After a few days, she had faded and thinned, the curve of her fair cheekbone becoming more pronounced, her gauntness making one's heart ache.
Those beautiful, clear eyes, like fallen stars, were like pearls covered in dust, dim and lusterless, devoid of color.
Old Chen was heartbroken. He stepped forward, wanting to comfort her, but his mind couldn't string together the right words.
"Alright, you rest well. I'll go rest for a bit too."
He never had the courage to face Meng Jingwei. He nodded at Dessini, as if to say hello, and then turned to leave.
"You go see your teacher off. I want to rest for a while."
Meng Jingwei asked Dessini to leave, wanting to be alone and quiet.
Lying on the bed, Meng Jingwei's mind was filled with images of Qing Muyue, his every smile and frown, his gentle and magnetic voice, lingering in her ears, impossible to shake off.
*Buzzzzzzz—*
The phone on the table rang.
She picked up the phone; it was from Madam Qing.
Seeing the contact saved as 'Grandma Qing' struck her deepest soft spot, and a sudden surge of pain spread through her limbs, seeping into every pore.
Meng Jingwei held the phone in one hand and covered her face with the other, closing her eyes in despair.
The phone continued to buzz incessantly. Meng Jingwei eventually answered.
"Hello, Grandma?"
She adjusted her voice, shifting her emotions to her usual playful state, trying her best to prevent Madam Qing from noticing anything amiss.
"Oh, you good-for-nothing girl, you finally answered. I heard from Si Huai that you and that boy flew abroad for your honeymoon the very night you got married. Si Huai also kept telling me not to call you, but I'm worried about the child in your belly. You must be extra careful."
The news from the Atlantis Hotel that day was completely suppressed; hardly anyone knew what had happened inside.
And there wasn't even a whisper of a trace on the internet.
If there was any news at all, it was probably a report from one media outlet saying that she and Qing Muyue had left by helicopter and were on their honeymoon.
The hotel fire occurred at six in the evening. After it was publicly announced, the official statement said there were no guests present, and only a few service staff were injured.
The matter was then dropped.
Madam Qing believed this implicitly, especially since Qing Si Huai had contacted her.
Qing Muyue had warned everyone at the Qing family's old mansion long ago not to tell Madam Qing anything, and they spent every day meticulously hiding the news.
Meng Jingwei knew that Madam Qing was being kept in the dark, and her heart was filled with a bitter feeling. "Don't worry, Grandma. We'll take good care of ourselves. When we get back, we'll return to the old residence right away."
As she spoke, Meng Jingwei pinched her throat, imitating Qing Muyue's voice, "Awei, come quickly and take a bath. I've run the hot water for you."
"Oh, in a moment. I'm on the phone with Grandma."
She skillfully navigated between the two 'identities,' playing her part.
"Hahaha… Alright, alright, I won't disturb you two lovebirds. Go take your bath quickly. Ah, with a child, be very careful. Always think of the baby first in everything you do."
The old lady laughed heartily, afraid that the couple might do something that would harm the unborn child.
"Haha… Grandma, what are you talking about? I know, I know. Bye-bye, you take care of yourself too." She said to Madam Qing with a smile.
Her tone was cheerful and relaxed, with no hint of anything unusual.
Unbeknownst to her, tears were already streaming down her face, rolling down her gaunt cheeks and dripping onto the bedding, soaking the fabric.
"Mm, you should also get some rest early."
Madam Qing, thinking that they were going to take a bath at that time, likely having gone abroad, murmured, "Young people today, they enjoy more blessings than we did."