou's mother was taken aback, and indeed breathed a sigh of relief:
"It's good that they're not related. I always said that the gentleman wasn't like that."
"What kind of person do you think he is?" Lan Jia asked.
“Miss, your eyesight is impaired, so you have no idea how much your husband has changed in the past two months. I remember when I first came here, he looked perfectly fine, but now he's lost so much weight and looks so haggard. You can't sleep at night, and he doesn't sleep either, staying up with you until dawn, and then he still has to go out to work. After a while, even someone made of iron can't withstand this kind of torment.”
“He is a man of few words and doesn’t like to express himself. He keeps everything to himself. But I can tell that when the doctor said your condition was not good, he was more upset and anxious than anyone else.”
"Young Miss, do you remember the time when you stopped taking your medication?"
Lan Jia thought back carefully; it was the worst time for her, both physically and mentally. She couldn't control anything she did, and her memories were very blurry.
Zhou's mother continued, "During that period, you were also suffering. You argued with him every day and did many things that hurt yourself, which ultimately left your husband covered in injuries. In front of you, he always kept quiet about it and wouldn't let us tell you either."
She remembered some things. When she was emotionally overwhelmed, she felt like she was going crazy. Sometimes when she couldn't figure things out, she would hurt herself. She had also shouted many times that she wanted to die.
When she couldn't see, she was groping her way up the stairs alone one day when she almost slipped and fell again. Luckily, she grabbed the handrail in time and didn't fall. At that moment, she felt weak all over, afraid that she would repeat the same mistake. But in just a moment, her emotions surged and her thoughts changed. She thought that she might as well just fall to her death and end all this suffering.
She leaned back and let go without hesitation, only to fall into someone's arms. It was Meng Cenjun holding her tightly, gritting his teeth and telling her that if she died, he wouldn't live either.
Lan Jia devised countless ways to leave this world, but Meng Cenjun saved her time and time again.
Holding her hand, Zhou Ma said with some reluctance, "No one is invincible. Although your husband seems cold, I know that when you were seriously ill, he shed tears in secret. I saw him many times with red eyes."
“Miss, how could someone like him not genuinely care about you? There's no conflict that can't be resolved. You can't possibly have no feelings for him at all, right? To have to watch you two separate, I really…”
Lan Jia quickly turned her head away, her heart surging like waves.
Zhou Ma didn't understand how complicated things were, and she had no idea about her predicament and difficulties.
She resented Meng Cenjun's identity and his constant possessiveness towards her. Even though he was sincere towards her, she couldn't get over this hurdle in her heart, and she didn't want to continue this life she disliked. Rather than being trapped in this troubling relationship, she wanted to break free, change her environment, and let herself think properly about how to handle it.
She didn't necessarily have to be so heartless; she was just too tired.
I was so exhausted that I couldn't take any more hardship.
Seeing Lan Jia turn her head away and silently shed tears, Aunt Zhou panicked immediately: "I talked too much, Miss... I'm just a chatterbox, just pretend you didn't hear anything. Let's take a bath, let's take a bath first..."
After a while, she looked at Lan Jia's eyes and carefully interjected, "Miss, don't worry too much. There's nothing that can't be resolved calmly. Crying too much is bad for your eyes."
Lan Jia nodded, and then managed a smile.
That night, she stayed alone in her bedroom, waiting for a long time but Meng Cenjun did not appear.
Perhaps what she said to him today hurt his feelings.
She tossed and turned, feeling uneasy.
Habits are indeed a terrible thing.
I'm also a little angry, angry that even at a time like this, I'm still affected by his emotions.
Shortly after, there was a knock on the door.
Lan Jia, in a fit of pique, pulled the blanket over her head and ignored everyone.
The door opened, and upon hearing a voice calling "Young Miss," I realized it was Aunt Zhou.
She gave a displeased look and asked, "What is it?"
"Sir asked me to heat up a glass of milk for you; it'll help you sleep."
Lan Jia asked awkwardly, "Where is he?"
They only exchanged a few words, and then they started throwing a tantrum?
She backed down so easily? She hadn't even said what was even more outrageous.
Zhou Ma placed the milk on the bedside table without looking at Lan Jia: "The master went out on business and told me to stay with you tonight."
Went out? And won't be back all night?
