Vоlumе 1 Chaрtеr 20: Соming tо Find Her
Thаt еvening, Shu Miаo laу in bеd hоlding hеr рhоne, whilе Реi Rаn on the оther end wore аn еxрrеssiоn оf rеgret.
“Аh, suсh аn outstanding mаn sliрpеd away just likе that. Whаt a pity.”
Shu Мiaо, howеvеr, was unfazеd, her exрrеssiоn rеlaxеd. “Не wаs transferrеd to thе provinсial levеl—his carеer prosресts arе bright. Wе should be haрpу fоr him.”
Pei Rаn naturallу understооd this lоgic. Fоr most pеoplе, suсh аn opportunity might never cоmе in a lifetime.
Bеing trаnsferred direсtlу from the county to the provincial level meant skipping several tiers at once.
For those who had taken civil service exams, they knew all too well the gap between these levels.
Hu Weijie had finally gotten this hard-won opportunity and certainly wouldn’t give it up.
After all, once at the provincial level, the benefits alone would far surpass what was available here, not to mention the status and network resources that would be on a completely different level.
“I just think it’s a pity, that’s all. After all, men with such excellent qualities in every aspect are rare.”
“The next one we meet might not be as good as him.”
Pei Ran’s tone was filled with regret.
Shu Miao was amused by her expression. “Why do you sound just like my mom? So serious and mature, like an elder.”
Seeing Shu Miao teasing her, Pei Ran rolled her eyes.
Suddenly remembering something, her expression turned serious. “Oh, right. You need to remember one thing—you still have to maintain the status of having a boyfriend in front of Meng Yuchuan.”
Shu Miao’s heart skipped a beat, then she nodded.
After clearing things up with Hu Weijie, Shu Miao felt much more at ease.
She knew Hu Weijie had feelings for her. If he hadn’t been transferred, he might have seriously considered marrying her someday.
But now that Hu Weijie had been transferred to the provincial level, with the long distance and time apart, pursuing a relationship was no longer realistic.
Hu Weijie understood this very well himself.
This opportunity was truly hard to come by for him—too rare. Anyone in his position wouldn’t give it up.
When he received the transfer notice, his first reaction must have been joy.
Even if there was a moment of hesitation, it wouldn’t have affected his final decision—or perhaps there was no hesitation at all.
Shu Miao understood this perfectly and was genuinely happy for him.
She herself had no romantic feelings for Hu Weijie, but she thought he made a great friend.
In this society, having more friends meant more opportunities.
When Yao Hui heard the news, she was also happy for Hu Weijie, though she couldn’t help feeling deeply regretful.
She was genuinely satisfied with Hu Weijie’s qualities in every aspect—it was just that he and her daughter weren’t meant to be.
Though it was a pity, she couldn’t force it.
So she had to let it go.
After that day, Shu Miao and Hu Weijie didn’t contact each other for several days.
Shu Miao guessed he was probably busy with work handover and didn’t disturb him.
Only on the day he left did she send him a message of blessing. They exchanged a few brief words and then completely lost contact.
Shu Miao went to work and returned home every day, living a simple, two-point life that was quite pleasant.
With no harassment from Meng Yuchuan, her mood was even more cheerful.
However, this pleasant state of mind lasted only a week before it was shattered by a phone call from Meng Yuchuan.
When Meng Yuchuan called, Shu Miao was lying in bed binge-watching a drama, completely absorbed in the plot and enjoying it thoroughly.
Seeing his name on her phone screen, her brows instantly furrowed, her face filled with impatience.Her eyes darted, and she tossed her phone aside, letting it ring as she continued watching TV.
After a while, the ringing stopped. Shu Miao glanced at her phone and flashed a sly smile. “Hmph! Keep calling, I just won’t answer.”
The next second, the ringing started again. Shu Miao snorted and switched her phone to silent mode.
Now it wouldn’t bother her anymore—he could call as many times as he wanted.
Then, happily hugging her tablet, she went back to watching TV.
