The next day, Meng Luobai returned to Zhuo Garden and handed the documents Chen Wei had given her to Meng Wenjian for review.
Meng Wenjian frowned as she reached out to take the documents. "Why did he suddenly give you all this? Is he on his deathbed?"
Meng Luobai said slowly, "He said no."
Meng Wenjian flipped through the contracts—domestic real estate properties, plus a portion of company shares. Almost everything he could give, he had given to Meng Luobai. Meng Wenjian's brow furrowed deeper with each page. She set the documents down on the table. "Can his wife let him do this? Don't tell me the two of them got into a fight and dragged you into it."
Meng Luobai had thought of that, but Chen Wei hadn't shown any signs of it. "He said it's compensation for not being by my side all these years."
Meng Wenjian let out a cold snort. "So he still has a conscience after all. Don't worry about it—I'll have a lawyer look it over to see if there are any traps. If there aren't, and he's willing to give it to you, then you taking it is only right. No need to feel any guilt about it."
Meng Luobai: "Mm."
Time passed quickly until the day before Chen Luojing's wedding. During lunch, Wen Zheng wanted to invite her to dinner that evening: "Last time I wanted to treat you alone, but we ran into colleagues. Do you have time tonight? Let me treat you again."
Meng Luobai finished chewing her food. "My cousin is getting married tomorrow, so I need to go to her place tonight. And Senior Brother, you already treated me to dinner last time—there's no need to be so polite."
"How is it being polite? I haven't even properly thanked you yet," Wen Zheng said. "The employer I filled in for you mentioned you today—she said you're very meticulous and conscientious in your work. She also wants to invite you to her wedding."
Ye Wanxing? Meng Luobai was a bit curious. "She's getting married?"
Wen Zheng smiled and nodded. "Yes, to the youngest young master of Yongguang Group. A well-matched union."
Yongguang Group—she remembered the boss's surname was Wei. So it wasn't any of the previous male guests after all. "Sure. I'll definitely go if I have time."
Just as she said that, Meng Luobai's phone buzzed. She tapped the screen—it was Ling Sui.
[Ling Sui: It's so stubborn.] Then a video came through—Ling Sui was lying on the sofa, the kitten perched on his chest, its paws kneading his firm, springy pecs. Every time Ling Sui picked it up and set it aside, it immediately ran back to his chest and continued kneading. Over and over, the kitten seemed tireless—set aside, then right back to kneading.
[Meng Luobai: So cute!]
[Meng Luobai: It likes you—it's treating you like its mommy.]
[Ling Sui: Probably just a stubborn little thing.]
This man really had no sense of romance! Meng Luobai tapped the video again, wanting to watch it once more.
Just then, Wen Zheng asked her, "Are you done eating?"
Meng Luobai put her phone away and smiled. "Yes, let's go."
After the two returned their trays, she saw that Ling Sui had sent her another message. She'd just opened WeChat when a "purr, purr" kitten sound came from her phone. Wen Zheng's gaze drifted over and caught sight of her screen. "…What's that?"
Meng Luobai quickly exited the video. "My friend got a kitten."
Wen Zheng smiled. "Oh, I see." Though he'd seen the kitten, the man's chest had dominated the phone screen. And the man in the video looked a bit like…
"By the way," Wen Zheng asked, "last time I took you home, I met Ling Sui. Is he the younger brother your stepfather brought along?"
"How could that be?" Meng Luobai explained with a smile. "Ling Sui is my neighbor's younger brother."
"Neighbor? That day he was so…" Wen Zheng was somewhat surprised by her answer, "…cautious. I thought he was your biological younger brother."
"He's almost like a biological younger brother." After all, she and Sang Shu had no blood relation either. "Because we're neighbors, we grew up together."
"I see." Wen Zheng thought of Ling Sui's aggressive eyes that night. "Then you two have a pretty good relationship."
Meng Luobai smiled. "Not bad." Ling Sui's latest message was also inviting her to dinner that evening, and she told him that Chen Luojing was getting married, so she couldn't go.
[Ling Sui: Isn't she getting married tomorrow?]
[Meng Luobai: You know she's getting married tomorrow?]
[Ling Sui: Aunt Meng told me.]
[Meng Luobai: So there's a class reunion tonight.]