Lan Jia perked up her ears keenly.
She quickly changed her mind and said in her usual tone, "No need, Aunt Zhou, you go to sleep. I'm sleepy too, I'm going to sleep soon."
"Oh, alright then, Miss, you should get some rest."
Zhou's mother didn't say anything more, lowered her eyes, and quickly left the bedroom.
As soon as the door closed, Lan Jia immediately threw off the covers and sat up.
She tiptoed to the door, waited for a while, and when she heard no more noise outside, she carefully turned the handle.
The lights on the second floor were off, and the place was deserted.
Lan Jia took off her shoes, quickly went to the study, and just as she closed the door and went inside, she reached for the light switch, but the light didn't turn on. She wondered if it was broken. Frustrated, she had no choice but to go back to the bedroom, grab her phone flashlight, and return to provide light.
Her heart was pounding, and by the dim light, she moved very quietly as she rummaged through the drawers and cabinets in the room.
Meng Cenjun moved here with the intention of staying permanently, and he must have brought all the important documents and materials from Anfeng Road with him. She knew him well; he needed to have everything in front of him to feel at ease, and he was the same way about people.
She was certain that her documents were here.
The study was dark and very large. Lan Jia searched around the bookshelves and was already exhausted.
She was unfamiliar with the place and didn't know where the safe was hidden, so she could only wander around aimlessly like a headless fly.
After searching for a long time without finding anything, Lan Jia plopped down on the floor, wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, and gradually became angry, feeling more and more aggrieved.
It was because he always controlled her in such an authoritarian and dictatorial way that they argued so often.
Having a healthy and normal intimate relationship is always so difficult for them.
Lan Jia got up dejectedly and continued searching.
She opened the drawer of his desk, which was filled with neatly arranged documents that she couldn't understand. Lan Jia only glanced through them without disturbing them.
She opened the second one; there was less stuff inside, just a brown paper document bag. Lan Jia picked it up, hesitated for a moment, and then opened it.
As I pulled out the paper, I saw the words "paternity test" and my hand felt like it was being licked on fire, burning and painful.
Lan Jia was completely flustered and, without seeing any results, immediately stuffed it back in.
In fact, she no longer cared whether Meng Shiyuan's words were true or false.
Or perhaps, they simply don't want to face it.
She sealed the documents and put them away. Suddenly, something rolled out from the very back of the drawer.
It looks like a medicine bottle.
Lan Jia squinted, shone her phone flashlight on the words, and carefully examined them.
Fentanyl
Following that were some technical terms that she didn't quite understand. She only picked through the translations and realized they referred to pain medication.
Overdose can be fatal.
She clutched the medicine tightly, feeling uneasy and anxious.
It is unclear under what circumstances Meng Cenjun would keep this medicine at home.
Lan Jia, of course, did not believe that this was used to end her life.
Having known him for many years, she had never met anyone with a stronger will than him. No matter the circumstances, Meng Cenjun would never do anything to commit suicide.
Absolutely impossible...
She pressed her hand to her chest, suddenly feeling a tightness in her chest, unable to catch her breath, so she clenched her fist and pounded it hard.
After hammering for a while, I didn't feel much pain before my eyes started to sting.
I can't cry anymore. I don't know how many tears I've shed lately. If this continues, my eyes might never get better.
Tonight is our only chance; if we delay any longer, we'll miss it.
Losing your documents can be replaced; let's get out of here first.
Lan Jia sniffed and stood up, holding onto the table for support.
Having made up his mind, he hurried outside.
As he reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped, and then began to back away step by step.
The lights in the outer corridor had been turned on at some point, and a tall figure appeared, blocking out all the light.
He simply stood there, his eyes, backlit, silently watching her, forcing her back into the darkness once more.
Lan Jia felt cold all over, as if she had fallen into a very deep icy lake.
The previously broken light suddenly turned on. She was sensitive to light and immediately raised her hand to shield her eyes, but the next second, she froze.
Now he knew she could see...
After gradually getting used to it, Lan Jia finally let go.
Meng Cenjun remained where she was, her face expressionless.
She didn't know how to face it, so she looked away and saw Zhou Ma in the corridor.
She glanced inside with worry and guilt, but ultimately turned and left.
No wonder she acted so strangely when she delivered the milk; people who aren't used to lying always have shifty eyes.
