Meng Jingwei felt inexplicably nervous and stammered a refusal.
"People are not divided into ranks and classes; there is no such thing as being worthy or unworthy."
Qing Muye vaguely sensed a loosening in Meng Jingwei's attitude and said eagerly, "Perhaps we can try."
He was boldly pursuing the woman before him, a first for Qing Muye.
Meng Jingwei's heartstrings tightened. She looked at Qing Muye, her gaze flickering slightly, hesitant.
Suddenly, she recalled what Li Yun'er had said to her that day. Merely because of what Li Yun'er had done, Qing Muye had deprived her of her right to be a mother.
As a woman, Meng Jingwei could keenly feel that pain and couldn't help but be wary of Qing Muye.
"Qing Muye, I..."
Meng Jingwei wanted to say something more, but the man said, "Get up, the ground is cold."
"Oh."
She responded, quickly got up, and then pulled Qing Muye up with her.
The man held her hand, stood up, and then brushed the snow off his back, his hand still holding Meng Jingwei's tightly. "Hold the umbrella, the snow is heavy."
He said.
Thus, he held Meng Jingwei's hand and walked back a few steps without explanation, picked up the umbrella lying on the ground, and turned towards the plum blossom forest.
His large palm tightly gripped her small hand. His warm palm enveloped her cold hand, and instantly, Meng Jingwei felt less cold.
The man held the umbrella with his left hand, which seemed a bit inconvenient. So, he raised his arm, put it around her shoulder, and pulled her closer. "Come closer, you won't get snowed on."
Feeling Qing Muye's gentle affection, Meng Jingwei fidgeted in her trench coat pocket, her small hands clenching nervously. Her heart pounded, almost to the point of suffocation.
Before coming to the Qing family's old residence, she had been bickering with Qing Muye. But now, they had suddenly reconciled.
He had confessed to her.
Although his confession lacked flowers or diamond rings, Meng Jingwei's heart still couldn't help but race, a thrill surging through her, even... a little joy.
Seeing that she was no longer as composed as before, but instead showed the shyness of a young woman in love, a subtle smile flickered across his lips.
"Awei, I know you have many concerns. But I will give you time to adapt slowly."
Qing Muye's words were inexplicably tinged with nervousness.
Heaven knew that when facing a multi-billion dollar order, he wouldn't experience such a rapid heartbeat and sweaty palms.
Meng Jingwei wanted to refuse, but considering Qing Muye's past actions towards her, it was impossible not to be moved.
After much struggle and deliberation, Meng Jingwei finally said, "You said to try. Then let's... set a three-month limit. If it doesn't work out then, I hope you... won't force it. Can you?"
Three months?
Qing Muye's eyes lit up, quite satisfied.
"Okay, I promise."
"But, I have three rules," Meng Jingwei immediately stated. "First, during this trial period, you cannot touch me; second, you cannot interfere in my affairs; third, I don't want anyone to know about our relationship."
She had her own plans.
For now, she still had many people to guard against, and it was best not to reveal her relationship with Qing Muye.
"Mmm, okay."
Qing Muye nodded slightly, happily agreeing.
Suddenly, he stopped and turned to face Meng Jingwei. A charming smile played on his handsome face, and he furrowed his brow, asking, "What do you mean by 'cannot touch'? Hmm?"
The man deliberately increased the pressure of his hand on her shoulder, as if to say, "I'm touching you right now."
At his question, Meng Jingwei's face flushed instantly, like an overripe peach. "You... I... what I mean is that kind of... that kind of thing."
"What kind of thing?"
"It's just..." Meng Jingwei felt too shy to speak.
Qing Muye couldn't help but chuckle. He suddenly leaned closer to her ear, blew gently on her hair, and softly asked, "Is it going to bed?"
"Nonsense!"
Meng Jingwei pushed him away, feeling her earlobes turn red from his teasing.
"Okay, I promise." Qing Muye nodded, his large hand naturally covering her cheek. His thumb caressed the face he had longed for.
Before this, she had been angry, even disappointed, by the photo Xiao Cheng had sent.
But now, knowing Meng Jingwei's passive and precarious situation, all he wanted was to protect her.
It was just that he hadn't expected Meng Jingwei to give him a chance to try and get along, which was probably the happiest thing for Qing Muye.
"Awei?"
He called out.
"Hmm?"
Meng Jingwei looked at him.
"I want... to kiss you."
Meng Jingwei: "..."
However, before Meng Jingwei could even figure out how to answer Qing Muye, the man cupped the back of her head, leaned down, and kissed her lips again.
This time, it was different from before.
His kiss was gentle and careful. One hand circled her waist, the other cupped the back of her head, gently nuzzling.
Meng Jingwei stood rigidly, foolishly not resisting.
She allowed the man to kiss her for a long time, her small face flushed red from holding her breath, her heart pounding, waves of excitement surging through her.
At this moment, Qing Muye suddenly released her. Seeing her finally gasping for breath, he couldn't help but smile. "You're so silly, don't you know how to breathe?"
Teased by him, Meng Jingwei's lips twitched. She didn't know what to say, merely glaring at him indignantly.
Qing Muye raised his hand and flicked her nose. "Silly. Come on, I'll take you to admire the plum blossoms."
With that, the man held the umbrella in one hand, tidied her trench coat around her shoulder with the other, and pulled her into his embrace. The two continued to walk forward.
Meng Jingwei remained silent throughout, immersed in the romance of this affection. Although they hadn't done anything outrageous, even just a kiss made her blush furiously, her heart pounding as if it would leap out of her throat.
Even during the kiss, she felt a warmth spread through her body.
After walking for a while like this, Meng Jingwei's rapidly beating heart gradually began to steady.
She then said, "You also know that Qing Sihai has a problem, don't you?"
"He's ultimately a bastard son of the Qing family; he can't be my opponent."
Qing Muye dismissed him with contempt.
It was precisely this kind of overwhelming self-confidence and ability that made Meng Jingwei feel inferior.
She pursed her lips and, after a moment of hesitation, said to him, "Qing Muye, I don't want to be a canary in a gilded cage. Therefore, I hope you won't interfere in my affairs in the future as much as possible. I believe I have the ability to resolve things myself. If in a relationship, only one person is constantly giving, even doing all the work, that kind of love is too much pressure. I... I don't think I can accept it."
She was different from other girls.
Other girls would just want to be well-protected, like canaries.
But Meng Jingwei needed a broader sky, enough for her to spread her wings and express herself.