Meng Jingwei was speechless, "That's because you're not thick-skinned enough."
"If I weren't thick-skinned, I'd be afraid my Awei would run off with someone else." Qing Muye helped her put on her bra and then a pale green pleated chiffon blouse.
"I'll put it on myself." Meng Jingwei really couldn't get used to Qing Muye's excessive attentiveness. She nimbly snatched the clothes, quickly put them on, and then got up to wash up in the bathroom.
When she came out of the bathroom, the lavish feast had already been served from the bedroom.
In the living room, Qing Muye had already set out the bowls and chopsticks. Seeing her approach, he stood up and pulled out a chair for her.
"Thanks."
Meng Jingwei and Qing Muye exchanged smiles, their eyes lingering on each other.
Qing Muye was utterly captivated by her every move and expression. He leaned in, intending to kiss her.
However, Meng Jingwei raised her right hand and pressed it against his face, pushing him away unceremoniously. "Get lost! If you try again, I'm afraid I won't be able to get out of bed tonight."
She secretly congratulated herself. Fortunately, she was a skilled fighter. If it were an ordinary person, given Qing Muye's persistent nature, they probably wouldn't be able to stand for days.
Qing Muye chuckled at her remark and sat down at the opposite side of the table. "I'll let you off this time. Let's eat."
Even though they were in Country C, the meal included her favorite preserved egg and lean meat congee, sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed fish, mushroom soup, and more.
"Did you make these?"
Meng Jingwei scooped a spoonful of congee with her spoon, blew on it, and took a sip. She was quite certain.
"You've worked hard all this time," Qing Muye said, using his chopsticks to pick up food for her. "Eat more."
The familiar dishes, the familiar taste, all as delicious as ever.
Every time she ate a meal cooked by Qing Muye himself, she felt incredibly fortunate.
What good deeds had she done in her previous life to be so lucky to meet him?
Upon hearing the word "hard work," the smile on Meng Jingwei's face instantly vanished, and the congee in front of her suddenly tasted bland and tasteless.
She put down her spoon, sighed, her clear eyes clouded with an unresolvable sadness. "Shu Yao was too foolish. Trading her life for another's, it really wasn't worth it."
Seeing her despondent, Qing Muye took her hand and comforted her, "The reason Shu Yao didn't want to discuss it with you, besides wanting revenge, was that she wanted to put an end to her life. The suffering she endured was something none of us have experienced. Even if we had gone through it ourselves, we might not have been able to remain as calm and wise as she was."
"Death, for her, was truly a release," Qing Muye added.
If there was any real mistake, it was probably agreeing to dance with Qing Sihai at that banquet years ago.
If there was any real mistake, it was probably defying her parents' wishes and choosing to start her own business back in the country.
But when she carefully reviewed her past, she wondered what she had truly done wrong.
She had merely defied her parents' arrangements and refused to marry Anthony; she had merely wanted to start her own business to prove herself to her parents; she had merely felt an instant connection with Qing Muye upon their first meeting, believing him to be her destined prince charming.
Shu Yao was not wrong; it was simply fate's unfairness.
Whether it was being humiliated and used by Qing Sihai, or being persecuted by Anthony, which affected her parents, had nothing to do with Shu Yao.
Because she, too, was a victim.
"Yes, I know," Meng Jingwei nodded with her head down, Shu Yao's tragic state after her death lingering in her mind.
After handling all matters, she rushed to the Qing family's old residence and surveyed the explosion site, also looking at the surveillance footage.
When she personally witnessed the explosion, seeing bodies dismembered and limbs scattered, Meng Jingwei felt as if she were there, the pain piercing her heart.
Agony.