The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 1 - 8

Chapter 1 - 8

With her mother gone, Yu Shuang felt as though half her soul had been ripped out. Throughout her thirty-plus years of life, whenever she faced major hurdles, her mother had always been right there to help her through them.

In the year leading up to her college entrance examinations, her grades wouldn't budge. Stressed and suffering from loss of appetite, she could only manage to eat a single steamed bun a day, dropping in weight until she was barely over forty kilograms. It was her mother who dropped her work, took an extended leave of absence, and rented a place near her to take care of her—counseling her, smoothing out her emotional turbulence, and helping her weather the storm. When she fell in love for the first time in university and the boy cheated on her, it was her mother who rushed to her side first thing to mend her wounds. After she started working, it was even more so; behind every promotion and every major life choice, her mother's figure was always there.

Yu Shuang once joked that her mother was the Empress Dowager Cixi of her life; with her mother reigning from behind a beaded curtain, she, the emperor, was able to hold court normally. Yet she never could have anticipated that while her mother had always helped her cross life's hurdles in the past, she would now unawares manufacture the greatest hurdle of Yu Shuang's entire existence. At present, she had nothing to lean on in her daily life, and no spiritual anchor to rely upon. She had completely become an orphan—both physically and spiritually, a double orphan!

With Yu Rui and Sister Meng keeping her company right now, things were slightly better. But it was still like trying to stop a boiling pot by pouring on scalding water.

Sorrow permeated the air, and she couldn't pull herself out of it.

"Eat something," Yu Rui urged her.

Shuang wouldn't budge. Rui forcefully helped her up. Yu Yi had bought several stir-fried dishes, ordering extra so that the small dining table was crowded with a dazzling array of food. Yu Shuang forced herself to pick up her chopsticks, but the moment she took her very first bite, her eyes turned red all over again. How could these dishes possibly compare to what her mother made? The difference was as vast as heaven and earth, a chasm of mud and clouds. Seeing Sister Shuang's reddened eyes, Yu Yi didn't know what to do and stood there at a complete loss.

Knowing she was missing her mother again, Rui ate a few bites before helping her back to her room to rest.

"Her gaze looks off. She's completely dazed," Yu Yi blurted out bluntly.

"She hasn't recovered yet." Yu Rui's emotions remained stable.

"We need to figure out a solution," Yu Yi said.

Useless platitudes. Everyone knew they needed to find a solution. Still, Yu Rui was somewhat curious to hear Yu Yi's brilliant insights. Yu Yi said straight out, "I think Sister Shuang should still date, find a man. Auntie is gone, so someone needs to fill the vacancy."

Fill the vacancy with human flesh? Ludicrous. Yu Rui didn't say anything, though on the question of how to cure Sister Shuang's excessive grief, she and Yu Yi happened to share the exact same thought. She also felt Sister Shuang ought to find a boyfriend. In the past, she hadn't needed to because Auntie was right by her side, blocking out the sun like a single leaf before the eyes; but finding a man had now become an absolute necessity.

Yu Shuang and her mother used to form a single household, an impenetrable fortress where not even a needle could be inserted nor a drop of water splashed through. Now that the family had shattered, trying to glue it back together was entirely unrealistic. The best method was to mold new clay, recreate a lotus flower, and build a brand-new household.

Yu Rui had already discussed this idea with Sister Meng.

Yu Meng deeply agreed. She remarked, "Xiao Shuang simply hasn't tasted the benefits of a man yet." She then brought up, "That day during the funeral, so many men..." Letting out a huff, she continued, "Leaving meat uneaten while constantly gnawing on vegetarian dishes—it's exasperating."

Yu Rui felt a sympathetic resonance, though she wasn't as direct as Sister Meng. She merely smiled without a word.

Yu Meng went on, "Especially that big data guy—he's a true talent."

Subconsciously, Yu Rui blurted out, "Bai Yuankai."

"You know him?" Yu Meng asked, surprised.

"I was in charge of registration," Yu Rui explained naturally.

Yu Meng chuckled and heaped high praises upon Bai Yuankai. She ultimately concluded: "Could a man like that possibly be single? Shuang probably has zero chance. If a romance were going to happen, it would have already turned into a full-length novel by now. That guy isn't into Shuang's type."

"Oh?" Yu Meng used an inquiring tone to bait her into continuing.

"You might have a bit of a chance," Yu Meng said. Yu Rui masked her reaction with a laugh. Yu Meng pressed on, "Though it's not large. This kind of man strongly favors a powerful alliance—seeking out female elites directly to help with his career. Still, out of a hundred, there might be one who prefers traditional culture, is nostalgic, and would marry someone like Bai Liusu."