After a moment, Ling Sui sent a [Fine.]
Time quickly arrived at the end of the workday. Meng Luobai went home to change clothes before driving to the gathering spot.
On the way, she received a call from Ding Yongcheng. "Class monitor, when will you get here?"
Meng Luobai: "On my way."
There were many people on Ding Yongcheng's end, and laughter could be heard through the phone. A male voice said clearly, "I heard Jie Xu is coming today too."
"I saw he sent a red envelope in the group chat. After all, he's good buddies with Yongcheng…" The rest of the conversation faded beyond Meng Luobai's hearing.
"Alright then, we'll wait for you to get here." With that, he was already greeting guests as he hung up.
Jie Xu…
He was coming too?
The car stopped at a red light. Meng Luobai watched the countdown on the signal, and her gaze drifted slightly upward, catching sight of a massive billboard. It was playing a phone advertisement, and a face with a cool, national-idol quality appeared before her.
Meng Luobai lowered her eyes indifferently, watching the red light numbers shrink, then slowly released the brake and turned onto the main road.
From high school until a few years after college graduation, class reunions were held regularly. As everyone grew older, the reunions came to a halt. Today was the first one in three years.
Meng Luobai walked into the private room and immediately spotted her former close classmates. Though years had passed, everyone was enthusiastic at this reunion, happily exchanging greetings as if they had endless things to talk about.
The girl who had been chatting animatedly with Meng Luobai was named Gu Jia. She asked Meng Luobai, "I heard Chen Luojing is pregnant?"
Meng Luobai blinked and shook her head. "I wouldn't know."
Gu Jia said, "I just heard it from the bridesmaids. She is pregnant."
Meng Luobai smiled slightly. "It's not uncommon to be pregnant at the time of marriage these days."
Gu Jia: "That's true."
Before long, everyone had arrived.
Amid laughter and chatter, everyone began taking their seats. Since there were classmates and friends of both Ding Yongcheng and Chen Luojing, there were quite a lot of people, split into three tables.
Although there was no deliberate seating arrangement, people naturally grouped themselves—one table for classmates from the same class, and another for those who had been closer to the bride and groom in recent years.
The girl who had been chatting with Meng Luobai earlier was named Gu Jia. Just as Meng Luobai was about to sit with Gu Jia and a female classmate named Ding Qingyue, Ding Yongcheng pulled her aside. "That table's all full. You three come to our table instead—no need to squeeze in over there."
Meng Luobai glanced over and confirmed that was indeed the case. They walked over to the table and sat down. Ding Yongcheng pointed at the empty spot beside Meng Luobai and said, "Leave a space here so the servers can put the dishes down."
Next to Meng Luobai was Chen Luojing's bridesmaid group, and the three of them sat down nearby.
At that moment, the servers began bringing out the cold dishes. Someone said, "Yongcheng, didn't Jie Xu say he was coming? Why isn't he here yet?"
Ding Yongcheng glanced at his phone and slowly stood up. "He's here. I'll go pick him up."
After they left, someone remarked, "It's good to be handsome. With a face like that, even without being a celebrity, you can still make a living off your looks."
The table was very wide, and while the men across from them chatted among themselves, the women on their side also started talking. Gu Jia lightly nudged Meng Luobai and whispered tentatively, "Do you… do you still keep in touch with Jie Xu? Are you two still—"
Meng Luobai knew what she was getting at. "No, we haven't been in contact for a long time. Just regular classmates."
Gu Jia caught the implication that Meng Luobai and Jie Xu were no longer involved, and relaxed as she spoke. "I saw on the trending searches today that he's started his own company and is planning to work behind the scenes as a boss."
Meng Luobai hadn't been paying attention to that. "A personal studio?"
Gu Jia: "I think so."
Just as she finished speaking, a voice came from beside them. "If you want to know about Jie Xu's company, you should just ask Luojing—Ding Yongcheng has shares in it too." One of the bridesmaids spoke with an air of familiarity. "Jie Xu just started a company; he's not planning to go behind the scenes. Those are all fake rumors. At his company's opening banquet last time, Director Cao Yue was even there."
Meng Luobai remembered this bridesmaid—she was a high school classmate, a girl from the liberal arts track who was especially good at socializing. Her name seemed to be Tang Lingyu.
