Chi Meng’s voice was very soft, recounting these things with a tone of self-mockery, but Hua Xian clearly saw tears in the corners of her eyes.
That’s right, how could Chi Meng—a person who yearned for family affection so deeply—not feel sad hearing her biological mother say such things?
This was why she had run out in the rain to her grandmother’s grave. Having to tell her grievances only to someone deceased must have felt utterly despairing.
Hua Xian pulled her into a hug and wiped away her tears. “Don’t ever talk about yourself like that. There is no such thing as a child that parents ‘do not love.’ If they acted that way, it only proves that they are scumbags. You did nothing wrong.”
Chi Meng buried her face in Hua Xian’s embrace, her tears pouring out, soaking a large patch of Hua Xian’s clothes.
“But I feel like they were right. A child unloved by their parents should never have been born.”
“Why not? If you hadn’t been born, we wouldn’t have met.”
“Wouldn’t that have been for the best? Do you think I wanted to meet you?” Chi Meng asked with a sniffle, her voice muffled.
Hua Xian: …She had clearly overestimated herself.
“It is I who wanted to meet you,” Hua Xian kissed the top of her hair, her voice growing gentler. “Although I have done many foolish things and made you sad and upset, our meeting was destined. So, please stop saying things like you are redundant. At the very least, I need you.”
Chi Meng said nothing, but Hua Xian felt the wetness in her arms intensify. The little crybaby was weeping again.
Hua Xian knew that saying more at a time like this would be useless, so she remained silent, simply holding her tightly.
After a long while, Chi Meng asked, “Don’t you think I’m useless? Like unwanted trash?”
“If you’re trash, then I’m the trash can. We’re a match made in heaven!”
Chi Meng let out a small, soft “hmph,” and then bit down on Hua Xian’s shoulder. Hua Xian yelped, a sound that was perfectly timed to be overheard by the young nurse who had come to deliver their meal.
The hand raised to knock froze awkwardly in the air. The young nurse looked troubled, thinking, Is this not a good time to interrupt them? I’ve come at the wrong moment again. She almost cried.
Glancing at the food in her hand, the nurse decided to knock anyway. Taking a deep breath, she lightly tapped twice on the door.
“Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but your food…”
As she spoke, the nurse’s heart was racing, and her voice was so faint that a slightly deaf person inside might not have heard it.
Fortunately, Hua Xian’s hearing was sharp. She quickly opened the door, took the meal from the nurse with a thank you, and then said to Chi Meng, “Do you want to eat by yourself, or should I feed you?”
The nurse secretly peered in and saw Hua Xian placing the food on the table before turning to pick up Chi Meng. She gently closed the door, a smile unconsciously spreading across her face.
I’m dying! This is everything! The CP I ship is real after all!
Hua Xian carried Chi Meng to the sofa and sat her down, then opened the meal containers one by one. Although the variety was rich, the food was genuinely light and bland. Chi Meng preferred stronger flavors and showed little interest in the dishes, only eating a few bites before stopping.
“Eat a little more; that way, you’ll recover faster.”
“My fever is gone. Let’s go home.”
Chi Meng sat cross-legged on the sofa, leaning slightly forward to look at Hua Xian, her gaze clear and deep, as if it could suck a person in. Predictably, Hua Xian was instantly enchanted and readily agreed to her request.
“Then let’s go right now,” Chi Meng pleaded, wrapping her arms around Hua Xian’s neck.
Hua Xian cleared her head slightly, patting her head. “Calm down. It’s past ten now. Nobody processes discharge in the middle of the night. How about we go back tomorrow morning?”
Chi Meng pouted, dissatisfied. “You’re breaking your word. Stay away from me.”
Naturally, Hua Xian ignored her, embracing her and kissing her several times until Chi Meng stopped struggling.
“Which one do you want me to feed you? You are not allowed to say you don’t want to eat. If you don’t have a specific craving, then I’ll feed you according to my preference.”
Chi Meng debated for a long time, reluctantly pointing at the scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and said with a wronged expression, “Just one bite.”
“Alright, just one bite,” Hua Xian happily agreed.
Experience proved that a woman’s word is not to be trusted. With every bite Chi Meng took, Hua Xian would kiss her, making her forget herself until she suddenly realized she had already eaten an unknown number of “one bites.”
Chi Meng touched her slightly distended stomach and glared fiercely at Hua Xian, who felt no sense of fault and smiled radiantly.
“My little kitten is so wonderful; you actually ate this much. This is a reward for a good girl.”
She pressed the back of Chi Meng’s head and kissed her, a kiss that was not the brief, light touch of before.
Chi Meng instinctively closed her eyes. Just a second ago, she had been angry, but now her mind was a complete blank.
Considering Chi Meng’s health, Hua Xian did not take things too far. After the fervent kissing, she held her and took her to the bathroom to wash up. They slept in each other’s arms, with Chi Meng nestled against her, sleeping peacefully and soundly.
The next morning, before Hua Xian could go and handle the discharge procedures, Xiao Ran arrived.