Bai Liusu? Yu Rui mentally scrambled to recall. Yu Meng provided the answer: "You've read Love in a Fallen City, haven't you? The female protagonist. Someone like Bai Yuankai, who studied abroad and works in tech, might just be like those corporate conglomerate CEOs and prefer Chinese women." Yu Meng spread her fingers, her ten fingernails painted red. "Murdoch found Wendi Deng, and the Facebook CEO's wife is also of Chinese descent. It's trendy." Although Yu Rui felt an instinctive resistance to Yu Meng's words, she had to admit that Sister Meng's empirical observations weren't entirely devoid of reason.

Yu Meng invited Weng Yue out for afternoon tea.

Weng Yue invited her to sit in her own studio. She served as the agent for a Japanese toothpaste brand and had rented an office in the city to make it convenient to meet people. Yu Meng was astonished, and consequently jealous. She was jealous that Weng Yue had her own career, was already a director at a listed company, and now had advanced another step to dabble in distributing a minor brand—she seemed to possess an air of leisurely elegance. Yet precisely because Weng Yue was developing so well, Yu Meng felt it was necessary to maintain their social ties.

Before coming, Yu Meng had originally intended to tell her, "I'm getting a divorce," but upon learning the meeting location, she changed her mind. She couldn't surrender her bottom line just yet. Better to probe the waters and assess the situation first. After all, her relationship with Weng Yue wasn't on the same level as Jia, Shuang, and Rui. Their interactions were built upon the foundation of them both inhabiting the "upper crust"; the moment Weng Yue discovered that Yu Meng was a pauper (who wouldn't be able to pry much property from her divorce with Luan), Weng Yue could kick her out of the social circle at any moment. She wouldn't be able to fish a single man through her.

Yu Meng drifted in wearing gorgeous attire—she had made a stealthy trip back home specifically to grab it.

Weng Yue had no intention of holding back either, dressed in a purple pantsuit. The brooch pinned to her lapel looked exceptionally valuable, encrusted with precious gems.

The interior was decorated in a traditional Chinese style with rosewood furniture. A tea set sat upon the table. Yu Meng found it strange; in her impression, Weng Yue was a heavily Westernized woman, and she never expected her to be so closely aligned with Chinese traditional culture.

The tea was currently brewing, and small pastries were prepared, arranged on a three-tiered rack in a riot of colors. Atop the topmost tier of cream pastries sat a tiny tiara crafted from sequins. Yu Meng hadn't come empty-handed, bringing a set of thread-bound books as a companion gift—showing cultural depth. Weng Yue accepted them without standing on ceremony. Taking her seat, Yu Meng caught sight of the ashtray on the table, and suddenly understood: Weng Yue's Chinese-style interior decoration was probably tailor-made for "clients"—conversations are held with great scholars, and no commoners pass through these doors—needless to say, the great scholars naturally skewed heavily toward men.

The two of them chatted idly for a while, yet the conversation never drifted toward the main point. Yu Meng refused to directly open her mouth and ask Weng Yue to introduce her to anyone—that would be completely lacking in class. At best, she could only claim that old Luan and she were going into business together and hoped everyone could get rich together.

Using business as an entrée.

However, Yu Meng wasn't in a hurry; she wanted to probe Weng Yue's situation first. Yes, the interior decor was a great conversation starter. Looking up and down, she remarked, "You're looking quite formidable these days."

"It's required for work," Weng Yue replied, then added, "Right now, I'm practically no different from a Buddhist nun."

Yu Meng declared she was lying. Weng Yue leaned in close and told her to come smell for herself if she didn't believe it. Yu Meng inched slightly closer—a wave of perfume. Rich and overwhelmingly dazzling. With her around, the entire room smelled intensely fragrant. Pure aura.

"Alright, stop protesting too much," Yu Meng bantered.

"Protest what, this is the scent of a single woman," Weng Yue said, half-joking and half-serious. She had just broken up with her boyfriend in heart-wrenching fashion, which was why she had relocated to a new place to start over. Only externally did she claim it was for business expansion needs.

As they chatted away, Weng Yue suddenly mentioned, "Your old Luan will be dropping by in a bit." Weng Yue had previous business dealings with Luan Chengyun and considered him an acquaintance.

Yu Meng choked on her breath, her expression shifting strangely.

Noticing this, Weng Yue hurriedly explained, "He asked."

Dammit! He asks and you just answer. What kind of relationship is that?! Yu Meng was displeased. Yet she couldn't let it show on her face, and she couldn't entirely blame Weng Yue either. Luan Chengyun possessed uncanny connections; she had assumed he would show up at Yu Shuang's place, but hadn't expected things to remain quiet for a spell.