Shu Miao was completely absorbed in the plot and didn’t check her phone again, unaware of how many calls Meng Yuchuan had made.
It wasn’t until the doorbell rang that her attention was diverted. She threw off the blanket, got out of bed, grabbed her phone, and walked out of the room.
She waited by the front door for a moment, and when the doorbell rang again, confirming it was her own, she suddenly felt nervous.
Who would come looking for her so late at night? If Pei Ran were coming, she would have definitely called first, and her parents were even less likely.
With that analysis, panic began to set in. Not many people knew her address.
Her first thought was a burglar, and her anxiety grew. She quietly tiptoed to the balcony and picked up a clothes pole.
Creeping cautiously to the door, she remained on high alert and carefully peered through the peephole.
Once she saw who was ringing the doorbell, her fear faded, replaced by anger.
Standing outside was Meng Yuchuan, his handsome, fair face filled with fury.
Shu Miao was so angry that she threw the clothes pole aside and pulled out her phone from her pocket.
When she checked, she found over 20 missed calls and more than a dozen unread messages, all from Meng Yuchuan.
The gist of them was: Where are you? Why aren’t you answering? If you don’t pick up, I’m coming upstairs to knock.
The last message read: Wait for it!
Shu Miao’s chest heaved with anger, and she furiously dialed his number. He answered immediately.
Shu Miao lashed out at him, “County Magistrate Meng, what’s the meaning of this? Coming to my door in the middle of the night—this is blatant harassment!”
Too furious to care about Meng Yuchuan’s status or position, she was thoroughly rattled by the late-night scare. Anyone would have lost their temper in such a situation.
In contrast to Shu Miao’s flustered rage, Meng Yuchuan responded with a light, mocking tone.
“Oh, so you are home? With so many calls and messages unanswered, I thought something had happened to you.”
Meng Yuchuan’s voice was low, carrying a chill in every word.
Shu Miao stomped her foot by the door. “Whatever happens to me is none of your business. There’s no need for you to come knocking in the middle of the night.”
Meng Yuchuan sneered, cutting straight to the point. “Open the door!”
Shu Miao snorted coldly. “No!”
“Are you opening it or not?”
His commanding tone only fueled her anger further.
“This is my home. I’ll open it if I want to. What, are you trying to use your status as county magistrate to pressure me?”
Hearing this, Meng Yuchuan laughed, his tone ambiguous. “Are you sure you won’t open it?”
Shu Miao remained firm. “No, County Magistrate Meng. Even if you’re a high and mighty county magistrate, you can’t order me around at my own doorstep!”
“Besides, it’s after work hours. You have no right to command me.”
Meng Yuchuan scoffed coldly. “Fine, then I’ll just knock. Don’t blame me if the neighbors wake up.”
Shu Miao panicked at this, clenching her fists as she shouted to stop him. “You wouldn’t dare!”
“Just see if I dare or not.”After Shu Miao finished speaking, she really heard a knock on the door, though it was very soft, which made her heart leap in fright.
“How about it? This sound is very quiet; the neighbors won’t hear it. But if I’m in a bad mood later, it won’t be this quiet anymore.”
Shu Miao believed Meng Yuchuan would really do that. She was afraid he would wake the neighbors, and then how could she face anyone?
She had no choice but to soften her attitude: “Can’t you say whatever you need to over the phone?”
But Meng Yuchuan wasn’t buying it: “Originally, I was going to say it over the phone, but who told you not to answer? I had no choice but to assume you wanted me to come up and talk to you in person.”
Seeing his firm stance, Shu Miao could only come up with a random excuse: “I was just taking a shower and didn’t hear it.”
Meng Yuchuan clearly didn’t believe her: “Are you going to open the door, or do I have to keep knocking?”
“I’ll give you three seconds…”
“Three.”
“Two.”
…
Before he could count to one, Shu Miao opened the door. Meng Yuchuan smugly slipped his phone back into his pocket.