The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 10 - 2
Chapter 10 - 2
With the injection of funds, Yu Meng's Moon City project roared back to life with tremendous momentum. However, before heading off to Myanmar this time, Zu Liangcai suddenly asked to meet her. He had called without specifying any particular reason, just wanting to see her.
Yu Meng's heart leapt into her throat. Did he know about the project? Was he planning to buy a stake? Heh, no profit, no rush; without a reason, he wouldn't bother crossing my threshold.
Yu Meng made a decisive choice.
She would meet him. Just as all rivers flow into the sea, her magnanimity was vast enough to encompass everything.
Yu Meng carefully dressed up for the occasion. Her current persona was that of a successful woman, and therefore, she had to look the part of a successful woman. In the past, she dressed to please those who admired her; now, she dressed to please herself. She possessed both the beauty of a kingdom-toppling siren and the earth-shaking talent of a visionary.
The restaurant was chosen by Liangcai. The private room was neither too big nor too small, making it just right for a conversation between two people. It served Huaiyang cuisine, and a row of tranquil bamboo screens lined the room. The air was filled with the floating fragrance of osmanthus blossoms.
Yu Meng stepped forward with a light, graceful gait, smiling brightly without a trace of awkwardness. Back then, when she forced him to marry her, and later when Han Guang asked her to go find Liangcai, Yu Meng had felt somewhat conflicted. For no other reason than a lack of confidence. But times had changed; by now, she had made several dazzling comebacks and held a massive project in her hands, causing her aura to expand and turn magnificent.
As soon as she arrived, the waiters began serving the dishes. Liangcai was polite, saying he had ordered randomly and she could order more if there was anything she didn't like.
Yu Meng shot him a sidelong glance. "Long time no see." Her voice was soft, but the tone carried a hint of mockery.
"You're getting prettier by the day." Liangcai's mouth was still as sharp as ever.
"Lies." Yu Meng tossed her hair. "I'm getting old."
"The truth."
Yu Meng said, "All right, spit it out."
Zu Liangcai was taken aback. Gone were those romantic games of hide-and-seek; Yu Meng had transformed into a woman who cut straight to the point. Yet Liangcai wasn't prepared for this. The two chatted a bit about the current situation, touching upon the Xin family, Old Han's group (neither of them mentioned Old Han's name, both avoiding it), and that "old friend" who had been sentenced to twenty years. Yu Meng found it somewhat strange that Liangcai wasn't feeling depressed; instead, he was brimming with jubilation. Was he gloating over others' misfortunes? He wasn't like this before. After chatting for a while, Yu Meng didn't want to play along with his suspense any longer, so she said, "Leader, isn't it time to get to the main point?"
Liangcai smiled. "Can't I see you without there being a reason?"
"Between you and me, there's no need for formalities." Yu Meng closed the distance between them, but adopted a strictly business-like demeanor.
Liangcai immediately stood up. Yu Meng was startled. What kind of trick was this? A tender warmth flickered through his solemn expression, and his eyes flashed with light, yet his body was stiff—as if moving an arm or a leg made him act like a robot. He walked over to the cloakroom for a moment, and upon returning, half-crouched beside Yu Meng's knees.
She had a bad feeling about this.
With a smile that wasn't quite a smile, Yu Meng asked, "What is this for?"
Liangcai abruptly produced a velvet-covered box. Square-shaped. Dark purple.
Oh god! Yu Meng understood. What was the meaning of this? What was going on?!
He opened it and presented it; a diamond gleamed brilliantly. Judging by the size, he had certainly spent a fortune. Liangcai immediately offered sweet words: "Mengmeng, we... have finally waited for this day."
Yu Meng subconsciously stood up.
No, no, no. He was no Overlord, and she certainly wasn't Consort Yu.
The day he had been waiting for was not the day she wanted.
"Stop messing around..." She retreated, her brain working at top speed. Why? Why now? Zu Liangcai chased after her by half a step. "Mengmeng, I'm sincere. We are a match made in heaven."
On one hand, Yu Meng felt proud, priding herself on her peerless beauty and alluring charm; on the other hand, she cursed inwardly, Go to hell! What took you so long? Outwardly, however, she remained gentle and elegant. "Aren't you afraid anymore?" She was referring to his fear of the power wielded by his former father-in-law and former brother-in-law.
