Chapter 67 Secret Meeting "Where did these turtles and tortoises come from?"
Before Lan Jia asked the question, she was momentarily dazed, as if time and space had been warped, and her future self was desperately coming to her, warning her not to dig her own grave.
But she's always been the kind of person who won't turn back until she hits a wall. No matter what it is, she insists on getting a result, even if it's devastating in the end, even if she's like a moth drawn to a flame and doesn't end well.
It's also because she doesn't have many people she can trust in this world anymore. With Meng Cenjun by her side, no matter how things get, she always thinks about how to repair and maintain the relationship, instead of abandoning it in a fit of pique and running away.
Lan Jia slowly got up and said wearily, "Since you still want this family, don't always presumptuously do things for my own good."
"There's nothing that can't be discussed. As an adult, shouldn't I at least have the right to communicate with you?"
Meng Cenjun nodded.
She was still angry, but she was determined to give him the cold shoulder. She threw back the covers and got into bed, giving him the order to leave: "Go away, I'm tired."
Lan Jia had her back to him, but after a while she didn't hear him make a sound, and she immediately got a little angry again, "Do I have to kick you out again?"
Then I heard him say in a hoarse voice, "I can't just sit idly by and do nothing about Song Qingqu's matter. Lan Jia, please don't see him again, okay?"
She immediately retorted impatiently, "Do whatever you want! Do whatever you want with him, even if you exile him to Siberia, it's none of my business!"
Lan Jia was just like that; once she formed a prejudice against someone, it was hard to reverse. She was still resentful after learning the truth, and in her anger, she felt even more disgusted with Song Qingqu. But to Meng Cenjun, it sounded like she was still angry with him, leaving him heartbroken for a while before he explained, "This person's motives are unclear; keeping him around is ultimately a hidden danger. If I can't guarantee your safety, even if I keep my heart constantly on your shoulders, you'll find it annoying, won't you?"
Seeing that he was about to bring it up again, she frowned and unleashed a torrent of complaints: "I just don't understand, where did all these bastards come from, all targeting me! Am I the only unlucky one? Am I not even worthy of living a normal life? Should I not be alive!"
After hearing this, Meng Cenjun remained silent for a long time before sadly getting up, quietly closing the door and leaving.
She's always been incredibly sharp-tongued, like a completely different person, ruthless and heartless.
But the words had already been spoken, and she couldn't ask him what he was thinking.
With my eyes closed, a small patch of the pillow became damp in just a short while.
Lan Jia slept soundly through the night, sighing, and could barely get out of bed the next day.
Aunt Ming came to call her, and upon seeing her, exclaimed, "Oh dear, why are your eyelids so swollen?"
Lan Jia felt guilty and tried to cover it up by saying, "I watched a movie before bed and cried so much." She was afraid that her aunt would find out they had argued again, since Aunt Ming already had a lot of prejudice against Meng Cenjun. Subconsciously, she still hoped that everyone around her would accept him.
The thought that even at a time like this, she was still thinking of him made Lan Jia feel very uncomfortable again.
Fortunately, Aunt Ming didn't think too much about it. She observed carefully and said, "It will go down quickly. Just apply a hot compress when you get back tonight. It won't affect your makeup for tomorrow's banquet. All the dresses have been delivered to our house. I think they are all very nice. You should try them on as well."
"I'll try it after I get off work," Aunt Ming reminded her, as she was attending a banquet at the Qiao family's house tomorrow.
After tidying up and going downstairs, she found that only her meal was set out in the dining room; Meng Cenjun was nowhere to be seen.
Lan Jia didn't ask anyone, silently finished her meal, and Zuo Tai was already waiting outside.
He had been specifically instructed today to stay by Lan Jia's side at all times.
She didn't seem particularly surprised, and they walked one after the other on the stone path.
The sky was azure, and the white clouds were piled up in patches, like a bright and clear landscape painting.
Lan Jia was baking in the scorching sun, but her mood was heavy. She remembered walking side by side with Ruan Jingwei just a few days ago, discussing which restaurant to eat at after work. She also remembered that some time ago, Song Qingqu had taken the time to teach her to skateboard, but unfortunately, she wasn't very athletic and always failed to learn properly. He was very patient and said with a smile that he would teach her until she could do it.
In the blink of an eye, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
Lan Jia felt that everything around her was surreal, like a "Truman Show" created just for her.
As she went upstairs to the film set, she ran into cinematographer Lao Zhou, who jokingly asked her, "Princess, you've brought your bodyguards again?"
Everyone got along well, and Lan Jia smiled, then heard him say, "Your costume team has two new members. The producer wants you to mentor them and help them get familiar with the environment."
She was completely distracted and casually agreed.
"But you guys are changing staff way too often! First Xiao Ruan stopped coming, then Xiao Song resigned too. What if you stop coming in a couple of days too?!"
Lan Jia was initially oblivious, but after listening to Lao Zhou's mutterings, she felt a sudden unease and an indescribable discomfort.
Song Qingqu was indeed taken away.
Indeed, the efficiency of the people around Meng Cenjun has always been top-notch.
Her emotions were volatile, changing from day to day. Yesterday, upon suddenly learning about his past, she felt an intense hatred for him. Today, after calming down, she felt sadness. From beginning to end, he seemed to have never done anything to hurt her; on the contrary, he had always helped her. Yet, because of a little suspicion, she allowed her family to take him away without a word, not even giving him a chance to explain. It was simply unreasonable.