Hearing that Chi Meng wanted to be discharged, she firmly objected.
“You were soaked in the rain and ran a high fever. It’s better to stay for two more days. It won’t be too late to leave once your body has fully recovered.”
Chi Meng shook her head, playing with Hua Xian’s fingers. “You know I hate hospitals. Besides, I have a pile of work backlog. If I don’t go back soon, Sister Ai will go crazy.”
Upon hearing this, Hua Xian’s brow furrowed slightly. Chi Meng had never mentioned resuming work, and she vaguely felt that Chi Meng’s current state was not suitable for it.
On the surface, she seemed no different from a normal person, but the more normal she appeared, the more uneasy Hua Xian felt. Chi Meng gave her the feeling of a calm before a storm; no one knew what the consequences would be once the heavy rain struck.
However, with Xiao Ran present, she didn’t ask anything, indulging Chi Meng unconditionally and agreeing to her every word.
After the discharge procedures were complete, Chi Meng couldn’t wait to go home. Xiao Ran called out to her, looked at her for a moment, but ultimately said nothing.
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You are already very outstanding.”
Chi Meng offered a faint smile. “Thank you.”
Hua Xian didn’t quite understand what Xiao Ran meant by that sentence. To her, the words were not only meaningless but completely nonsensical, and it was precisely this oddness that made her need to think more deeply.
Taking advantage of the moment Chi Meng was calling Li Ai, she asked Xiao Ran if there was anything she was unaware of. Xiao Ran inherently disliked her, and her gaze was cold, but for Chi Meng’s sake, she had to temporarily set aside her disgust for Hua Xian.
Xiao Ran’s gaze rested on Chi Meng, and her voice was distant. “Don’t you think Little Meng’s current state is very strange?”
Hua Xian thought, Indeed, it is a bit strange, but she maintained a poker face and asked, “How so?”
“On the surface, she appears to be completely recovered—at least that’s how she acts in front of me. But…” Xiao Ran paused, shifting her gaze from Chi Meng to Hua Xian. “This is all an illusion, a facade she’s using to deceive us. She’s constantly whitewashing the situation because she wants us to think she’s ‘better.'”
Hua Xian’s thoughts churned as she looked at Chi Meng, who, having said something to Li Ai, curved her lips into a smile that was breathtakingly beautiful.
She found it hard to imagine that this was all “acted” by her.
“Perhaps she is doing this with a purpose, or perhaps she decided to change after some stimulus. But this kind of ‘wellness’ is like a house built of sand; it can’t withstand scrutiny. A single wave could wash it all away.”
“You mean that if she encounters another incident, she might completely collapse?”
“It’s also possible she won’t. After all, this is just my speculation,” Xiao Ran said, her eyes returning to Chi Meng, her voice softening. “I hope she truly is well.”
Who wouldn’t think that? I also hope she is happy and joyous, not carrying a heavy burden and living behind a mask.
Hua Xian’s hand, hanging by her side, clenched slightly, her eyes darkening with worry.
Chi Meng finished her phone call and came over, her eyes scanning between the two of them. “What were you two talking about behind my back?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing.”
The two voices sounded simultaneously. Chi Meng raised a delicate eyebrow, becoming even more suspicious. Xiao Ran checked the time on her wrist. “I have a patient at nine, so I won’t see you off.”
Chi Meng said flatly, “Go and be busy, Doctor Xiao.”
Xiao Ran pursed her lips, and a bitter smile touched her lips as she turned to leave. Even now, Chi Meng still addressed her as “Doctor Xiao,” maintaining a clear boundary.
After she was gone, Chi Meng leaned close to Hua Xian, tugging on her collar. “Did you two really say nothing? I feel like you’re hiding something from me.”
Hua Xian put an arm around her waist, shielding her completely. “Be careful not to get photographed. There are many eyes and ears here; it’s not like at home.”
Chi Meng looked indifferent. “If we get photographed, we’ll just come out. What is there to worry about?”
With this distraction from Hua Xian, Chi Meng stopped asking about her conversation with Xiao Ran. As the two prepared to hail a taxi, a very conspicuous black Ferrari was parked by the roadside. The license plate was five eights—extremely flamboyant.
As they approached, the car window lowered, and a man removed his sunglasses, saying to Chi Meng, “Miss Chi, since you never came to me, I had no choice but to come to you. I think we need to talk, don’t you agree?”
Hua Xian distinctly felt the person beside her stiffen. Turning to look, she saw the smile vanish from Chi Meng’s face, her expression turning murky.
She recognized the man speaking: Li Jincheng, the Crown Prince of the Li family, rumored to control the economic lifeline of City A.
The author has something to say:
I will be entering VIP status tomorrow. A heads-up that there will be a 60-coin transaction~
Our Chi Mengmeng and Hua Xiaoxian’s relationship might face a little bit of trouble, but overall, it will still be sweet. There’s no need to worry about Li Jincheng; he’s just a minor character used to elevate the feelings between the two female leads. I think I’ve said too much—I can’t reveal any more spoilers! If you want to know what happens next, tune in promptly at midnight tomorrow!
