Ling Sui steadied her waist with one hand, his eyes sweeping coldly toward Wen Zheng.
Though drowsy, Meng Luobai was still aware that she had stumbled into his embrace. She instinctively lifted her face, about to pull back, when a broad, warm hand clamped firmly around her slender waist with unmistakable force.
Ling Sui?
What was he doing here?
Meng Luobai blurted out, "What are you doing here?"
Hearing this, Ling Sui slowly lowered his gaze, his eyes settling on her flushed, tipsy cheeks and misty eyes. "You've been drinking?"
It all happened quickly. Seeing the scene before him, Wen Zheng frowned slightly and instinctively stepped forward, reaching out to pull Meng Luobai back to his side.
Before Wen Zheng's hand could touch her, Ling Sui tightened his arm, drawing her into his embrace. His amber eyes glinted with icy light as his phoenix-shaped gaze fixed on Wen Zheng, carrying undisguised possessiveness and warning.
Wen Zheng's hand froze mid-air, his expression faltering for a moment. Only then did he recognize the man before him as the Ling Sui he had met earlier that day. His face showed confusion. "Mr. Ling? What are you doing here?"
Ling Sui's expression was cold, his tone flat with a barely perceptible trace of distaste. "Why shouldn't I be here?"
Afraid of a misunderstanding between the two, Meng Luobai quickly said, "Senior Brother Wen, actually, Ling Sui is… my younger brother."
The moment she finished speaking, Ling Sui cast a faint glance at her, his gaze darkening as he remained silent.
Wen Zheng knew that Meng Luobai came from a blended family and had a younger brother. But wasn't Ling Sui from the Empirl family?
Wen Zheng's expression relaxed. Though his curiosity ran deep, since it involved her biological family situation, he didn't press further. "I see. Luobai, go get some proper rest. I'll be on my way."
Meng Luobai thanked Wen Zheng again. "Goodbye, Senior Brother."
Before leaving, Wen Zheng glanced at Ling Sui once more, then turned and got into his car.
After the car drove away, Meng Luobai finally turned to Ling Sui beside her. "How… how are you here?"
Ling Sui lowered his eyes expressionlessly, casually slipping the hand that had just wrapped around her waist into his pocket. "I sent you a message. You didn't reply."
Though she had sobered up a bit, her mind was still hazy. She raised a hand to press her temple and sighed. "Let's head upstairs first."
Riding the elevator up, Ling Sui kept watching Meng Luobai's expression. Seeing her eyes close briefly, he asked, "Feeling unwell?"
The alcohol was surging now, and she was indeed feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Hearing Ling Sui's question, she waved a hand. Before she could say anything, the ascending elevator gave a loud clang and shuddered.
Meng Luobai had been trapped in an elevator before. More than physical discomfort, she feared the elevator malfunctioning. The next second, Ling Sui reached out to steady her arm, pulling her gently but firmly toward him. "Don't worry."
Perhaps it was because Ling Sui had spoken. The elevator only shuddered once, then, after a moment of silence, continued its ascent.
"I… I'm fine."
Ling Sui lowered his eyes. "You don't look fine."
Meng Luobai sighed. "Tonight's drinks were too deceptive." The flavor was similar to low-alcohol fruit wine—she could barely taste the bite of hard liquor—but she hadn't expected the aftereffect to hit so hard.
"Why would you drink at a dinner?" Ling Sui said, keeping a light hold on her arm and side. "With your tolerance, don't drink again from now on."
Meng Luobai glanced up lightly. Ling Sui had been good-looking as a child, and now his finely sculpted features had fully matured, like a vivid game model, strikingly impactful. She pressed her lips together.
Ling Sui: "What are you smiling at?"
Meng Luobai felt a faint sense of gratification deep down. "You've grown up too." He even knew how to persuade her now.
Ling Sui: "…"
Just then, the elevator let out a "ding," and the seventh floor arrived. Meng Luobai glanced at the elevator doors and was about to step out when her feet felt unsteady, and she stumbled forward.
Ling Sui's hand, which had been hovering in support, instantly moved to her waist, steadying her firmly. "I grew up a long time ago."
After Meng Luobai's apartment had been redecorated, the layout and style had changed almost entirely. The entryway was paved with patterned tiles, the living room featured warm wooden tones, and the warm glow of a vintage chandelier cascaded down onto a dark green leather sofa. The vintage wooden flooring complemented the velvet soft furnishings, exuding a languid elegance of Nanyang vintage style, with just the right ambiance.
Ling Sui helped her to the sofa. After Meng Luobai sat down, she felt terribly thirsty. She raised a hand and directed, "Pour me a glass of water."
Ling Sui's lips curved slightly as he poured her a glass of water.
Meng Luobai finished it quickly, then leaned back against the sofa and kicked at her shoes.
Ling Sui bent down, slipped off the shoes she had half-removed, and set them aside, only to see that Meng Luobai had already tilted her head back and lain down on the sofa.
He placed the shoes by the shoe cabinet and walked to the kitchen with practiced ease. Though some of the kitchen furniture had been replaced, Ling Sui still found a bottle of honey from the cabinet beside the refrigerator, following his old habits.
Ling Sui boiled some hot water while his gaze swept over the kitchen. It was clean and bright, fully stocked with various cookware and tableware. The refrigerator held everyday ingredients, along with some homemade pickled vegetables and herbal tea made by Meng Wenjian.
Ling Sui quietly took in everything in the room. Though much of the decor had changed, the feeling and the atmosphere hadn't changed at all.
Once the water was boiled, Ling Sui brewed a cup of honey water. Holding the cup, he returned to the living room.