And now he was popping up anyway. Fortunately, Yu Meng held firm to one conviction: in front of outsiders, Luan Chengyun would always maintain the veneer of a polished, graceful gentleman. Or would he just leave? Yu Meng thought about standing up. While she hesitated, Luan Chengyun stepped through the door. Combed-back hair, a western suit—he looked as though he had just stepped off the business battlefield. He was currently running an "encryption" business in cooperation with government departments, requiring him to manage numerous connections and make frequent appearances.

Luan Chengyun smiled and shook hands with Weng Yue.

Hypocrite! Yu Meng cursed inwardly.

He sat down steadily right beside her. Yu Meng shifted her rump slightly to maintain some distance.

"President Luan, what tea would you like?" Weng Yue asked.

"Anything is fine," Luan Chengyun replied in a soft tone.

All an act.

Weng Yue prepared some Tanyang Congou tea, made the rounds, and served the cups. True to form, the three of them spent a while discussing business. The conversation largely revolved around the big data industry, with Luan Chengyun seeking guidance from Weng Yue.

Weng Yue held nothing back in her answers. Listening from the side, Yu Meng felt a twinge of jealousy—not because Weng Yue was stealing her man, but because she lacked a professional domain of her own (her only expertise being men), and encountering a professional like Weng Yue left her feeling somewhat short on confidence.

The topic shifted to relationships. Yu Meng deliberately remarked, "Where on earth do I have any freedom these days? Even drinking tea with my best friend gets treated like guarding against a thief."

Luan Chengyun smiled without a word, neither confirming nor denying. He had always been ruthless and thorough once he made up his mind. Weng Yue chuckled. "Count your blessings! It's always women guarding against men, but in your case, it's the man guarding against the woman. You must have accumulated immense virtue in your past life." Saying this, Weng Yue leaned back slightly, resting her chin on one hand as she adopted the posture of an external observer. "Still, if I were a man, I'd like Mengmeng too; beauty is a scarce resource. She's so gorgeous."

Yu Meng felt pleased internally, though she brushed it off verbally, "Gorgeous my foot, I'm nothing more than an old hag."

The property management office called to notify them about registering for fire safety inspections, so Weng Yue excused herself, saying she needed to head downstairs for a moment. Only the married couple remained in the reception room.

Luan Chengyun shifted his position. Yu Meng immediately stood up and changed seats. She desperately wanted to splash a cup of tea right across his face.

"Haven't you made enough of a fuss?" He classified her actions as mere childish tantrums.

"Cut the crap."

"It doesn't have to come to this." Implying it didn't warrant a divorce.

"Don't you know what kind of person you are?" Utterly heinous.

"I don't agree." He fell back on his old clichés. She was sick to death of hearing his broken-record talking points.

"Then we'll go to court, let the judge rule, and broadcast it to the entire world." For the sake of business considerations, she had agreed to a quiet, concealed divorce. It was beneficial to both parties.

"You stand to lose the most."

"Aside from money, what else can you even see?" Yu Meng let out a huff. "What I want is freedom."

"You actually think any other man would dare have you?"

Piercing straight through the heart like an arrow. Yu Meng was instantly infuriated. Luan Chengyun truly didn't bother hiding it. The moment Weng Yue left, he dropped all pretenses and revealed his true colors—simple, direct, and completely naked! If they were at home instead of someone else's turf, she wouldn't even doubt his capability to pull out a knife and finish her off right then and there.

Even so, she had to admit the truth behind old Luan's words. She worried about it too. She wasn't young anymore, and she had two sons; trying to find someone else again wasn't without its difficulties. Yet she still retained her confidence. She was Yu Meng. Possessor of a devastatingly gorgeous visage and earth-shattering talent. For this final hunt of her life, she was going to deploy every skill in her arsenal and go all out. Last time, she caught a wolf and ended up bitten by it; this time, she had to bag something big—taming a tiger. That way she could strut about borrowing its mighty prestige and conquer the forest.

Yu Meng steadied her mind. She couldn't afford to get angry; hmph, I won't get angry. She knew this was just Luan Chengyun's tactic to lure the snake out of its hole.

She wouldn't fall for his trap.

Taking a deep breath, Yu Meng said, "Let's part ways on good terms, alright?"

Unmoved, Luan Chengyun quietly sipped his tea.

Weng Yue walked back in. Seeing that the two of them had switched seats, she asked, "Shall we head out for dinner?"

"Neither of us is hungry," Yu Meng replied. She had zero interest in sharing a dinner with Luan Chengyun.