"I'm not going."
Meng Jingwei refused directly.
Recently, Xiao Cheng had helped her a lot, and she didn't want to owe him any more favors.
"Why, you don't think I'm capable?"
As Xiao Cheng spoke, he opened the car door, preparing to put her luggage inside, but Meng Jingwei pulled him back.
"What's wrong?"
Xiao Cheng was a little stunned by her actions and looked at her, confused.
Meng Jingwei took the luggage from his hand and said with a solemn expression, "Xiao Cheng, we are just ordinary friends. I'm very grateful for your recent care. Once my father wakes up, my family and I will leave Lancheng. I owe you so many favors that I can never repay them. So, please don't trouble yourself with this anymore."
Even if her adoptive parents were discharged from the hospital, Meng Jingwei wouldn't be leaving Lancheng anytime soon.
She just didn't want to owe Xiao Cheng favors again and again.
In terms of financial resources or power, she was insignificant. How could she ever have the chance to help Xiao Cheng?
In the end, it would only be Xiao Cheng constantly giving.
As friends, they should help each other, not have one person constantly extending a helping hand.
Such a friendship was destined not to last.
She was helping Xiao Cheng cut his losses in time.
Meng Jingwei's words left Xiao Cheng stunned for a long time. He didn't understand what she meant by saying all this.
It wasn't until he saw Meng Jingwei leaving with her luggage that he chased after her and grabbed her hand, "Are you also disgusted with me like those people?"
Xiao Cheng was a notorious prodigal son in Lancheng, an "unsupportable A Dou," a "target" of scorn and ridicule in high society.
But Xiao Cheng never cared about their taunts and contempt, continuing to do as he pleased.
When he first met Meng Jingwei, he felt that although the girl's appearance was too ordinary, she was not two-faced with him. Instead, he found her company pleasant and comfortable.
Gradually, Xiao Cheng felt more and more that Meng Jingwei was "very much like him" and thus regarded her as a friend.
So Meng Jingwei's sudden words had indeed made him overthink.
Upon hearing this, Meng Jingwei paused her steps and looked back at Xiao Cheng in disbelief.
"I... I didn't mean that."
Just now, for a fleeting moment, she had truly felt a sense of lowliness in Xiao Cheng's words.
This...
It didn't seem like the usually arrogant and overbearing Young Master Xiao.
"Since you didn't, why are you telling me this?"
Xiao Cheng tightly gripped Meng Jingwei's wrist and said in a deep voice, "I thought you were quite interesting when I asked you to work at my company. I wanted you to keep me company so that life wouldn't be so boring."
"Is that so?"
Meng Jingwei was half-believing.
"Isn't that obvious?" Xiao Cheng shook her hand away and gave her a sideways glance.
"Then I wouldn't be able to do it. As you know, I work as a nightclub security guard only because I want to have time during the day to take care of my parents. Otherwise, I would definitely find a proper job. If I work for your company, I won't have any time to look after them."
Meng Jingwei's decision to work at Mùsè Club was out of necessity. Otherwise, she had greater aspirations and ambitions.
"My company, my rules. You can dismiss these thoughts entirely."
Xiao Cheng put his arm around her neck in a brotherly manner, leading her to the passenger seat, then tossed her luggage onto the back seat and said to her, "I'm bored out of my mind every day. You just need to keep me company. That's your job."
He didn't give Meng Jingwei a chance to speak, slamming the car door shut.
He walked around to the driver's seat, started the car, and slowly drove away from the hospital.
After dropping Meng Jingwei home, Xiao Cheng received a call and had to leave due to an urgent matter.
Meng Jingwei washed up at home and then began to clean.
Unexpectedly, her adoptive mother, Du Juan, called at this moment.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"Daughter, your father has woken up. Your father has woken up..."
On the other end of the phone, her adoptive mother first laughed excitedly, then her voice became choked.
She was weeping with joy.
Meng Jingwei was even more overjoyed. "Really? That's wonderful. Mom, I'll be right there. Wait for me."
After hanging up the phone, she rushed downstairs and rode her electric scooter straight to Shengde Hospital.
Outside the hospital, she parked her electric scooter and ran to the ward.
In the ward, her adoptive parents were sitting together chatting.
"Dad?"
Meng Jingwei rushed into the ward and excitedly hugged Meng Tianhua, "Dad, you're awake. It's so good..."
"Hey, whose child are you? Did you mistake me for someone else?"
Meng Tianhua pushed Meng Jingwei away and frowned displeasantly.
"You old fool, can't you recognize our daughter's voice?"
Du Juan couldn't stand it and slapped Meng Tianhua's arm. "Our daughter, to treat your illness..."
Du Juan explained the situation to Meng Tianhua in detail, and only then did he understand what had happened.
His nose instantly felt a sting. He looked at Meng Jingwei with concern, pulling her hand with his rough palm, and carefully examined her face. "It's Dad who has dragged you down. Such a good girl, how did you end up looking so ugly?"
Meng Jingwei wept with joy, sat by the bed, and hugged Meng Tianhua. "Dad, as long as you're awake, that's all that matters. What dragging down? I'm pretending to be ugly just to make work easier."
Suddenly, she thought of something and asked Du Juan, "Mom, has the doctor examined Dad?"
"Oh, speaking of which, we have to thank your friend. He contacted the top experts in the country to see your father. You really must thank your friend properly."
Du Juan held Meng Jingwei's hand. "Daughter, how do you know so many rich friends? I always thought this hospital belonged to the Li family."
"You mean Qing..."
Just as Meng Jingwei was wondering, she saw Du Juan stand up and point towards the ward entrance, saying, "Him, Young Master Qing, he said he's your friend."
Meng Jingwei looked back in the direction Du Juan was pointing and saw Qing Muye, dressed in a gray shirt and black casual pants, standing at the ward entrance.
Behind him, Song Ci was carrying a fruit basket.
Upon seeing him, Meng Jingwei's beaming face instantly stiffened. "Why are you here?"
Her tone was filled with clear displeasure as she spoke.
Du Juan slapped the back of her head. "You silly girl, how can you talk like that? He is your father's savior. You must thank him properly."
Heh.
Savior.
Who is whose savior?
She had saved him before; he had almost driven her to her death.
"Mom, he runs a hospital. Treating illnesses and saving lives is the hospital's duty. Doctors treat, we pay. It's reasonable, there's no such thing as 'debt of gratitude'."
Meng Jingwei spoke to Du Juan, but her gaze was fixed on Qing Muye, her tone full of disdain.
"Jingwei, this is too improper! How can you speak to someone like that?!"
Meng Tianhua, who had been in a coma for months and had just woken up, knew his situation from Du Juan and was therefore very grateful to Qing Muye.
Hearing Meng Jingwei's words, he couldn't help but get angry and reprimanded her.
"How are you feeling, Uncle Meng?"
Qing Muye cast a cold glance at Meng Jingwei, walked past her to the bedside, and greeted Meng Tianhua with great humility and politeness.