Chapter 87: Suspecting Her Daughter's Identity, She Fled a Second Time

Meng Shutang went to the seventh floor and handed the documents to Zhou Songyan.

Just after leaving, she received a phone call from Lu Shenyang. "Shutang, do you have plans tonight? Let's have a meal together. I have something to tell you."

Meng Shutang agreed without hesitation. "Okay, the usual place."

"No, today let's go to... Tangxia Si Yan."

That morning she had planned to drop off Xin Xin, but ran into Gu Yunci at the convenience store entrance. If she hadn't slipped away quickly, he nearly would have found out that Xin Xin was her daughter.

Last time they played together, she remembered Song Yilin saying that his uncle picked him up after school.

From now on, Aunt Li should handle picking up and dropping off Xin Xin!

Going downstairs back to the storage room, she felt a bit troubled.

She had just bought Qingluju, intending to live peacefully, but instead kept running into Gu Yunci there every few days.

She only hoped Song Yilin's parents would hurry back from their honeymoon, so they'd probably never run into each other again!

Evening.

Meng Shutang arrived at Tangxia Si Yan.

As soon as she walked in, Lu Shenyang spotted her.

Standing under the warm yellow light in a trench coat that matched his temperament, his figure was upright and his features handsome. "Shutang, over here."

Meng Shutang smiled radiantly, walked over, and sat down across from him. "Brother Shenyang, what made you think of choosing this place today?"

Lu Shenyang smiled, though somewhat shyly.

Early that morning, Lu's mother had called him, forcing him to go on a blind date that night.

On the phone, Lu's mother spoke earnestly. "Son, you're nearly thirty. People your age, their kids are already old enough to run errands."

"Yingying has been dead for so many years. Her death had nothing to do with you. You should let go too."

Whenever she urged him to marry, Lu's mother would bring up Yingying.

All these years, he had never explained.

But today, he flatly denied it. "I don't like Yingying. I've never liked her."

Lu's mother was stunned, and after a moment asked, "You don't like her? Then who do you like?"

Meng Shutang noticed him spacing out. "What's wrong?"

Lu Shenyang replied lightly, "Nothing."

A server came over. "What would you like to order?"

Lu Shenyang took the menu and handed it to Meng Shutang. "You order."

Meng Shutang ordered two dishes Lu Shenyang liked and a sizzling plate tofu, then gave the menu back to the server. "That's all, thank you."

Lu Shenyang pushed a book in front of Meng Shutang. "You mentioned it in passing once. When I visited your school, I happened to stop by the Tushuguan, saw it by chance, and checked it out."

He pushed the antique-style Ancient Pearl Classic in front of Meng Shutang.

Meng Shutang was delighted to see it. "Oh my, I once searched for ages at the Tushuguan and couldn't find it."

He had actually seen it "by chance."

Opening it, dense notes appeared before Meng Shutang. The front ones were hers.

The later ones were Lu Shenyang's, each clearly marked with the date.

Her slender fingertips paused slightly. She flipped through a few more pages in the back—every place with her notes also had Lu Shenyang's.

His running script was graceful yet dignified, the strokes effortless—one glance showed he'd been in a fine mood at the time.

Meng Shutang turned a few pages, slowly closed the book, and looked at Lu Shenyang.

He had deliberately chosen "Tangxia Si Yan"—even the name hid her shadow within it. Could it really be as her grandmother said, that he liked her?

She thought that when he spoke, he would say: I've watched over you for so many years; I don't want to just be your brother anymore. Or perhaps: You just keep moving forward; I'll always be where you can see me when you turn around.

But Lu Shenyang didn't. He just smiled and said, "Let's eat!"

Meng Shutang gave a faint smile.

Many things in this world were changing, including herself, but Lu Shenyang was always so good.

He didn't have the complicated feelings toward her that Gu Yunci did; he always treated her as a younger sister. How wonderful that feeling was!

The two discussed the contents of the book, and when they reached a point of resonance, Lu Shenyang's distinctive interpretation made Meng Shutang cover her lips and chuckle softly.

Her laughter was very ladylike, very soft, but Gu Yunci, seated far away, still heard it.

He had come to eat with his business partner, and the conversation had been quite pleasant—he never expected to be dealt a vicious stab here.

