At the thought of this, a warm current slowly flowed into Jing Meng's cold heart, and her tone softened.
"I'm just worried about you. Besides, we are siblings who grew up together. If you're having any difficulties, you can tell me. Please, don't say anything more about cutting ties with me, alright?" Feeling a wave of unwarranted grievance, Jing Meng reached out and grabbed his wrist firmly, terrified that he might slip away from her again.
Feeling the pressure on his wrist, Jing Hong finally reacted. The coldness in his eyes deepened as he forcefully shook her hand off. "I told you: from now on, you take your sunny road, and I'll take my single-plank bridge. Stop looking for me."
Despite his repeated warnings, Jing Meng cast aside her pride and clung to his arm like a stubborn bandage. She pouted, looking aggrieved. "I'm your sister. We share the same blood. Even if our bones are broken, we are still connected by the marrow."
Her hand was heartlessly cast aside several more times, but this time, no matter what Jing Hong did, Jing Meng refused to let go.
Jing Hong seemed to finally drop his guard, offering the persistent Jing Meng a helpless smile.
When Jing Meng saw that long-absent smile, she thought they were finally about to reconcile. However, she didn't expect the sudden, dull pain at the back of her neck. Her vision blurred for a moment, and then she lost consciousness completely.
After fainting, Jing Meng fell into a dream. She dreamed of returning to her carefree childhood, a time when there were no misunderstandings between her and Jing Hong. Their laughter echoed through their most innocent years.
But those days of innocence eventually faded, and all the colors began to shift. Under a black and white palette, Jing Hong's smiling face vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by his current icy expression as he shook off her hand.
Her closest family member was drifting further and further away. With tears streaming down her face, Jing Meng kept reaching forward, trying to grab him, but her hands caught nothing but empty air.
"Jing Hong!" She woke up with a start. Sitting up with tear-stained cheeks, the sight of her familiar surroundings made her realize she had been in a very long dream.
She wiped away her tears and threw back the covers to get out of bed when a pair of long, slender legs suddenly appeared before her.
Jing Meng blinked, her gaze following the legs upward until she saw...
Pei Shiyi?
Doubt flickered in her heart. Just as she was about to ask what was going on, he spoke first. "A girl should stay away from chaotic places like bars."
How did Pei Shiyi know she had gone to a bar?
Pei Shiyi didn't answer her. He gave her a complicated look before turning and leaving the room.
Her mind still fixed on Jing Hong, Jing Meng followed Pei Shiyi into the kitchen. She rubbed her aching temples and leaned weakly against the doorframe. "Did you see Jing Hong when you came to get me?"
"If Jing Meng asks, act as if you never saw me." Pei Shiyi's hand, which was busy cutting vegetables, paused for a fraction of a second. He remembered the complicated emotions in Jing Hong's eyes when the boy had handed the unconscious Jing Meng over to him.
The image of the boy's departing back was still fresh in his mind when a hand suddenly reached into his field of vision and waved gently as if to get his attention.
"What is it?" Pei Shiyi gently patted Jing Meng's hand away. "Don't play around. I don't want to accidentally hurt you."
Jing Meng froze. She had been so lost in thought that she only just realized Pei Shiyi was actually... cooking?
"You... this is..."
Jing Meng stared at Pei Shiyi in shock.
After all, just a few days ago, Pei Shiyi had righteously claimed he didn't know how to cook. Jing Meng remembered the scene of him coldly shutting the refrigerator door as if it were yesterday.
"I'm just boiling some noodles. It's not like I'm an invalid." Pei Shiyi felt a bit conflicted at the realization that he was being underestimated.
Did the grand President of the Pei Corporation actually have such a childish side? Jing Meng suppressed a smile and nodded in agreement.
Before long, two decent-looking bowls of noodles were ready.
Jing Meng took a bite; the taste was unexpectedly good.
"Not bad, President Pei. It turns out you're quite talented in the kitchen." Jing Meng didn't hold back her praise as she eagerly picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.
Pei Shiyi watched Jing Meng's cheeks puff out as she chewed, her face filled with satisfaction. She looked exactly like a cute little hamster.
A warm current flowed through his heart as Pei Shiyi took his bowl and sat down beside her.
For a while, the only sound in the large living room was the two of them eating. Normally, Jing Meng would have found this awkward, but for some reason, she felt completely at ease in Pei Shiyi's presence. Pei Shiyi didn't seem to mind either; it was as if they had already become accustomed to dining together like this.
After finishing the noodles in silence, Jing Meng picked up a tissue to wipe the corner of her mouth and brought up the question Pei Shiyi had ignored earlier.
"How did you know where I was last night?"
"I received a call from a stranger telling me you were drunk and asking me to pick you up." Pei Shiyi kept his head down as he cleared the table.
Jing Meng finally realized that Pei Shiyi seemed to be deliberately avoiding the subject.
"Pei Shiyi," Jing Meng said softly as she watched his busy back. "What did Jing Hong say to you before?"
Pei Shiyi didn't stop his movements as he replied indifferently, "He was already gone by the time I arrived."
Jing Meng didn't ask further, but the atmosphere between them turned eerily heavy.
Pei Shiyi unconsciously glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He saw Jing Meng leaning against the door, her brows furrowed deep in thought.
He knew Jing Meng was trying to fish for information, but whenever it came to Jing Hong, nothing good ever happened to her.
Pei Shiyi was still bitter about the car accident Jing Hong had caused last time. Ever since that boy had appeared, Jing Meng had done nothing but get hurt. He would never allow Jing Meng to contact Jing Hong again if he could help it.
"There are some matters at the company I need to handle. Get some rest; I'll come back to see you later." After cleaning the kitchen, Pei Shiyi took off his apron and adjusted his suit. "I'll look into the matter regarding Jing Hong," he told her.
Jing Meng paused for a moment, then gave an ambiguous response.
Pei Shiyi knew she was troubled, but he could only sigh helplessly as he looked at the now-empty room.
Returning to her own room, Jing Meng pulled out a piece of paper and began listing the events of the past few days one by one.
Jing Hong's appearance, Bai Xi's schemes, and... that maid who had pushed her before...
Everything felt planned.
"Looking at it this way, has someone set a trap for me?" Connecting the dots of the recent events, Jing Meng fell into deep thought. Her pen hovered for a moment before she drew a circle around Bai Xi's name.
Could it really be that woman, Bai Xi?
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