Shang Li’s expression froze instantly, but she didn’t dare reveal it in front of Lai Yanmei. Forcing herself to act normal, she covered her phone’s receiver and hurried out of the restroom.
When she reached the end of the hallway, she could no longer hold back. Lowering her voice angrily, she snapped, “We agreed to have lunch today. What do you mean you’re not coming now?”
“Something came up last minute,” Meng Yuan replied, her tone heavy and clearly unwilling to elaborate. “Let’s reschedule for another day.”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Shang Li’s anger flared. “Do you know what time it is? It’s almost two in the afternoon. Didn’t you see all the messages I sent you? My mom came all this way and waited for you for so long without a single complaint, and yet you.”
Shang Li was so furious she couldn’t continue. Her entire body trembled, her bones shaking. She clutched her chest, gasping for breath as a buzzing noise filled her ears.
“I was planning to come as soon as I finished, but I didn’t expect this to happen,” Meng Yuan said, a hint of annoyance and frustration in her voice. “Please apologize to your mom for me. I’ll find time in the next few days.”
“How am I supposed to apologize for you?” Shang Li tugged at her hair in frustration, pausing briefly to calm down before speaking again. “Also, my mom saw the video of you and that male actor entering and leaving the hotel together. Aren’t you going to come and explain whether it’s true or not?”
“I’m dealing with that…” Meng Yuan’s tone grew increasingly impatient. She paused mid-sentence and then said bluntly, “That’s such an old trick. Can’t you explain it yourself? Besides, you know perfectly well that I have zero interest in men. How could I possibly?”
“Who knows? People change,” Shang Li listened quietly, her blazing anger gradually subsiding. She let out a cold, bitter laugh, her voice growing softer and tinged with sorrow. “Didn’t you used to say you’d always stay by my side and never give up on me?”
And now? All that remained was disappointment.
Utter disappointment.
Gritting her teeth to hold back tears, Shang Li hung up the phone. The next second, she suddenly sensed something amiss behind her. Realizing what it might be, a chill ran down her spine.
She turned around and saw Lai Yanmei’s retreating figure, walking away so quickly that her steps seemed unsteady.
Shang Li opened her mouth to call out, but no sound came. After a moment, it turned into a choked sob.
She had messed things up again.
There was no need to struggle for excuses anymore. Shang Li let out a bitter, almost amused laugh before breaking down completely. Giving up entirely, she crouched against the wall, silently letting her tears flow as she vented her emotions.
It took her a long time to gather her shattered and chaotic feelings. When she finally reached the private room, she saw someone delivering dishes inside. Through the crack in the door, she could see Lai Yanmei sitting calmly in her seat, smiling and chatting with the server.
After the server left, Shang Li slowly pushed the door open. Licking her lips, she mumbled without daring to look directly at Lai Yanmei, “Mom, I…”
“It’s your birthday today. Come and eat first,” Lai Yanmei said, standing up and waving her over. “You must be starving.”
Shang Li was taken aback, a sudden ache rising in her eyes. She pursed her lips, nodded silently, and sat down without another word.
“Here, you like this? Don’t choke. Have some soup.”
Shang Li kept stuffing food into her mouth, unable to form a complete sentence. She could only nod repeatedly in response.
After a while, Lai Yanmei paused while serving food, her chopsticks hovering mid-air. Her gaze fixed intently on Shang Li’s face and remained there for a long, long time.
Everything was left unspoken.
Shang Li swallowed the food with difficulty, head bowed, not daring to move a muscle. Her throat felt tight, and her breathing grew strained.
“Xiao Li.” Lai Yanmei dragged her chair closer, placing a hand on her back and patting gently. “Go home after you finish eating.”
Shang Li’s heart sank slightly, but she replied as if nothing were wrong, “Okay.”
“What I mean is?” Lai Yanmei paused, “Break up with Meng Yuan.”
The word “breakup” struck her eardrums like a blow. A sharp pain pierced Shang Li’s heart, and she instinctively shook her head, an apology following immediately. “Mom, I’m sorry. Meng Yuan really had something come up today. In a couple of days, I’ll have her.”
“Shang Li!” Lai Yanmei sharply called her name, as if trying to jolt her awake. “Do you really think that’s why I’m asking you to break up with her?”
Shang Li pressed her lips together, suddenly at a loss for words.
“Why do you think I opposed your relationship from the start? Did you think it was just about my own pride? Besides the societal pressure and the gossip, your relationship offers no security. How could I ever rest easy?”