And while I’m at it, allow me to recommend a newcomer author’s pre-published works:
Book One: This Female Lead is Really Too Hard to Conquer [Quick Transmigration] (This is likely the next one to be released)
After being forced to do conquest missions for ten years, Ning Xue finally found a chance to escape. To avoid being exploited by her superior again, she resolutely chose a “no-effort-required” system, planning to live a life of decadence and luxury.
However, once she actually arrived in the small worlds, she realized things were not as simple as she had imagined.
System: Dear, you must first gain the specified person’s favorability points to activate the system.
Ning Xue: …I am truly speechless!
World One: The Impoverished Student with Empty Pockets
Although Ning Xue’s academic performance was excellent, her family was too poor to even open a pot, and she would soon be forced to drop out of school.
To avoid factory work, she turned her ‘evil’ claws towards the silent older sister next door because she was the system’s designated conquest target.
The day after Ning Xue gained thirty favorability points from Jing Ling, her brother, who was addicted to buying lottery tickets, won 500,000 yuan.
Later, their family moved house. When Ning Xue went back to find Jing Ling after they had settled, she was gone.
The next time they met was at a company annual dinner. Jing Ling, who had grown into a dazzling and beautiful woman, walked past the crowd and directly towards Ning Xue, a hint of coldness barely detectable on her face.
World Two: The Poor and Destitute Beautiful Widow
To get a meal, Ning Xue was forced to marry a man ten years her senior. On their wedding night, her husband passed away, and from then on, she became the locally famous “Harbinger of Death.” Even though she was as beautiful as a celestial fairy, no one wanted her.
Her parents and brothers disowned her. Ning Xue could only rely on herself but still often went hungry. One day, a long-haired, dark-skinned girl moved in next door, and the long-dormant system sprung to life.
Ning Xue spent a great deal of effort to raise Li Bi’s favorability from zero to fifty. That very evening, a section of the courtyard ground collapsed. Ning Xue looked by the moonlight, and the golden glitter of gold almost blinded her dog-eyes.
Life improved more than tenfold with the money. Her maternal family members became greedy for Ning Xue’s wealth and randomly pulled someone to arrange a blind date for her, intending to marry her off against her will.
The news quickly spread throughout the surrounding villages. Li Bi, who rushed back, looked at Ning Xue chatting happily with a strange man, and her expression turned dark and gloomy.
World Three: The Pampered Young Lady from a Fallen Family
World Four: The Weak Assassin Who Lost All Her Martial Arts
*Other worlds to be determined
Book Two: I Really Just Want to Seek Death [Quick Transmigration] (This is likely the one to be released after the first one)
Yun Jun was kicked out of the main world by the Main God due to her lax work attitude and was bound to the Vicious Female Supporting Character Seeks Death System.
World One: The True and Fake Daughters
Entering the mission world, Yun Jun’s identity was the fake daughter who had been mistakenly taken in.
She laughed wildly; this identity was practically tailor-made for seeking death. As long as she showed jealousy towards the true daughter and constantly targeted and framed her, someone would naturally come to deal with her.
System: Current world mission released—get accepted into Qingjiang University.
Although she didn’t know what this mission had to do with seeking death, Yun Jun followed the instructions. She studied diligently, spending every day either learning or on the path to learning, and finally pressed Yun Mu firmly beneath her.
The day she received the acceptance letter, Yun Jun was secretly delighting in completing her mission when Yun Mu suddenly grabbed her hand.
“The Yun family can’t have raised you all these years for nothing. Take your household registration book and let’s go to the Civil Affairs Bureau.”
“What?! Could you say that again?!”
World Two: The Genius World & The Waste Junior Sister
Having been tricked once by the darn system, Yun Jun thoroughly reconsidered and decided to seek death on her own.
As the contrast to the Senior Sister who was highly talented, spiritually powerful, and respected by everyone, she—the long-time disgrace of the sect who hadn’t advanced her cultivation—naturally had to constantly make things difficult for the Senior Sister and hinder her practice every day.
Thus, she caused trouble during the day and cultivated diligently at night, finally winning the first place at the Immortal Sect Grand Convention one year later. The Senior Sister lost to her by a single move, disappointing everyone’s expectations.
After the competition ended, Yun Jun was about to slip away when the Senior Sister hooked her and led her to her room.
“Since I let you win, I need to get some compensation back.”
“I won by skill! Wait… Where are you putting your hand?!”
World Three: The Bird in a Cage
This time, Yun Jun completely gave up control, letting the plot develop freely. She would naturally act when it was her turn. As long as she succeeded in seeking death in the end, everything would be fine.
Waking up, she found herself in a cage.
Yun Jun: …What is going on?
A person stepped in on clouds, the hem of her dress blending beautifully with the cloud layers.
“What is so wrong with marrying me? Why did you try to run away from the marriage?”
She could not answer the other party’s question because she had no idea what she had done.
Someone nearby offered advice: “Your Majesty, how about we just make it a done deal?”
“That is a good idea. All of you, leave.”
“???! ”