Qing Muye's chiseled lips tightened into a straight line, his deep, cold eyes fixed on her. "So, if I don't satisfy you, it's unfair, isn't it? Hmm?"
Even though he was on the verge of exploding, his voice was calm. His consistently cold demeanor perfectly masked his anger, making him seem as if nothing were wrong.
It was precisely this facade that made Meng Jingwei even more restless.
Because she could feel a... suppressed fury burning intensely, gradually consuming her.
"Don't say it like it's a chore."
Meng Jingwei spoke provocatively, her voice still a little soft, but undoubtedly a challenge. "It's not like you've only wanted me to submit to you for a day or two. But..."
The little woman paused, her luminous eyes sparkling with a smile. Her fair, translucent face, like finest mutton-fat jade, appeared even more rosy and delicate against the backdrop of the red scarf.
Her captivating appearance was like a poisoned poppy, evoking both love and hatred.
Qing Muye was deeply "harmed" by it!
"Meng Jingwei has never been afraid of anything in her life. Brother, bring on any trick you have. Rest assured, I absolutely won't tell Grandma."
As she spoke, her cool, small hand lifted, prying apart Qing Muye's fingers that were gripping her scarf, one by one. She then yanked her hand away, turned around with a flourish, opened the car door, got out, and slammed the door shut with a bang, leaving.
She departed resolutely, without looking back.
This left Qing Muye, consumed by rage, inside the car.
The man clenched his fists and slammed one onto the steering wheel, pressing the horn. The car honked several times.
"Damn it!"
He let out a long sigh, leaned back against the seat, and raised a hand to pinch his brow. A sudden sense of helplessness washed over him.
Perhaps it was years of smooth sailing, or perhaps it was his overwhelming affection for Meng Jingwei that had eroded his mind, making him crave her submission.
However, after employing so many tactics, he finally realized that this woman's heart was made of stone; neither gentle persuasion nor firm insistence had any effect.
The utter failure began to make Qing Muye doubt himself.
Was he truly the man who had once dominated the business world and achieved invincible victories?
Why did he repeatedly fail in matters of the heart, yet kept fighting, only to meet with continued defeat?
It was a vicious cycle, a dead end.
He leaned in his driver's seat, gazing at the proud Meng Jingwei as she left, his brow furrowed, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Meng Jingwei, huffing indignantly, walked along the main road.
As she walked, she searched for nearby cars on her phone, but for a long time, no drivers accepted her request, nor did any taxis pass by.
It was truly... a headache.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
It was from Old Madam Qing.
"Hello, Grandma?"
She answered immediately, a little puzzled as to why Old Madam Qing would call at this hour.
"Jingwei, dear, did Muye tell me your master fell and was hospitalized?"
"Ah? Yes, he did."
Meng Jingwei's steps faltered, and she abruptly looked back behind her, only to see Qing Muye slowly driving towards her.
This scoundrel, what new scheme was he concocting now?
"Oh dear, it's so late. I'm worried about you going back alone. I've already instructed Muye to make sure he takes you back."
"Grandma, there's no need. I can take a taxi..."
Meng Jingwei tried to say something, but Old Madam Qing interrupted her directly. "I've heard the gossip outside these days. I even reprimanded Muye for it, but he said that because you became my adopted granddaughter, many of his efforts were questioned. He's doing all this to create opportunities for you. You silly girl, you don't really think he's making things difficult for you, do you?"
Hearing Old Madam Qing's explanation, Meng Jingwei rolled her eyes fiercely.
Despicable!
Truly despicable to the core!
Was this what he called creating opportunities for her?
She really should 'thank' him.
Meng Jingwei felt that Qing Muye had truly redefined her understanding of the world; she hadn't expected him to deceive even an elderly person.
"No, no, Grandma, what are you talking about? I just feel it's not very safe for him to take me back so late."
To avoid worrying Old Madam Qing, Meng Jingwei could only hide the truth and not expose Qing Muye's hypocritical 'true colors.'
"Alright, this matter is settled. I'll call that boy Muye later. If he doesn't pick you up, I'll settle the score with him!"
"Ah, well, Grandma, I..."
"I'm hanging up now. Beep, beep, beep..."
Old Madam Qing gave Meng Jingwei no chance to say more, hanging up directly.
Listening to the beeping sound from the phone, she pouted, feeling nothing but helplessness.
Beep—
The sedan stopped in front of her. Qing Muye honked, rolled down the window, a condescending smile gracing his handsome face, but he remained silent.
Meng Jingwei gripped her phone, and had no choice but to open the door and get in. She glared at him, "Qing Muye, you truly stop at nothing. Grandma is sixty or seventy years old, and you have the nerve to bother her?"
The man rested his right hand on the steering wheel, his fingers tapping rhythmically. "This is Grandma's order. You should be asking Grandma, not me."
"You absolutely don't need to take me. Don't worry, I will definitely keep your secret and won't tell Grandma."
She didn't want Qing Muye to return to her hometown with her, to avoid further complications.
"You lie so effortlessly. If Grandma knew you were a 'repeat offender,' who knows what she would do."
The man slowly averted his gaze, started the car, and drove on.
Being called a 'repeat offender,' Meng Jingwei felt a pang of annoyance, but ultimately she couldn't be bothered to argue with him further. Instead, she took off her scarf, draped it over herself, closed her eyes, and tried to sleep.
Qing Muye knew that Meng Jingwei's insomnia had not yet been cured, so he couldn't bear to disturb her rest. He turned up the air conditioning to the highest setting and continued driving.
Since the establishment of Chaoyun E-sports, Meng Jingwei had not had a good rest for a long time. So, leaning against the car seat, swaying gently, she fell asleep within a short while.
Qing Muye, worried she wouldn't sleep comfortably, carefully adjusted the inclination of her seat to a semi-reclined position, allowing her to sleep more comfortably.
Fortunately, the seat reclined slowly, not with a sudden jolt, so as not to wake her.
She slept, and when she woke again, it was more than two hours later.
Qing Muye had taken a shortcut back to Meng Jingwei's hometown, so the remaining journey was less than an hour.
"Where are we?"
Meng Jingwei mumbled sleepily.
"Chengzhou," he replied.
"So soon?" Meng Jingwei rubbed her eyes and sat up, clearing the dizziness in her head. She then noticed that her seat had been adjusted to a forty-five-degree inclination at some point.
No wonder she had slept for so long.
Meng Jingwei furrowed her willow-like brows, unable to decipher Qing Muye's intentions.
He was alternately kind and cruel to her, as if he had a serious illness.
"You don't need to look at me with such gratitude. I'm merely carrying out someone's request." The 'someone' in Qing Muye's words was, as Meng Jingwei believed, Old Madam Qing.