Meng Jingwei raised her wrist and looked down at the bracelet on it, a complex mix of emotions swirling within her.
"It's quite beautiful, I like it very much," she couldn't help but sigh.
Her words implied that she had accepted Han Junyan's gift and would not take the bracelet off.
However...
There were some things Meng Jingwei kept to herself, unspoken.
He had left without a word back then. Now, years later, he at least knew to say goodbye when he left, which was some kind of progress.
Han Junyan's gaze was fixed on Meng Jingwei, his eyes shadowed. Despite the reluctance in his heart, he showed nothing of it to her.
"You should get back to work. I… need to go."
He tapped his wristwatch, a reminder that his flight was approaching, and he couldn't afford to miss it.
"I can give you a ride."
Meng Jingwei smiled. "I've finished my work anyway, and I don't have anything else to do."
"Is that convenient?"
"What's inconvenient about it? I'm free," Meng Jingwei replied with a casual smile. "Wait for me a moment, I'll change my clothes."
With that, she went into the changing room, changed into a different outfit, informed her boss, and then left with Han Junyan.
She drove her little red car, taking Han Junyan straight to the airport.
Along the way, Meng Jingwei felt an inexplicable sense of regret.
"Are you not planning to return to Lancheng after going back to Country C this time?"
Meng Jingwei, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, glanced at Han Junyan and asked.
"Likely… I won't be coming back."
Han Junyan leaned back in the passenger seat. As the words left his lips, he took a deep breath and sighed silently.
That sigh carried with it countless regrets.
"Jingwei, if I hadn't left without a word back then, would we still have had a chance?"
On an impulse, Han Junyan finally voiced the question that had been lingering in his heart.
"Why are you asking that now?"
Meng Jingwei's lips curved slightly. "Qing Muye and I are planning to get our marriage certificate."
Though their conversation seemed disconnected, it was Meng Jingwei's way of indirectly deflecting Han Junyan's question.
Some things, once they are in the past, remain so. Bringing them up again held little meaning.
Getting their certificate?
Han Junyan knew Meng Jingwei liked Qing Muye. However, the two of them were very low-key, and there were no rumors about them in Lancheng. Thus, Han Junyan had assumed they would at least announce their marriage.
But now, hearing Meng Jingwei, it sounded more like… "Are you planning a secret marriage?"
"Yes," she admitted readily.
Han Junyan's expression faltered slightly, his hands clenching unconsciously. He forced a smile. "Is that so? That takes courage. Congratulations. However… it's a pity I won't be able to attend your wedding."
"It's a secret marriage, and we don't plan to have a wedding."
"Then allow me to wish you a happy wedding and a lifelong union in advance."
As he uttered the words 'lifelong union,' Han Junyan felt a sharp, constricting pain in his heart.
The feeling was a bittersweet ache, making it difficult to breathe and leaving him feeling utterly miserable.
"Thank you."
Meng Jingwei graciously accepted Han Junyan's well wishes. She turned her head slightly to glance at the man beside her. Even in that brief moment, while driving, she could clearly sense the loneliness and sadness on Han Junyan's face.
Before this, Meng Jingwei had never understood why Han Junyan had suddenly taken an interest in Li Yun'er.
But now, she understood.
He didn't truly like Li Yun'er at all. Either he was using Li Yun'er as a substitute for her, or he was merely playing games with Li Yun'er to gauge her reaction.
Otherwise, Han Junyan, who was supposedly dating Li Yun'er, wouldn't have remained silent after such a significant event involving Li Yun'er!
"It's not as safe abroad as it is domestically. Take good care of yourself, and call me if anything comes up."
Upon arriving at the airport, Han Junyan got out of the car. Meng Jingwei walked up to him and cautioned him.
Han Junyan, his backpack slung over his shoulder, offered Meng Jingwei a cordial smile. "I'm leaving. Take care."
"You too!"
Meng Jingwei nodded slightly.
As she spoke, Han Junyan turned and walked away.
From outside the airport to the entrance hall, Han Junyan didn't look back at her. Meng Jingwei, however, stood rooted to the spot, watching his figure gradually disappear into the crowd inside the hall.
An indescribable sense of disarray and emotion washed over her.
He was a man she had once deeply loved, even if he was her first love. This was a true farewell.
Meng Jingwei reached out to touch the bracelet on her wrist, sighed, and then turned back to her car and drove away.
Her car disappeared into the traffic. Inside the airport hall, a man stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing in the direction she had gone, the starlight in his eyes gradually dimming.
Jingwei, after this parting, who knows when we'll meet again. Please take good care!
Han Junyan hadn't wanted to leave Lancheng, but he had to.
About ten minutes later, halfway on her drive, Meng Jingwei suddenly received a call from Han Yu.
Seeing Han Yu's number flashing on her phone screen, Meng Jingwei frowned in confusion. "Why is he calling me? Could it be about Cheng Xiaorui?"
After a few seconds of hesitation, Meng Jingwei answered the call. "Han Yu, do you need something?"
"That…"
The other person sighed as they spoke, their heavy tone palpable even over the phone.
"What is it?" Meng Jingwei's heart tightened. She pulled her car over to the side of the road and questioned him urgently.
"Li Yun'er… she's dead."
"Wh-what? You're saying Li Yun'er… is dead?"
The sudden news stunned Meng Jingwei, leaving her mind blank. After a moment, she asked, "Suicide or murder?"
"The evidence at the scene indicates suicide, but Li Zirui is also missing."
Han Yu relayed the situation to Meng Jingwei immediately.
"How long has Li Zirui been missing? What about Li Fu'an and Zhao Ruolan?"
"His disappearance was confirmed three days ago after all attempts to contact him failed. The elderly couple are very distraught. Zhao Ruolan has been crying constantly, while Li Fu'an has been chain-smoking."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Han Yu."
Meng Jingwei hung up the phone and sat in her car, remaining silent for a long time.
While she had hated Li Yun'er, Li Yun'er was, after all, her sister. Now that she knew she was dead, Meng Jingwei found it somewhat difficult to accept.
If Li Yun'er was murdered, the perpetrator could absolutely not be Qing Muye.
If he had wanted to get rid of Li Yun'er, he wouldn't have waited until now to act.
Meng Jingwei picked up her phone, intending to call Qing Muye, but then she remembered Han Junyan.
Regardless, Han Junyan had spent some time with Li Yun'er, and he needed to be informed about this matter.
She immediately dialed Han Junyan's number…
"Hello, the number you have dialed is switched off…"
A mechanical voice replied from the other end of the line. Meng Jingwei glanced at the time and sighed. He had likely boarded his flight by now.
She then called Qing Muye. "A Ye, have you heard about Li Yun'er?"
"Yes, Han Yu just told me," Qing Muye replied calmly.
"Do you think… should I… go and see?" Meng Jingwei's emotions were complex.
On one hand, she harbored resentment towards Li Yun'er. On the other hand, she felt that Li Yun'er was her sister, and if she were dead, then her past actions should no longer be held against her.