They set a trap, waiting for her to fall into it.
She was completely fooled again.
Lan Jia's chest heaved, a mixture of anger at being deceived and deep-seated fear.
She really can't leave now.
Meng Cenjun slowly locked the door before walking towards her.
Lan Jia stared at him, her face pale.
He moved closer and saw a strand of hair stuck to her forehead, and subconsciously reached out to brush it away.
Unexpectedly, Lan Jia shrank back and took a step back in resistance.
His fingers froze in mid-air, and it took him a long time to curl them back into place.
Meng Cenjun remained expressionless, half-squatting down to place the pair of rabbit fur slippers she had previously left behind on the ground, and then reached out to hold her ankle.
Lan Jia, in a fit of pique, tried desperately to shrink back. This time, Meng Cenjun wasn't so patient. With a cold face, she forcefully shoved the shoes onto Lan Jia's feet.
The ground was so cold that my toes were red from the cold. He scolded me in a stern voice, "You're only just starting to feel better, are you trying to make yourself catch a bad cold again?"
She remained silent, dodging on one leg to prevent him from touching her other foot, but lost her balance and swayed, falling to the ground. She hurriedly grabbed his shoulder.
Meng Cenjun took the opportunity to put his arm around her waist, picked her up lightly, and carried her inside, placing her on the table.
Lan Jia struggled to run away, but he separated her legs and pressed against her tightly, bracing himself on the table with both hands, leaving her nowhere to escape.
She was completely enveloped in his shadow and gave up resisting.
When did you discover it?
“This morning,” he said.
"I thought I was hiding it well."
"Because I am the person who knows you best in this world. I can see through your every move, every slight abnormality or change."
"How does it feel to tease me? Is it fun?"
"You kept it from me too, didn't you?"
"Lan Jia, we're even this time. Let's pretend nothing happened."
"It's not fair!" she cried, her eyes red. "You always act like nothing happened. How can that be..."
“You always know how to hurt me the most,” he said, his eyes filled with disappointment, “knowing how worried I am about you.”
Lan Jia, enraged, blurted out, "Who turned me into this? Who is responsible for making me like this?"
It was him. If they hadn't argued and fought back then, Lan Jia wouldn't have been so badly injured.
For the past three months, he has kept it in mind every day, felt remorse every day, and blamed himself every day.
He carefully watched over her, using all his strength to heal her, thinking that as long as he gave everything to atone for his sins, he could gain a little of her forgiveness.
But now, the defenses he had painstakingly built up over countless days and nights were easily shattered by a single sentence from her.
She still blames him.
She will never forgive him.
He really had nothing else to offer to keep her, which is why he resorted to such a despicable tactic.
Over the years, he had become accustomed to strategizing and issuing orders to his subordinates.
But now, he desperately wants someone to teach him how to do it.
Teach him how to keep the person he loves most.
During the silence, Lan Jia soon began to regret her actions.
Even if you're extremely angry, you shouldn't bring this up again. It's too hurtful.
"sorry."
"sorry……"
The two spoke in unison. Lan Jia was taken aback, then turned her head away and sighed with a complicated expression.
Even water cannot leave no trace.
What's the point of apologizing after hurting each other?
"What will it take for you to let me go?"
"After all this time, you still haven't wavered in the slightest?"
"right."
"You hate me that much? You don't even want to spend a second longer with me?"
“I’m not thinking straight right now and I don’t want to discuss this kind of topic. Besides,” she lowered her eyes, “you definitely won’t like my answer.”
No answer is also an answer.
Subtly, Meng Cenjun's facial muscles twitched.
"Fine, since you want to leave, I'll let you go."
Lan Jia paused for a moment, wondering if she had misheard.
Then, he said, "As long as you grant me one request."
Sure enough, he wouldn't agree to her so easily.
"What are the requirements?"
“Look at me.”
Lan Jia didn't move.
He gently stroked her face, turning her gaze back to him.
She looked up at him.
Suddenly, my blurry vision cleared.
He had lost so much weight, even more so than she had seen him that morning. His deep-set eyes were sunken, his brow bones were higher, casting a thick shadow.
With his cold and aloof appearance, he exudes an air of authority even when he's not smiling. From childhood to adulthood, many people around Lan Jia have been afraid of him and wary of him.