"…" Although Gu Jia felt Tang Lingyu's words were a bit odd, she answered politely, "Cao Yue? He's a big director. Is there some major film project coming up?"
Tang Lingyu raised an eyebrow. "There is, but I can't tell you about it. I have to keep it confidential."
Gu Jia: "…"
Gu Jia exchanged a glance with Meng Luobai and subtly pursed her lips.
The bridesmaid next to Tang Lingyu was someone Meng Luobai had met at the dessert shop last time—her name was Wu Xuan. "You went to the opening banquet too? Was it fun? Who was there?"
Tang Lingyu named a few celebrities from the entertainment industry. "If you want to hear any gossip, just ask Luojing directly. She gets the first-hand news."
As they were talking, the door to the private room suddenly opened, and someone said, "Our big star is here."
Everyone turned to look. Standing beside Ding Yongcheng was a man in a black jacket. He took off his black mask, revealing a handsome face with a cool, aloof quality.
The clean, crisp look from his youth was still there, but now it carried an added layer of refined elegance polished by stardom. His brows and eyes were clear, handsome, and gentle, yet beneath them lurked the detachment and pride of the entertainment industry—dazzling and striking.
"Whoa! Man, you really do look better in person than on TV."
Jie Xu smiled and put the mask into his pocket. "We were high school classmates for three years, and you act like you don't know me."
"Better looking than before. Even better looking than before."
A server came in to bring dishes, and Meng Luobai helped move a bowl out of the way. Beside her, Gu Jia whispered, "He really does look better than on TV."
While they were speaking in hushed tones, Ding Yongcheng had already walked over and casually placed a chair beside Meng Luobai's seat. "Jie Xu, you sit here. You're late, so there's no other spot left."
Because the chair had been suddenly placed there, Meng Luobai naturally lifted her face, meeting Jie Xu's gaze directly. Seeing her look up, Jie Xu's lips curved slightly, his smile as dazzling as starlight. "Luobai."
Meng Luobai smiled back. "You're here."
Jie Xu was the most popular boy at their high school, famous even among the neighboring schools. Because his mother was a national-level opera singer, Jie Xu had also taken the arts examination route and was admitted to the opera program at Jingzhou Drama Academy.
Jie Xu had originally intended to pursue a career as an opera singer, but in his junior year, he appeared in a youth campus drama. Playing the second male lead, he gradually gained recognition and rose to fame.
Beside them, Ding Yongcheng said, "Don't just stand there talking—sit down quickly."
Meng Luobai asked Ding Yongcheng, "Didn't you say the food was being served here? Jie Xu probably won't fit."
Ding Yongcheng's expression froze for a moment, and Jie Xu looked at her without saying a word. The male classmates across the table, thinking there wasn't enough room, chimed in one after another, "Come sit over here, we'll squeeze in. Why crowd with the girls?"
Jie Xu withdrew his gaze from her and said to Ding Yongcheng, "I need to drink with everyone."
Ding Yongcheng let out a dry chuckle. "True."
Everyone quickly settled into their seats, and the waiter continued serving dishes. The people at this table were all classmates from high school who had been close to Ding Yongcheng and Jie Xu, and the conversation soon grew lively between courses.
While Meng Luobai was chatting with Gu Jia beside her, her phone kept buzzing. She tapped the screen—it was messages from Ling Sui.
First came a few photos of a kitten eating and drinking water. [Ling Sui: I've noticed it prefers freeze-dried food.]
[Meng Luobai: You need to soak it in water to soften it. It's young and could choke.]
[Ling Sui: I know that. I'm not stupid.]
[Ling Sui: Aren't you at a gathering? Why are you replying so fast?]
[Meng Luobai: I happened to be looking at my phone.]
[Ling Sui: Is there someone at the gathering you don't like?]
[Meng Luobai: No.]
[Ling Sui: Then is there anyone I know?]
In the past, when Meng Luobai attended class reunions, Ling Sui had picked her up, and once, arriving early, he had even sat down and eaten with them.
[Meng Luobai: I don't know who you know. Anyway, Zhi Qian didn't come.] Wan Rongxuan also hadn't come because she had evening classes.
[Ling Sui: So who went?]
[Meng Luobai: A little over half the classmates.]
[Ling Sui: What time will you be done?]
