The news of Qing Muye's 'death' spread like wildfire. Meng Jingwei decided to hold a grand funeral but deliberately kept it from Old Madam Qing, fearing further shock.
Overnight, Lan Cheng was flooded with news reports about Qing Muye, which also propelled Meng Jingwei into the trending searches.
They had only been married for a short time, and now Qing Muye was 'dead'. Some unscrupulous media outlets immediately declared she had a 'husband-killing' aura, claiming she had caused her husband's death shortly after their marriage. Others speculated that Meng Jingwei was a poisoned Cinderella who had schemed her way into marrying Qing Muye, only to kill him now to inherit his fortune.
Meng Jingwei selectively ignored the trending news and devoted all her attention to organizing the funeral.
In the vast memorial hall, Meng Jingwei had not invited anyone, yet countless guests arrived that day to pay their respects to Qing Muye.
She stood aside, gazing at the ice coffin in the hall, within which lay a man she knew but whose real name she did not.
For a moment, she wondered if she would cry her eyes out if Qing Muye truly died one day.
She felt fortunate, fortunate that Qing Muye was alive and well. If he were really dead, she feared she would never forgive herself in this lifetime.
As mournful music played in the hall, Meng Jingwei, dressed in black mourning attire, stood by, watching people enter with white chrysanthemums in their hands, their expressions ranging from sincere to feigned, from happy to sad.
Human nature was clearly on display at this moment, like a demon-reflecting mirror, revealing the ugly and hypocritical side of many.
Meng Jingwei even thought that if Lu Yanming and the others were not present at the memorial, Qing Muye's uncles would likely have come to cause trouble.
After a long day of work, the guests gradually dispersed.
Meng Jingwei was exhausted. Just then, Yun Shasha, dressed in black mourning clothes, walked in with red-rimmed eyes.
She held two white chrysanthemums and walked step by step to the hall, towards the ice coffin. She stood before it for a long time, seemingly lost, saying nothing.
Seeing Yun Shasha's overwhelming grief, Meng Jingwei felt a pang of sympathy. Yet, beneath the sympathy, she felt this might be a good thing for Yun Shasha.
Knowing Qing Muye was 'dead,' her obsession with him would slowly fade.
"How could you die? It's impossible. You survived so much gunfire and so many battles, yet you died?"
Yun Shasha couldn't accept reality. She fiercely struck the ice coffin with the white chrysanthemums she held, then, as if driven mad, tried to lift the coffin lid.
Seeing this, Meng Jingwei frowned and immediately gave Song Ci a look. Song Ci stepped forward and held Yun Shasha back, "Miss Yun, please stop causing a scene. Boss is gone. If you make a fuss like this, he won't rest in peace."
"Let go of me, don't touch me!"
After not seeing her for several months, Yun Shasha had become gaunt and emaciated. Her once rosy cheeks were now sunken, her appearance radiating a sense of decline and despair.
She tremblingly extended a finger with black nail polish, pointing at Song Ci, "Tell me, is this fake? Is it?"
Song Ci frowned, unwilling to engage with the疯子-like Yun Shasha.
Meng Jingwei, who had been standing nearby, stepped forward but was pulled back by Shi Ran. "Sister Wei, you are weak. Don't go over. What if she hits you?"
With Qing Muye 'deceased,' Shi Ran and the others worried she wouldn't be able to bear the blow and had been staying by her side.
This 'play' made Meng Jingwei clearly understand who her friends were and who her enemies were, who was sincere, and who was hypocritical.
"Yes, you shouldn't go over. Song Ci will handle it."
Lin Meng also held Meng Jingwei back, preventing her from going forward. Even Ivan advised her not to.
"It's alright."