Lu Yanming received a call from Tang Si, inviting him for a picnic.
Lu Yanming asked, "What about Mu Ye? Should he come along?"
Tang Si, considering Meng Jingwei would be there, felt it wouldn't be appropriate to invite Qing Muye and thus politely declined, "He's quite busy with work, Feng Kuang. He doesn't have time, so I didn't call him."
Lu Yanming didn't think much of it and hung up.
However, after much thought, he felt something was missing if Qing Muye wasn't invited, so he called him to ask him to join.
"Busy with work, no time."
As expected, he refused.
Ever since breaking up with Meng Jingwei, Qing Muye had practically turned into a workaholic, toiling day and night as if possessed.
Lu Yanming sighed, "Work is important, but your health is more important. We guys haven't gotten together in a while, let's just come out and have some fun."
His words left Qing Muye with no choice but to agree.
Afterward, Meng Jingwei found the most suitable spot for the picnic and sent everyone the location.
Tang Si forwarded it to Lu Yanming.
Lu Yanming sent it back to Tang Si and messaged on WeChat: [I called Mu Ye, he said he'll come.]
Upon seeing this message, Tang Si's pupils widened. He wanted to refuse, but then he thought that if he didn't let Qing Muye come, Lu Yanming would definitely be suspicious.
If Lu Yanming didn't go, he wouldn't get to see his idol, Steve Arthur.
Weighing the pros and cons, Tang Si muttered to himself, "Second Brother, I'm sorry. To see my idol, I have to bring you along."
He couldn't imagine what would happen when Meng Jingwei and Qing Muye met again, but Tang Si couldn't afford to worry about it anymore.
Han Yu, Tang Si, and Lu Yanming each prepared grills, barbecue ingredients, drinks, and other items.
Then, they each drove to Qiming Mountain to meet.
Qiming Mountain was the most suitable place for a barbecue.
There was a stream at the foot of the mountain, with a sandy beach by the stream, and Qiming Mountain itself beside it.
Furthermore, Qiming Mountain offered beautiful scenery and a pleasant environment, making it a good choice for a barbecue.
An hour later, cars began arriving at the foot of Qiming Mountain.
As Meng Jingwei waited for them at the foot of the mountain, the first person to appear was Lin Meng.
Lin Meng had hired a confinement nanny who was taking care of the child, allowing her the time to come out for a walk.
Next to arrive were Shi Ran and Han Yu.
However, Han Yu actually brought Cheng Xiaorui along.
"She's on vacation, so I brought her along. You don't have any objections, do you?" Han Yu greeted Lin Meng and Shi Ran before walking up to Meng Jingwei and asking.
Meng Jingwei teased, "Since you've already brought her, even if I had objections, could you send her back?"
After speaking, she looked at Cheng Xiaorui, walked up to her, and gave her a big hug, "It's been a while, you're getting more and more beautiful."
The last time she saw Cheng Xiaorui was in the dead of winter. Her face was chapped, and her hands were full of frostbite. Half a year had passed, and her small face was fair and translucent. She wore her hair in a ponytail, a white t-shirt, jeans, and canvas shoes, embodying the perfect girlish charm, making her incredibly likable.
How could such a girl not be endearing?
Cheng Xiaorui and Meng Jingwei were from the same village, so they were naturally very familiar with each other.
She smiled slightly and gestured with her hands: [Sister Wei, it's been a long time. How are you doing now?]
Meng Jingwei was completely confused, she... couldn't understand sign language.
Han Yu immediately stepped forward, acting as a translator, "Xiaorui says it's been a long time and asks how you are doing."
"Oh, I'm doing well. I've just been very busy, so I haven't had time to visit you. Now that you're on vacation, you can come find me when you have time."
Cheng Xiaorui nodded, [Okay, I hope Sister Wei won't find me bothersome then.]
Han Yu translated again.
After chatting for a while like this, Meng Jingwei introduced Shi Ran and Lin Meng to Cheng Xiaorui, and the group got acquainted with each other.
Cheng Xiaorui, worried about communication barriers, used her phone to type and chat with them.
Just then, another car drove over and stopped beside them.
Seeing the familiar car, Meng Jingwei's brows furrowed, and a bad premonition arose.
As expected, the next moment, Qing Muye and Lu Yanming stepped out of the car.
Meng Jingwei's temples throbbed, and she thought to herself, "He... why is he here?"
Qing Muye, standing beside her, looked at Meng Jingwei with a similar expression.
He stood by the car, his gaze towards Meng Jingwei flickering slightly, his handsome face showing a hint of strangeness.
Damn it, she was at the picnic today too?
Tang Si, that guy, had actually kept it from him.
Lu Yanming's jaw dropped, "Uh... hahaha, I really didn't know Meng Jingwei was here. If I had known, I wouldn't have come."
After speaking, he turned around and looked at Qing Muye, "Forget it, Old Han is also here. You guys have fun, I'm leaving."
The last time he was at the Qing family's old residence, Mrs. Qing had introduced Meng Jingwei to him, and he had been avoiding her ever since.
He never expected to run into her here, what a coincidence.
He wished he could just run away.
Indeed, Lu Yanming did just that.
He turned, got back into his car, and prepared to leave. Then he saw Meng Jingwei run over three steps at a time, directly grabbing the car door. Ignoring Qing Muye beside her, she grinned at Lu Yanming and said, "Brother Yanming, you look like you want to escape when you see me? Do you dislike me that much?"
Lu Yanming looked at Meng Jingwei, his gaze inadvertently sweeping past her to Qing Muye's sharp eyes.
He felt a surge of despair...
My dear lady, I don't dislike you, I just cherish my life and want to live a few more years.
"No, no, not at all. I just suddenly remembered I have some things to take care of and have to go back. Let's meet again next time."
Preferably, never meet again.
He felt like he lost a few years of his life with every meeting.
"What next time? Today's the best day. We've met after so long, let's have fun together."
Meng Jingwei tilted her head, her smile blooming like a flower, then she leaned forward slightly, reached out, and directly pulled out the car keys.
Lu Yanming reached out to snatch them back, but Meng Jingwei put the keys behind her back, raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you getting out? Do you want me to 'invite' you?"
Her words carried a hint of threat.
Her stance suggested that if Lu Yanming didn't get out, she would resort to force.
Lu Yanming pursed his lips, feeling a chill down his spine.
Especially with Qing Muye standing behind Meng Jingwei, his unwavering gaze fixed on Lu Yanming, making his back crawl.
"My dear lady, please spare me. We're really not suitable. Yes, not suitable. And I've also found a girl I like recently."
Lu Yanming could only find an excuse to refuse Meng Jingwei, otherwise, he was genuinely afraid he would die at her hands.
"You found a girl you like so quickly? No, that's too far-fetched."
Meng Jingwei shook her head, "Besides, even if you found someone, it's first come, first served. I like you too, and I want to compete with that girl to see who is more suitable for you."