Pei Gong's face flushed a deep crimson as he found himself cornered. He glared at Jing Meng, his eyes darting around frantically. "What absolute nonsense! What video? Don't you dare talk such rubbish!"
Jing Meng didn't even bother to give him a glance. Before arriving, she had already modified her watch into a microcomputer. Now, her fingers flew across the surface of the watch, and through holographic projection technology, a small screen was quickly cast above the main entrance.
"Let's start with last month. Mr. Pei Gong, you collaborated with your girlfriend, Miss Bai Xi, to steal my research results. Unfortunately, your skills were lacking, and you exposed yourselves. Ultimately, after a police investigation, you were taken into custody."
The projection showed the very video of Jing Meng escaping the operating table and exposing their lies. With so many reporters present at the time, she had easily lifted a file from one in the front row.
"Let's go back four years. Here is surveillance of Mr. Pei Gong accompanying Miss Bai Xi to pick up her new Maserati."
"Valentine's Day records of the two of you booking a room and their itemized spending list."
"The day after you proposed to me the two of you vacationing in Europe, caught in a street photo sharing a passionate kiss."
Photos and videos flashed across the screen one after another. Pei Gong's face grew paler and paler, his legs turning to jelly until he could barely stand.
The flickering light from the projection danced across Jing Meng's face, making her creamy, flawless skin appear even more luminous. Her fingers moved rapidly, switching the images with practiced ease until the display finally settled on an audio file. She tapped her watch but did not press play.
That familiar audio interface shattered the last of Pei Gong's sanity. He lunged forward to strike Jing Meng but was pinned down by Pei's third brother. His face was distorted with rage, his voice sounding like a cornered beast. "You crazy woman! You damn well try and play that! I'll kill you! You b*tch!"
Even Xu Minru, whose face was usually a mask of dignified composure, finally showed a crack in her facade. Her voice trembled as she glared at Jing Meng. "You... you harlot! How dare you plot against my son! I'm calling the police! I'm calling the police!"
Jing Meng watched their ugly display with a cold, detached expression. Her voice remained calm and steady. "To summarize: Mr. Pei Gong played both sides, using my research to please his girlfriend while proposing to me and kissing another woman behind my back. Truly a 21st-century time management master. I am genuinely impressed."
She arched an eyebrow and pointed a long, slender finger at the screen. "Please remember this well, Mr. Pei Gong. If there is a next time, I may not be much, but I will ensure that every mall screen in every country and every region is filled with footage of your 'valiant efforts' in bed."
With that final word, Jing Meng tapped her watch, and the screen vanished with a soft shua.
Everyone stood there as if waking from a dream, unable to recover for a long moment. They stared at Jing Meng's watch, their eyes filled with a trace of fear.
Standing to one side, Pei Ren watched the lingering spark of soaring confidence in Jing Meng's eyes and narrowed his own slightly.
"I'll be leaving now. My apologies for disrupting your family gathering."
Since things had reached this point, the dinner was clearly ruined. Jing Meng smoothed her hair, gave Pei Shiyi a brief nod of farewell, and turned to leave.
Just as she turned, someone grabbed her elbow. Startled, she looked back at Pei Shiyi. She saw his profile the elegant lines of his face and his striking, handsome features.
"Dad, Mom, Brother I have something to attend to. I'm leaving. I'll bring Chengcheng to see you next time."
Without waiting for a response, he pulled Jing Meng along and strode toward the exit.
Once they were in the car, Jing Meng still felt a wave of unease. "Your parents were looking forward to seeing you, and they're at that age... there was no need..."
"Do you think I could have stayed and eaten under those circumstances?" Pei Shiyi's voice was slightly cool. "I should be the one apologizing to you. I'm sorry for not keeping my juniors in line."
Jing Meng blinked, staring at Pei Shiyi for a long time, unable to find the words to respond.
Pei Cheng had always been a perceptive child. He didn't cry or make a scene; instead, he burrowed into Jing Meng's arms, hugging her slender waist.
That nephew is so annoying, the boy thought. While I was in Daddy's arms earlier, I saw Mengmeng's eyes go red with anger. Next time I see him, I'll definitely give him what for!
"What do you want to eat?"
The car started moving slowly. Pei Shiyi tapped the armrest and looked toward Jing Meng.
"Let's just go home," Jing Meng said, playfully pinching the little bundle's ear. "I'll cook for you!"
A gentle warmth filled her eyes, and the sharp edge she had shown earlier dissipated completely. In the midday sun, the light seemed to break into tiny fragments within her pupils.
Jing Meng wasn't much of a cook, but she was quite good at making noodles. Years of intense and complicated work meant that when her family wasn't around, making a bowl of noodles was always the quickest and best way to fill her stomach.
By the time she brought the noodles out, Pei Shiyi was still in the other room taking a call. He had ditched a house full of wealthy and powerful relatives for the sake of one woman; no matter how one looked at it, it had the flair of a hero forsaking the world for his lady.
She scooped out a portion of noodles to let them cool, then used her chopsticks to feed a few bites to Pei Cheng.
"Don't worry, Mengmeng! My Daddy is super amazing. He'll definitely protect you and never let anyone bully you again!"
Chengcheng took a huge slurp of noodles, his voice muffled as he sang his father's praises.
"Whatever you want, whatever you like, or whoever you hate just tell Daddy. He can do anything for you. He's omnipotent!"
Jing Meng laughed and gently flicked Chengcheng's forehead. "You little rascal!"
"I don't need your father's protection. I am omnipotent all on my own!"
She rolled up her sleeves, intending to show off her muscles to Chengcheng. Pei Shiyi had just stepped out of the study and caught the scene. He found it amusing and was about to approach when he heard his precious son speak again.
"But Mengmeng, why do you cry when you're sleeping?"
Chengcheng's little face wrinkled with concern. He had seen Jing Meng crying in her sleep that night, and it had been bothering him ever since. His grandmother used to tell him that if someone cries even while they're sleeping, they must have suffered a great, great deal.
Pei Shiyi froze mid-step. He retracted his foot and stood by the door, waiting to hear her answer.
Jing Meng was stunned. Her eyes, usually so sharp and clear, were momentarily filled with a rare, lost look, making her appear as adorable as a startled fawn.
She stared blankly for a few moments before offering a gentle, sorrowful smile one that carried a piercing, hidden pain. "Because... no one is truly omnipotent."
"I am not, and your father isn't either."
"There are always some pains that we try our hardest to save ourselves from, yet we have no choice but to endure them."
Chengcheng only half-understood. His face scrunched up like a bitter gourd, feeling as though Mengmeng was teasing him, yet he didn't know how to argue.
By the door, Pei Shiyi's heart skipped a beat. He stood there for a long time before pretending he had just arrived, stepping into the room.
"Is dinner ready?"
Jing Meng instantly reined in her emotions. When she looked up, she was once again that woman from their first meeting eyes containing a hint of old wounds, but a soul full of fiery spirit.
"Noodles fresh out of the pot. Taste them and see. I dare you to say they aren't good!"
Pei Shiyi rolled up his sleeves, a smile playing on his lips as he sat at the table and took the bowl she handed him.
Jing Meng watched Pei Shiyi intently, occasionally turning to wipe a stray drop of soup from the corner of Chengcheng's mouth.
The atmosphere was so tender that it began to feel like a real home. Pei Shiyi felt a surge of emotion in his chest; a sentence hovered on the tip of his tongue, nearly bursting forth.
Why don't you just stay... and become Chengcheng's real mother?
"I plan to leave tomorrow," Jing Meng said.
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