But those same eyes, also in the shadows, now looked at her with a vulnerable and pained expression.
He slowed his breathing and said to her softly but earnestly:
"I want you to marry me."
She was taken aback and remained silent for a long time.
Meng Cenjun stared intently at her and repeated:
"I'll let you go as long as we get married."
Was it a marriage proposal? Or a threat?
Lan Jia was stunned and stood there dumbfounded.
Having lived together for many years, Meng Cenjun had heard about the old lady's concern for his marriage many times, both openly and secretly, but he always refused.
He was a very cautious person when it came to important matters, always planning step by step and proceeding slowly. She naturally assumed that he would have the same attitude towards marriage.
But now, he's so radical that he's completely overturned her understanding.
Is it because of love that you want to marry her?
Or is it because he wants to keep her firmly in his grasp that he makes a request she absolutely cannot fulfill?
That won't work.
How could she possibly get married at this time?
How could I be so foolish as to jump into another trap?
But looking into his cautious and expectant eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say any words of refusal.
"I……"
Before he could finish speaking, his phone rang, interrupting him.
She turned her head and saw that it was her phone ringing. Just as she reached out, another large hand quickly covered hers and snatched the phone away.
"Give it to me!"
"You haven't answered my question yet," he said, suppressing his anger.
"It's my grandma's phone call!" Lan Jia exclaimed anxiously, as if she had seen a lifeline slip through her fingers.
The ringing is still going on; it might stop any second now.
Meng Cenjun answered the call and walked away.
Lan Jia quickly put both feet on the ground and got off the table.
Just as she was about to chase after him, Meng Cenjun turned around and looked at her after hearing only a few words.
They locked eyes, one second, two seconds, and she immediately understood something from his serious expression.
Lan Jia heard a thud in her chest, then stumbled over and snatched the phone.
Her voice trembled: "Hello?"
There was a pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a surprised "Young Miss?"
"What happened?"
Aunt Xiu said anxiously, "The old lady is seriously ill and keeps calling your name. The doctor said tonight is crucial, so please come back and see her quickly."
Lan Jia's face turned pale, and she ran outside without thinking.
But suddenly someone reached out and grabbed him.
With tears in her eyes, she turned around resentfully: "You...you're going to stop me even at a time like this?"
"I've already lost my parents, do you want me to lose my last remaining family member?"
Meng Cenjun squeezed her hand: "I'll go with you."
As the night deepened and the dew thickened, the journey to the old house was bitterly cold.
The chill didn't penetrate the car, but Lan Jia kept shivering, and tears streamed down her face.
Meng Cenjun hugged her and wrapped his shawl tightly around her. Lan Jia leaned against his shoulder and sniffled.
As soon as the car came to a stop, Lan Jia pushed open the car door and rushed out. Aunt Xiu was already waiting at the door.
"How is Grandma? What did the doctor say? Is she alright now?" Lan Jia's face turned red and white with anxiety.
"Let's go in and take a look."
Meng Cenjun also stepped forward, but was coldly stopped by Aunt Xiu: "Mr. Meng, you can't come in."
"The old lady doesn't want to see you now either."
Meng, Xian, Sheng.
How ridiculous.
He was ultimately not a member of the Yi family.
Meng Cenjun stopped in his tracks, watching Lan Jia rush in without even having a chance to say a word to him.
He stared at her for a long time until her figure disappeared, then sadly lowered his eyes.
Lan Jia was both anxious and frightened, and almost staggered to the old lady's residence.
As soon as the door was opened, the room was brightly lit, and the old lady was stroking a lion cat, sitting peacefully on a daybed.
Lan Jia was dumbfounded: "Grandma? You're not sick?"
The old woman laughed and said, "Silly child, if you don't use that trick, will he let you come back?"
Outside the gate of the Yi residence, Meng Cenjun stood alone in the night wind.
My phone beeped; there was a message notification.
"Mr. Meng, I apologize for bothering you so late at night. Since you declined your previous two therapy appointments, I assume it was due to weekday scheduling issues. We can reschedule this week's appointment for Sunday afternoon. If this is still inconvenient, please call me to make an adjustment."
Author's note: I didn't originally intend for my brother to bring up marriage so early, but after spending so much time with my sister, his personality has been partly influenced by her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com