He turned his eyes to see Meng Shutang tilt her head slightly, her jade-white fingers on the table curling unconsciously—that was a docile manner she showed only in front of someone she felt completely at ease with.

And he took in every bit of it.

It was as if a lump of red-hot charcoal had been stuffed into his chest—heavy, aching, burning, every breath carrying a sense of suffocation.

He didn't get up, didn't interrupt, only watched quietly, obsessively.

Watching her smile at Lu Shenyang.

Watching her be close to Lu Shenyang.

Watching her casually hand over to another person everything he was desperate to win back.

At this moment, Gu Yunci finally understood.

True jealousy was never shouting and screaming, but hurting so badly you could barely breathe, yet not even having the right to take a single step forward.

His business partner noticed him spacing out and called his name.

He turned his head, but his attention was still on Meng Shutang.

Fifteen minutes later, Meng Shutang and Lu Shenyang got up to leave. She got into his car, and the two disappeared into the night.

After dinner, returning to Qian Shui Wan, it was already very late.

Song Yilin hadn't gone to sleep; he was sulking, upset that Gu Yunci hadn't picked him up after school today.

To coax him, he bought him many more toys. "They'll be delivered to the door, arriving tomorrow."

After buying toys for his little nephew, Gu Yunci bought a globally limited-edition figurine for Xin Xin, telling him to bring it to kindergarten and give it to her.

Song Yilin obediently climbed into bed. "Uncle, just now I even thought that even if you had a child, you wouldn't be a good dad."

Gu Yunci looked at him. "And now…"

Song Yilin kept him in suspense. "Now… you probably would be, because you've learned how to love someone."

Gu Yunci froze for a moment, and uncle and nephew exchanged a smile.

Actually, just now at Tangxia Si Yan, watching Meng Shutang's every smile and frown.

His knuckles turned white from gripping, and the thread of mad possessiveness in his heart nearly burst through his chest, overtaking his reason.

He truly wanted to rush over, pull her away, drag her back to Qian Shui Wan, and trap her in the master bedroom, not letting any man get close to her.

But he knew very well that doing so would only push her further and further away.

After Song Yilin fell asleep, he took that star hairpin out of his pocket.

He gently rubbed it, as if stroking Meng Shutang's face.

The love of his life, only this one person.

"Tangtang…" he called out, and the rims of his eyes grew red.

The next day, Saturday.

Gu Yunci took Song Yilin to play at Xihu Gongyuan, but the moment they arrived, they ran into someone familiar.

"Uncle Gu, Song Yilin."

Xin Xin's milky voice, sweet and soft, greeted them from far away.

Gu Yunci raised his eyes and saw her alone on a swing, looking so adorable and charming, exactly like the image he cherished most in his heart.

He let go of Song Yilin's hand and responded with a smile, "Xin Xin."

Warm and gentle, completely unlike his usual keep-strangers-away demeanor.

Song Yilin was suddenly abandoned and shot him a dissatisfied glare, but children forget quickly—thinking of Xin Xin, he bounded off cheerfully to find her.

Xin Xin politely got off the swing to let Song Yilin have a turn.

Her chubby little hand grabbed Gu Yunci's hand. "Uncle Gu, have you missed me these past few days?"

Gu Yunci felt a bit bashful. He had missed her very much, but he was tongue-tied and couldn't say it.

Song Yilin saw their tightly clasped hands. "Xin Xin, are you so casual, holding a stranger's hand just like that?"

Xin Xin looked up at Gu Yunci. "Mommy says you can't hold a stranger's hand, but Uncle isn't a stranger."

Gu Yunci's chest tightened. "You're so sensible. Your mommy must be very gentle."

Xin Xin nodded and pointed somewhere. "That's my mommy!"

Gu Yunci snapped his head up—

He saw a graceful silhouette among the bushes, long hair drifting, her gait cool and aloof, her bearing strikingly like Meng Shutang's.

His heart stopped, and he was just about to stride after her.

A gust of wind blew by, and the figure vanished. He only saw Auntie Li walk out from the bushes, calling Xin Xin.

Gu Yunci stood frozen in place. He suspected he was hallucinating.

But another clear thought surfaced: Xin Xin's mommy must have some connection to her.