"Even if we broke up, it's not your turn to be with her."
Qing Muye stated his claim to Lu Yanming with cold, overbearing dominance.
He felt truly helpless.
It was his grandmother who insisted on introducing Meng Jingwei to potential partners. There were things he wanted to say, but couldn't.
He could only watch helplessly as his grandmother poured fuel on the fire, yet he could do nothing.
Fortunately, the introduction was only to Lu Yanming. If it had been someone else, he didn't know what the outcome would have been.
"Alright, alright, alright. Whatever you say goes."
Lu Yanming nodded.
While he didn't understand why Qing Muye would interfere in Meng Jingwei's affairs, as a brother, he could clearly sense that Qing Muye still had lingering feelings for Meng Jingwei.
Lingering feelings?
Could it be reconciliation?
His brow furrowed, and a brilliant idea spontaneously arose in his mind.
"Okay, I'm leaving first."
He waved goodbye to Qing Muye and left the restaurant directly, planning to exit through the back gate of the villa.
Qing Muye stood still, watching Lu Yanming's retreating back, and let out a silent sigh of relief.
He raised his hand to brush aside a lock of hair from his forehead, feeling an inexplicable sense of desolation and even physical and mental exhaustion.
Afterward, he walked out of the old Qing family mansion and found Lu Yanming's car in the parking lot at the entrance. He pulled open the car door and got in.
"Brother Yanming, you… Qing Muye, why is it you?"
Meng Jingwei, who was playing on her phone in the car, heard the car door open and initially thought it was Lu Yanming. However, to her surprise, it was Qing Muye who got in.
"Some people are like wolves and tigers, making others want to avoid them at all costs."
Qing Muye directly picked up the car keys that Meng Jingwei had placed on the dashboard, started the car, and drove away.
The speed was so fast that Meng Jingwei had no time to react.
"You're the wolf!"
Meng Jingwei realized Qing Muye was insulting her and couldn't help but retort, "He wanted to leave, or did you drive him away? You don't even know yourself. I really don't understand how such an overbearing man like you could have a close friend."
Despite saying that, apart from the issues between Qing Muye and Yun Shasha, she had to admit that Qing Muye was a very good man.
He was responsible, dependable, and a man of his word.
These were qualities Meng Jingwei had observed during their time together.
Often, Meng Jingwei would wonder how a man like Qing Muye could possibly like Yun Shasha.
But then she thought about the currently popular web dramas, like "The Untamed," and realized they were exactly like that.
Including those BL novels, they all told similar stories.
Having seen so much, Meng Jingwei gradually began to accept it.
"Just mind your own business."
Qing Muye said coldly.
After that, the two fell into silence.
He thought about seeing Meng Jingwei on television recently and couldn't help but ask, "You're doing well at Huayu Media. It seems Lü Sen values you greatly."
Just moments ago, the atmosphere between them was tense and confrontational.
Yet now, Qing Muye was again showing concern for Meng Jingwei.
From his tone and demeanor, Meng Jingwei could sense a degree of care.
What was this?
Ambiguity?
Or was it residual guilt for his previous deception?
"Whether he values me or not has nothing to do with me. Also..."
As she spoke, Meng Jingwei opened her bag, rummaged through it, took out her wallet, and handed a bank card to Qing Muye. "This is your share of the dividends from the establishment of Chujian Wedding Company. I'm not working for your company anymore, so I don't need to accept this money."
Qing Muye looked straight ahead, his gaze sweeping over the agricultural bank card, and his expression darkened.
This troublesome woman, did she want to sever ties with him so badly?
Even if she wanted to, he had to be willing first.
"You must take this money."
"Why?"
"After the company was established, most of the team were your former subordinates. If you don't take the company dividends, I worry you might tamper with things in my company for revenge."
"You... revenge my sister! I, Meng Jingwei, am not that kind of person."
Meng Jingwei was extremely angry, she hadn't expected Qing Muye to think of her that way.
She glared at Qing Muye, then looked at the bank card in her hand, and said in annoyance, "I originally didn't want the company dividends, but now I regret it. I think you not only have to give it, but not a penny less. Otherwise, I'll scheme against you behind your back and ruin you!"
What a jerk, so narrow-minded, thinking so filthily of everyone.
The young woman leaned back against the car seat, looking straight ahead, clutching the bank card tightly, her chest heaving with anger.
If it weren't so difficult to get a taxi here, she really would have gotten out of the car.
She didn't want to be in the same car with Qing Muye for even half a minute.
"I have plenty of money. If you can take it all, then you're capable," the man said teasingly.
The two launched into a verbal sparring match.
"When you have money..."
Meng Jingwei blurted out, but halfway through, she seemed to recall something, her red lips curled into a smile, and she suddenly smiled, "Yes, you're the heir of the Qing family, of course you have money. Besides, you're my brother, so your money is my money. From now on, you have to take good care of your little sister."
She was hatching a plan in her mind.
The man couldn't fathom Meng Jingwei's intentions, but he knew she wasn't planning anything good.
However, after calming down, Qing Muye realized…
His original intention in breaking up with Meng Jingwei was to appear as if he had severed ties with her in front of the public. But now, inadvertently, they had grown closer.
He even found himself not wanting Meng Jingwei to ignore him.
He had initially thought that emotions could be controlled.
Now, it seemed he had been overly confident.
"When Grandma was here, you were my adopted sister. But when Grandma is not here, you are you, and I... am me!"
With that thought, the man suddenly slammed on the accelerator and stopped the car. "Get out."
His demeanor turned cold and ruthless in an instant, stopping the car and kicking her out.
Meng Jingwei looked out the car window, stranded in the middle of nowhere. How was she supposed to get back?
"Qing Muye, you… are you going too far? You're abandoning me here, how am I supposed to get home?"
She questioned him indignantly.
But the man maintained a detached, indifferent attitude, "Does it… have anything to do with me."
"You… Ha! Fine, fine, fine, you win!"
Meng Jingwei was so furious she puffed up, unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the car door, and got out, then slammed the door shut with a bang.
Perhaps due to the excessive force, the car shook.
Qing Muye watched her walk away angrily after getting out, his hand unconsciously gripping the steering wheel tightly as he restrained his emotions.
"Hoo…"
The car stopped by the side of the road. Qing Muye rolled down the car window and sat inside, smoking a cigarette.
It wasn't that he was too heartless; it was because Qing Sihui had been living at the old Qing family mansion since his return. He had been delayed by something this afternoon and wasn't home.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't be back tonight.
If Qing Sihui were to see Meng Jingwei and him in the same car, it would likely be detrimental to his plans.