Shock, surprise, panic, and tension flooded her mind.
Meng Jingwei felt a tumult of emotions. If, before Li Yun’er’s pregnancy with Qing Muye’s child, she had held a shred of hope that he might not align with Li Yun’er, then now, with him being the father of Li Yun’er’s unborn child… would he one day be unable to tolerate her, just like Li Yun’er, and seek to kill her?
A sense of crisis erupted instantaneously, rendering Meng Jingwei unable to remain calm. Facing such immense power, she even felt a desire to retreat.
Qing Muye’s deep gaze fell upon Meng Jingwei’s expression, plunging the man into thought. Was her gaze one of sorrow or disappointment?
Back in Dongpu Village, Meng Jingwei had invited him for moon-gazing late at night, claiming she had something to tell him, only to feign stomach pain and escape. Afterward, Xiao Meiyan had come to ask if he truly loved Li Yun’er. At the time, he had assumed Meng Jingwei had sent Xiao Meiyan to probe his feelings, perhaps because Meng Jingwei coveted him. Yet, that day in the hospital, when Xiao Cheng proposed to her, she had accepted the ring. In that moment, Qing Muye was unsure if this woman was fickle or simply gravitated towards wealth and power!
“Chi… child?”
Xiao Meiyan covered her mouth in shock, looking at Li Yun’er incredulously, “You’re actually pregnant with Qing Muye’s child?” How could this be so sudden? Xiao Meiyan felt her heart shatter. She loved Qing Muye so dearly, and had initially thought their engagement could be called off. But now, she was pregnant. Did she still have any hope with Qing Muye? That hope was now as distant as the horizon!
“Yes, the child is over a month old. I only found out yesterday after going to the hospital with Brother Muye for a check-up.” Li Yun’er said this to Xiao Meiyan with a radiant smile, then cast a fond, adoring gaze at Qing Muye, her eyes filled with intense love.
Yesterday? Meng Jingwei finally understood. Yesterday, after Qing Muye had sent her to the Qing family's old residence, he had left temporarily and then disappeared for a full day and night, all the while accompanying Li Yun’er.
“Jingwei, you… what’s wrong? Why do you look so unhappy?” Seeing Meng Jingwei’s grim expression, Li Yun’er subtly curved her red lips into a faint smile that vanished in an instant.
“You’re pregnant, and it has nothing to do with me. Why would I be unhappy?” Meng Jingwei retorted angrily, then added, “I have some matters at the company to attend to. I’ll be going now.” She didn’t linger, turning and leaving with a swish of her clothes. In the end, she had been lost in the little bit of 'kindness' Qing Muye had shown her, clouding her judgment and making her believe he was different from the Li family. When she was kidnapped abroad, his rescue was to please Madam Qing. When she was swept away by the surging river in Dongpu Village, Liangchuan County, his rescue was also to please Madam Qing. Qing Muye had done all this merely because she was Madam Qing’s benefactor and was greatly favored by her, intending to groom her as a pawn to stay by Madam Qing’s side, gather intelligence, and lay the groundwork for the seventh Qing son’s return to compete for wealth. At this moment, Meng Jingwei felt both ridiculous and pathetic. Pathetic that she was so pitiful as to magnify every little bit of Qing Muye’s ‘kindness’ into overwhelming感动; ridiculous that he was the fiancé of her enemy, yet she still harbored a sliver of hope for him. Contradictory!
“Mhm, I have things to do too. I’ll be leaving as well.” Xiao Meiyan snorted coldly, stamped her foot, and turned to follow Meng Jingwei out of the office. The two entered the elevator one after the other. Inside the elevator, Xiao Meiyan’s face was flushed with anger. She couldn’t help but curse, “Li Yun’er, that shameless vixen! She’s only been engaged to Qing Muye for a few months, and she’s already pregnant this quickly. It’s just too fast. Hmph, Qing Muye is too capable, isn’t he? A stud? He got her pregnant so quickly. How am I supposed to compete with her now? I have no leverage at all!” Initially, after meeting Meng Jingwei, Xiao Meiyan had felt she still had a great chance of being with Qing Muye. But who knew that after just a few days apart, Qing Muye had gotten Li Yun’er pregnant with his seed. It was just too fast.
“He’s just scum. I advise you not to fall too deeply in love.” Meng Jingwei stared blankly ahead, sincerely advising Xiao Meiyan.
“Meng Jingwei, even though we’re allies, I don’t agree with you speaking like that.” Xiao Meiyan glared at Meng Jingwei, pouting proudly. “Qing Muye is my male god. He’s handsome and rich. Although his taste in women is questionable, being engaged to Li Yun’er doesn’t affect his image in my heart.” She was his number one fan. As long as the sky didn’t fall, he would always be her male god.
Meng Jingwei lowered her eyelids, glancing sideways at the innocent and pure Xiao Meiyan. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “If one day, you discover your male god isn’t as perfect as you thought, won’t you be disappointed?”
“Of course not! No one is perfect. I love him, and whatever he does is right.”
“Including marrying Li Yun’er?”
“Tch, even though my male god is engaged to that green tea bitch, as long as I dig hard enough, no wall is unscalable!” She looked at Meng Jingwei with confidence, pointing to her face. “I’m naturally beautiful and charming. Everyone loves me, and flowers bloom when I pass by. I don’t believe I can’t win him over. As long as they aren’t married yet, I have a ninety-nine percent chance!”
“Why ninety-nine percent?” This girl has some peculiar confidence.
“Because they are only one step away from getting married, and those remaining ninety-nine steps are naturally for me to take.” Hearing her explanation, Meng Jingwei gave an awkward smile, unsure of how to respond. “Oh, hehe…” This child is smart from a young age. After leaving Songyu Group, Xiao Meiyan said goodbye to Meng Jingwei, saying she was going to find her girlfriends for drinks. Meng Jingwei returned to Junlin Company and buried herself in work in the secretariat. Time rewound to thirty minutes prior. Songyu Group, President’s Office. Li Yun’er held Qing Muye’s hand tightly, noticing his somewhat displeased expression. She asked, “Brother Muye, should I have said those things in front of Jingwei just now? Her, her expression wasn’t good.” What Li Yun’er could see, Qing Muye could naturally also see. He glanced at Li Yun’er with cold eyes and said sternly, “Don’t overthink. The child in your womb is most important.” “Mhm, Brother Muye, don’t worry, I will take good care of myself and our child.” Li Yun’er placed a hand on her abdomen, lowering her head slightly, a glint flickering in her eyes. It was the right decision to accompany Qing Muye on his business trip abroad last time. Otherwise, how could she have created such a good opportunity for herself to get pregnant? “It’s good that you know.” Qing Muye subtly brushed away Li Yun’er’s hand, turned to his desk, opened the files before him, and lowered his head to work. Li Yun’er walked forward, stood beside him, and after some hesitation, tentatively asked, “Brother Muye, we have a child now. When are you planning, planning to get married?”