Liangcai suddenly burst with a heroic aura. "To hell with being afraid of him! I call the shots in my own life!"
Yu Meng was stunned. The refined Liangcai rarely used such crude language, dropping curses and referring to himself as "your lord"—it seemed he really had turned things around. Yet beneath this sudden burst of bravado, she could still detect a lingering weakness. Smiling silently, Yu Meng went back to eating, steadily picking up food with her chopsticks while that ring flashed a cold gleam under the lights.
Suddenly, a little bell rang in her mind. Every small node seemed to become electrified, instantly forming a treasure map. She understood. She finally understood. It was because of that "old friend"—pulling out the radish brought up the dirt, and a single pull had affected the whole body. Most likely, Liangcai's former brother-in-law had also been implicated, easing his control over him. Furthermore, after the political transition, Liangcai had firmly secured an important position within the district, truly qualifying as "young and vigorous." He had finally dared to speak his mind. However, after figuring it all out, Yu Meng began to look down on him a little. If he had disregarded everything back then to choose to marry her, she would have responded without the slightest hesitation: "I will use everything I have to repay love!"
Things were different now. A man who fundamentally failed to place you first was something Yu Meng could not accept. Besides, she was fully capable of carving out her own empire; why should she humble herself to become some official's wife? Wasn't Yu Jia a prime example? At her age, what was left that she couldn't see through? Thinking of this, Yu Meng smiled like a cat, put down her chopsticks, and said, "We're our own people, let's not joke around."
Flushed with passion, Liangcai recited like he was reading poetry: "Mengmeng... I like you... I love you... Without you... life is... is no different from eating brick walls... You're too good... too..." He was too emotional to finish describing it. "...You are the person I've searched bitterly for all these years."
He was filled with deep affection, but she wanted to laugh. What is this? So corny, is this shooting a TV drama? 'Find You'? Sorry, old lady, I'm no Ni Ping, I can't host this show.
Yu Meng gently pushed him away. "I accept your sentiments, thank you very much." She even made a formal obeisance, keeping him a thousand miles away.
Zu Liangcai's smile faded. "Mengmeng, what's wrong? Haven't you always wanted a commitment from me? I can give it to you right now—a commitment for a lifetime!"
Yu Meng stroked Liangcai's face as if appraising an antique piece.
"You're very good," she first affirmed him. "But people change."
"I haven't changed," he immediately retorted.
"I have." Yu Meng waited for her moment, staring right at him.
Liangcai's expression turned rather ugly. The scene he had imagined before coming was Yu Meng jumping for joy, but the reality was that Yu Meng was as cold as frost.
She had changed. She had grown cold-faced, cold-hearted, and entirely devoid of romantic sentiment; she no longer felt like a woman, lacking feminine charm.
Liangcai hardened his tone again. "Do you know how many women are waiting?" Meaning waiting to marry him.
That was a fact. But so what?
Yu Meng smiled brightly. "Then I can only consider this a good deed on my part."
Liangcai was struck speechless.
Yu Meng continued, "Between people, it's all about fate and timing. The order in which people enter the stage matters a great deal. Don't talk about just you and me—even the most powerful heavyweights have things they cannot get. Whatever you cannot get is simply wrong; it's something heaven doesn't want to give you. Heaven is always right."
Walking out of the restaurant, Yu Meng suddenly tilted her head back and laughed wildly for half a minute. That line of poetry popped into her head again: "Laughing wildly to the sky, I step out the door; how could a man like me be a humble blade of grass?" Exhilarating! Unprecedentedly exhilarating! The person she had rejected was Zu Liangcai after all! A rising young star with a bright future, an eligible bachelor that countless women scrambled to throw themselves at! Wow! Truly, since he brought a diamond, he should be crowned a bachelor king. She really ought to have taken that engagement ring—keep the diamond, dump the guy, let the wild goose fly past and pluck its feathers!
It was starting to rain, and pedestrians without umbrellas scurried to the eaves of buildings along the street to take shelter. Yu Meng, however, acted as if nothing were amiss, carrying her limited-edition bag worth tens of thousands, clicking along in her red high heels, and striding forward. What was a little rain? Yu Meng thought to herself: This old lady braves wind and rain alike.