But if she softens even slightly, she feels sorry for her deceased parents. How can she put herself in the shoes of her enemy's son?
Lan Jia was torn between two conflicting thoughts. She finally made it to the end of the workday, and Zuo Tai was to follow his instructions and take her straight home.
Along the way, she stared blankly at the scenery outside the window. In August, the magnolias by the roadside were blooming sparsely. The large white flowers were past their prime, hanging on the branches, withered and dirty.
She reflected on the scene and realized that she herself was out of season, drained of vitality, with nothing to look forward to and no interest in doing anything.
Zuo Tai glanced at her in the rearview mirror and also noticed that she looked very depressed.
When he was with Lan Jia, he was used to her lively and chatty manner, and he was happy to listen and watch. But now that she had suddenly become quiet, he felt that something was not right.
The car was about to arrive when my phone vibrated; I had received a text message.
Lan Jia opened the document and suddenly changed her mind, saying, "Let's not go home first, let's go straight to number six."
Zuo Tai agreed, knowing that number six was Qiao's residence.
"I'm going to meet up with some friends for a while. If you're waiting, just wait at the door." Lan Jia said as she rang the bell. As soon as the Qiao family's maid saw her, she immediately came over with a beaming smile to open the door.
Zuo Tai saw her go in with his own eyes, and after thinking about it, he decided to report the situation to Meng Cenjun.
Meng Cenjun was still working overtime at the company, so she didn't say anything after hearing this. Since she was in a bad mood, she would just let her be. Anyway, the Qiao residence was close to home, and the Qiao family was trustworthy.
As soon as Lan Jia reached the entrance, she saw Qiao Zimu rushing over with a smile, saying, "What a rare guest! You didn't even tell me you were coming so I could have the kitchen make some of your favorite desserts."
She didn't have the energy to reply and asked, "Where are your parents?"
"The grand banquet is at the old house tomorrow, so I've moved there in advance to make the arrangements." Qiao Zimu's older brother is married, and his sister Qiao Qinghuai moved out early on. Only he still lives on Anfeng Road, secretly wanting to be closer to Lan Jia.
Lan Jia felt relieved and said, "I need you to come with me somewhere, but don't let anyone know."
Qiao Zimu touched his earlobe and asked shyly, "Where are you going? Are you going on a date? I need to get ready."
She grabbed his hand and said anxiously, "Let's go, let's go now, let's go through the back door."
"Hey, hey, at least let me change my clothes!"
Qiao Zimu smiled, unaware of what was going on, as she pulled him along, but he felt very happy inside.
The two didn't drive, but hailed a taxi and set off. After an unknown amount of time, they drove further and further into the remote area, surrounded by low-rise buildings, resembling an old residential area similar to the film crew's.
Qiao Zimu glanced out the window and immediately frowned: "What kind of place is this? It doesn't look like there's anything fun here. Lan Jia, shall we go somewhere else?"
"Who said I came here to have fun?" Lan Jia said irritably.
After getting off the bus, the sun was almost setting, and the whole world was shrouded in twilight.
She held her phone, glanced at the house numbers in the text message, compared them one by one, and finally stopped in front of an osmanthus tree.
This is the building.
Lan Jia turned around and softened her voice to plead with him, "I have something very important to do and need to meet someone. Could you wait for me outside for a while?"
Qiao Zimu stopped joking and adopted a serious tone: "Who is this person? Can I trust them? What if it's not safe? No, I have to meet them too." With that, he walked past her and went ahead.
Lan Jia had no choice but to follow him. Actually, she wasn't confident coming alone, and having him with her made her feel more at ease.
Fortunately, it was on the first floor, so there was no need to climb stairs. When they found the house, there was an old-fashioned openwork iron door with two seagulls flying on it, though it was a bit rusty. In the middle was a rectangular solid iron plate with a simple pattern around the edge. Qiao Zimu reached out and tapped on the iron plate, making a "clanging" sound.
Not long after, they heard footsteps approaching from inside.
Inside the iron gate was another dark green wooden door, clearly marked by time, which added to the mysterious and terrifying atmosphere, as if some terrible secret was locked inside.
Lan Jia clenched her fists nervously, her heart pounding.
The door creaked open the next second, startling her.
The light from inside the room spilled out, illuminating Qiao Zimu's face.
When Song Qingqu saw the person standing at the door, he was taken aback at first. Qiao Zimu was also taken aback when he saw it was him. The two looked at each other, and then a head peeked out from behind. Then, Lan Jia also stepped out and looked him over with a cautious gaze.
Seeing that she had finally arrived, Song Qingqu smiled and stepped aside, "Come in, everyone."
"The room is messy, don't mind it, and you don't need to change your shoes."
Lan Jia and Qiao Zimu entered the house and stood close together in the entryway. They glanced around and saw that the house was indeed messy, as if they were moving house, with many cardboard boxes scattered everywhere.
As Song Qingqu walked in, he kicked aside the cardboard boxes blocking the aisle and called out to them, "The sofa is still usable, you can sit for a while, I'll go get some drinks."
The two looked at each other, Lan Jia nodded, and then they both went over to sit down.
Before she knew it, she had only taken two steps when something moved at her feet, its coolness creeping up her ankle.
Lan Jia looked down, staring intently, a surge of heat rushing to her head, and she screamed in a trembling voice:
"snake!!!"
Author's note: These are baby snakes raised by Song Qingqu; they're non-venomous. [Poor thing]
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