“But back then, what did you both tell me? You said as long as I didn’t object, you wouldn’t be afraid of anything. You promised to cherish and take care of each other, to live a life no worse than anyone else’s, and asked me not to worry.”
“And now?”
The chopsticks slammed onto the table with a sharp, crisp sound, like the strike of a gavel heralding the sobering words to come.
“Tell me, are you happy? Do you think I can rest easy? Huh?”
“Fighting, giving each other the cold shoulder, you’ve seen how it ended for me and your father. Tormenting each other, ending in misery. Do you and she have to go down that same path before you’ll stop?”
“If I’d known it would come to this, I should’ve been even firmer and separated you two back then, made you find someone more suitable for you. It would’ve been better than this.”
“Mom, I…” Shang Li opened her mouth several times, wanting to interject, but no words came. Her most vulnerable and humiliating side had been laid bare. At that moment, no matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn’t muster a single word of rebuttal.
Because she couldn’t even convince herself.
Because the person who once held her hand and vowed to stand by her through it all was no longer there.
Their relationship had been discovered by both sets of parents in 2017, one after the other. At the time, she had just graduated, and Meng Yuan was in her final year of university.
Because of this, her long-estranged parents, who rarely contacted each other, miraculously united on the same front vehemently opposing her relationship with Meng Yuan.
Day and night, they took turns persuading and pleading, unwavering in their stance, alternating between soft coaxing and relentless pressure. They even went so far as to travel to the city where she lived, their words earnest and heartfelt.
But at the time, she found it all absurd and ironic.
For nearly twenty years, they had given her little warmth or care. Yet then, under the guise of acting in her best interest, they were obstructing her happiness and causing her immense pain.
She refused to yield, arguing back point by point, rebutting every word they said.
After nearly a week of this standoff, her parents, unable to sway her, turned to Meng Yuan instead, hoping to find an opening there.
Unexpectedly, Meng Yuan proved to be a hundred times more stubborn and resolute than she was. No matter how they pleaded, scolded, or raged, Meng Yuan only begged, made vows, and reaffirmed her determination, never once agreeing to their demands.
Moreover, fearing that Shang Li might waver, Meng Yuan kept her phone close at all times during that period, seizing every opportunity to send messages or call, pleading with her not to give up.
“Sis, please don’t leave me, okay? Give me some time. I’ll make sure Aunt and Uncle agree.”
“Sis, believe me. I can take good care of you in the future, no less than anyone else. Please, please don’t break up with me.”
She would even rush to her place at three in the morning, just to seek reassurance. “Sis, can we not break up? As long as you’re willing to stay with me, I’ll find a way to handle everything else.”
Staring at the person before her, she cried until she lost her voice but still managed to reply, “We won’t break up. As long as you still love me, we’ll never part.”
“How could Meng Yuan not love Shang Li?”
Tears welled up in Meng Yuan’s eyes as she broke into a smile, as if this were the most absurd joke in the world.
“Meng Yuan will always love Shang Li.”
“Meng Yuan and Shang Li will be together forever and ever.”
Feeling that words were too feeble, Meng Yuan took her hand and traced the words slowly and deliberately.
The meeting of their eyes, the touch of their fingertips, all felt vivid and profound.
That night, the two sat together in the deep darkness, watching the sky lighten with the dawn and the sun rise, etching their love for each other again and again.
For her, who was habitually evasive and cautious, this was a once-in-a-lifetime resolve toward a person and a relationship.
Not long after, Meng Yuan’s parents found out.
Meng Yuan came from a well-bred family with strict upbringing. Her parents were prominent figures, and as their only daughter, they had poured immense effort into her over the past twenty years. How could such a family tolerate what society then deemed a twisted and unhealthy relationship?
After learning about Meng Yuan’s family background, the steadfast rock in her heart couldn’t help but waver. She even considered persuading herself that letting Meng Yuan go was the best choice for her.
Yet, Meng Yuan resolved the matter in just one day and one night. Bruised and battered, she returned to her side.
Like a broken, wounded bird, stained with blood and shedding a few feathers, she stumbled unsteadily into her embrace.
“Sis, I don’t have a home anymore.”
Despite the sorrow in her words, Meng Yuan’s eyes were soft and content.
“You have to take me in. You can’t abandon me.”
She couldn’t abandon her never could.
She caught the little bird firmly, soothing her wounds with kisses, never wanting to let her go again.
But birds are born for the sky, how could they perch on a single branch forever?
If she ever grew tired or weary, then she would wish her to soar high.