Meng Luobai lay on the sofa, her long hair messily spread across the dark green leather, her fair face tinged with pink. Her eyes were closed, seemingly half-asleep.
Ling Sui set the honey water on the table, mixed in a small half-cup of cold boiled water, and sat down on the sofa, calling softly, "Meng Luobai."
Meng Luobai's head felt incredibly heavy, and once she sank into the soft sofa, she was too comfortable to want to get up. Even so, she was aware that Ling Sui had gone to the kitchen, probably to boil water. When he called her now, her lashes trembled, her smooth eye corners slightly drooping with a hint of moisture, and she opened her eyes.
Ling Sui: "Drink some honey water."
Meng Luobai sank deeper into the soft sofa. The moment she tried to struggle up, she felt a throbbing ache in her head. "…I'm not drunk. I just have a headache and want to lie down."
Ling Sui leaned forward slightly. Meng Luobai thought he was going to pull her up by force and was about to say something when a large hand covered her forehead.
His warm, soft palm carried a comfortable, reassuring touch. Then, his palm gently contracted, and his fingertips lightly massaged her forehead.
Meng Luobai: "…"
The room was very quiet, with only the faint sound of breathing. Through his slender fingers, Meng Luobai could see Ling Sui's delicate features and gentle expression. She let her eyelids droop and closed her eyes again. Ling Sui's pressure was neither too firm nor too light, with a steady, patient rhythm.
Meng Luobai eventually sat up anyway. "Give me the honey water."
The child had grown up after all. When a 14 or 15-year-old Ling Sui did this, she could still tease him with a "how obedient and filial," but when a 22-year-old Ling Sui did it, it wouldn't sit right with her conscience to take it for granted.
Ling Sui lowered his hand and handed her the honey water from the table.
After a few sips of honey water, her stomach felt warm and much more comfortable. "You said you messaged me on WeChat—what did you want?"
Ling Sui watched her finish drinking, a trace of moisture lingering on her lips, fine black strands of hair falling against her fair cheeks. He looked away. "You said you'd treat me to a meal another day, but you never said which day. I was worried you wouldn't come find me."
Meng Luobai: "…"
This was truly the last reason she had expected.
"I won't. I'll come find you."
Hearing her words, Ling Sui turned his head back to look at her. "Are we completely okay now?"
Meng Luobai held the cup with both hands and thought for a moment before understanding what Ling Sui meant.
If she looked back a few more years, she would definitely have asked—why did you leave so suddenly? Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you even call? That kind of clichéd questioning.
Now she was thirty, past the age for demanding answers, let alone for something as distant as seven years ago. Besides, this wasn't the first time she'd experienced such a silent departure. Just like her father—claiming he didn't favor sons over daughters, insisting on having a second child even if it meant paying fines; saying Daddy loved Luobai the most, only to honestly abandon her mother and the two sisters, taking only the younger brother with him.
Some things didn't need to be asked; she could figure them out on her own. It wasn't a court case where there could only be one truth. As long as she didn't ask, there could be countless versions.
She would automatically choose the one she wanted to believe.
Meng Luobai spoke. "We're fine. If you leave again next time, tell me." Don't disappear without a word.
After she said this, Ling Sui remained silent for a long time.
Meng Luobai looked up and saw a hint of pain and regret on Ling Sui's face. "It's not fine at all. You definitely have things you want to ask me, but you didn't say them."
Meng Luobai: "…"
Who was the one who left without a word, anyway? How did it seem like she was the one in the wrong?
"I was forcibly taken away by Ling Yunqian. I didn't expect it to become a silent departure. After arriving in France, many things happened that exceeded my imagination. I thought about contacting you, but given my situation at the time, I didn't know how to explain it to you. And as time went on, I grew more and more afraid to reach out… I'm sorry. Not contacting you was a huge mistake. I'm fully aware of that."
Meng Luobai held the cup with both hands, momentarily at a loss. It was as if Ling Sui knew exactly what she was thinking and had answered everything for her. "Oh… okay."
Ling Sui said, "You can be angry with me—however angry you want—but don't be disappointed in me."
After Ling Sui said this, Meng Luobai felt a little embarrassed instead. It was like he had seen through every fold in her emotions, leaving nothing to hide. "I'm not angry anymore, and I'm not disappointed in you. I know you must have had your reasons."
Ling Sui lowered his eyes and said nothing.
Meng Luobai extended the cup in her hand toward him.
Ling Sui glanced at it. "I don't drink."
Meng Luobai pushed it forward a little more. "It's not for you to drink—help me put it on the table." Her posture was awkward, and she was sitting a bit too far away.
Ling Sui took it and set the cup down on the table. He sat back down on the sofa, and a soft hand landed on top of his head, then boldly ruffled through his hair.
Ling Sui's hair had grown far too long—one casual tousle left the black strands messily scattered across his forehead. He tilted his head back, gazing up at Meng Luobai through the disheveled locks.
The warm light of the living room fell gently from above, spilling over her pristine white clothes and softening into a tender halo around her. Her face looked especially gentle in the glow—fine and clean, carrying a faint warmth. The line of her nose was delicate and neat, and her lips curved softly as she smiled down at him.
"Good boy. I'm really fine now."
Ling Sui was now certain she wasn't angry anymore. It was just like before—when she treated him like a child and ruffled his hair.
The next second, Ling Sui reached up and caught her wrist, still resting in his hair, and pulled it down gently. Before Meng Luobai could react, with a force that brooked no refusal, he pressed her whole body softly into the plush sofa behind her. "Treating me like a kid, are we?"