[Meng Luobai: Not sure yet. It probably won't be too late, since there's a wedding tomorrow.]
At the table, everyone chatted with one another. After a few rounds of drinks, people began drifting off to talk with their own friends and classmates.
After chatting for a while, Gu Jia asked Meng Luobai, "Want to go to the restroom?"
Having been in the room for so long, she also wanted to step out for some quiet. Meng Luobai stood up. "Sure. Let's get some fresh air."
Meng Luobai didn't actually need to use the restroom. After washing her hands, she was about to touch up her lipstick in front of the mirror when the cleaning lady nearby spoke up. "Ma'am, the counter over here is all wet and hasn't been cleaned yet. There's a powder room across the way—you'd be better off going there."
Meng Luobai thanked the lady for the suggestion and walked over to the powder room across the hall.
She reached the door and was about to knock when a woman's voice came from inside. "She's still putting on an act. Jie Xu didn't even pay her any attention."
"I once saw a statistic that said the more someone was the center of attention during their school years, the more mediocre they become once they enter society. It really doesn't lie."
Another girl said, "Didn't Meng Luobai already get married?"
"She didn't get married. I heard from Chen Luojing that she was still going on blind dates last year."
The girl who spoke first let out a laugh. "Her first love was Jie Xu—after that, how could she ever feel balanced dating an ordinary man? Her standards must be sky-high. Forget thirty, she might not even find someone by thirty-five. And they call her a goddess—in the end, even a goddess becomes a leftover woman."
Meng Luobai, who had been about to knock, placed her hand on the doorknob instead and pushed the door open, walking straight in.
Perhaps they hadn't expected the door to suddenly swing open, the three of them froze for a moment. Then, seeing it was Meng Luobai, an eerie silence fell over them.
Meng Luobai swept her gaze across them, the corners of her lips curving slightly. "You three… are here."
The three exchanged uneasy glances, none of them daring to speak first. After a moment, one of them finally said, "…Ah, you're here to touch up your makeup too?"
"Mhm." Meng Luobai took out a lipstick from her bag and touched up her color in front of the mirror. Meng Luobai herself had a top-tier bone structure—small head, delicate face, a jawline that was defined but not harsh, and fair, luminous skin that was striking and refined even without a trace of makeup. "Thanks for calling me a goddess earlier."
The moment those words left her mouth, the room fell even quieter. The three women looked mortified, grabbed their things, and filed out one after another.
After they left, Meng Luobai finished touching up her makeup and put her lipstick away.
As she stepped out, she ran into Gu Jia. "I've been looking for you—where did you go?"
Meng Luobai: "I went to touch up my makeup." Just as the two were about to head back into the private room, Meng Luobai's phone suddenly rang. She told Gu Jia, "Let me take this call."
It was Ling Sui. She walked over to the window and answered. "Hello, Ling Sui."
Ling Sui: "Tizi was shivering a bit just now, so I took him to the hospital."
Hearing this, Meng Luobai asked anxiously, "What's wrong with him?" He looked perfectly fine in the video call just now.
Ling Sui: "The doctor just finished examining him. He said he's still a bit weak."
Meng Luobai let out a sigh. Such a tiny cat, and Ling Sui wasn't exactly great at raising one. "Why don't you leave him at the hospital for observation for now?"
Ling Sui: "I was just thinking the same thing."
Meng Luobai sighed again. "Leave him at the hospital then. I'll go see him when I have time."
"Mm, alright." After Ling Sui replied, he suddenly asked her, "What about you? Do you want me to come pick you up?"
"No need." Meng Luobai said. "I still have to wait a while before I can head back."
After hanging up, Ling Sui exited the call screen, and the original news page automatically reappeared—【Jie Xu Arrives Low-Key at Longcheng Airport, Bare-Faced and in Excellent Condition】
His eyes narrowed slightly, and the sound of a kitten's meow drifted to his ears. "Meow~"
Ling Sui lowered his gaze, looking at the kitten sprawled on his lap. "I told her you weren't feeling well, so I'm sending you to stay with your mom for a couple of days."
Tizi tilted his head up and let out a "Meow~"
Ling Sui reached out and stroked Tizi. "Be good~ Don't you like her too? Sacrifice yourself a little for now."
Tizi: "Meow~"