Translator: Helliot
Editor: Isalee
–
Stunned.
Staggering.
Turning around.
He instantly ducked into the hallway.
Meng Fu had no idea why he would spot Gu Ze here, but he avoided him out of instinct.
He leaned against the wall quietly counting. 1, 2, 3, 4…When he counted to 20, he figured that Gu Ze would be gone, so he silently poked his head out, but he saw Gu Ze holding a girl. The girl’s foot seemed to be injured and she was leaning against Gu Ze’s body.
He was just about to come out after he watched them leave, but they suddenly sat down on the seats against the corridor after talking about something, but he had no idea what it was.
The relief he just felt turned back into tension again.
After watching them for a while and seeing that they didn’t have any intention to go, Meng Fu could only continue counting. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25…
Zhang Ming’er was a troublesome woman, or so Gu Ze thought.
Since Gu Rongsheng threatened him, he would just take meeting her as a necessary job. After finishing up his work and dealing with a few documents, he checked the time before heading over unhurriedly to see Zhang Ming’er.
–
The woman sitting in the cafe had long hair and a refined appearance. She didn’t seem dissatisfied at all despite the fact that Gu Ze was late.
“Sorry, I’m very late.” He pulled out a chair and sat across from Zhang Ming’er before ordering a latte.
“Oh it’s fine, I just arrived myself,” Zhang Ming’er responded politely.
“That means we’re both an hour late? The old man said that Miss Zhang is a very punctual person. I originally intended to come early, but unfortunately, I got held up in traffic.”
While explaining casually, he picked up his latte and took a small sip, ignoring the change in Zhang Ming’er’s expression.
“Mr. Gu, to be honest with you, I’ve already been waiting for an hour.”
“So you lied just now. The old man specifically told me that Miss Zhang Ming’er is a very composed person, but I didn’t expect you’d also be a liar.”
He tilted his head slightly with an obvious smile on his face, yet a look of disdain could be seen in his eyes as if he was enjoying a dramatic TV show. However, the director of this show was none other than himself.
“Mr. Gu, you’re clearly the one who was late to our appointment. Don’t you think you’re going overboard speaking about me in this way?” Zhang Ming’er finally dropped her graceful act.
“Yes, I am going overboard.” Gu Ze nodded in agreement, yet he didn’t have the slightest intention of apologizing. Looking at Zhang Ming’er’s furious expression, he just looked down and played on his phone.
Zhang Ming’er had never met such a man in her life. She had only known Gu Ze to be a handsome guy before this, but she had no idea he was so rude.
After a moment of silence, and seeing that Gu Ze had no intentions of paying any attention to her, her patience reached the limit and she was just about to get up and leave when she heard Gu Ze speaking carelessly.
“If you just want to play around, I don’t mind.” Another round of his tile-matching game came to an end. He put away his phone and smirked as if he had thought of something. “You’re 24 years old, right? Are you still a virgin?”
Zhang Ming’er’s face went blue one moment and red in the next. Picking up the cup of coffee on the table, she splashed it at Gu Ze’s face.
All these women always used the same tricks. Back then, He Manyu had also splashed water on his face in very much the same way. But this woman was not He Manyu.
He had expected it and avoided it in time, but some still ended up on his face and suit. “With how worked up you are, I guess not.”
Zhang Ming’er grabbed her bag and turned around angrily, leaving on her heels.
But in just two steps, she twisted her ankle.
–
In the hospital corridor—
Zhang Ming’er looked down at her red and swollen ankle and could not help but complain, “What kind of sin have I committed to deserve this? I brought out the heels I hadn’t worn for a few years since I was meeting a handsome man today, but I ended up being insulted! If I hadn’t threatened to tell his father if he didn’t send me to the hospital, he wouldn’t even have bothered.”
Lowering her head, she rolled her eyes at Gu Ze in secret. Her father also told her to act more elegantly, but why should she? What need was there to pretend for anything in front of a man like this?
It was such a private topic—how could he come out and ask her such a thing?
“Zhang Ming’er, the greatest sin you committed was agreeing to this meeting.” He helped Zhang Ming’er onto the seat. “Tell your driver to come and pick you up. I have other business to attend to.”
“Wait! Let me ask you one question.” She gulped. Thinking she wouldn’t have to put up a front anyway, she asked, “Have you ever seen a 24-year-old woman who’s still chaste?”
“I’ve met a man who’s still a virgin at 25.”
Zhang Ming’er was taken aback for a moment, but then she guffawed at the thought that such a rare animal still existed in this world.
Zhang Ming’er’s laughter was interrupted when a good-looking boy wearing a hospital gown tugged at her arm and asked anxiously, “Big Sister, have you seen Meng-Meng?”
Zhang Ming’er looked unblinking at the 19-year-old Meng Yi. This boy really did have a very pretty appearance.
Seeing that Zhang Ming’er did not answer, Meng Yi asked the man standing next to her instead. “Big Brother, have you seen Meng-Meng?”
But looking up, the person turned out to be someone he was familiar with. “Big Brother, it’s you! Meng-Meng’s friend!” Meng Yi beamed.
“Who said I’m Meng Fu’s friend?”
“Meng-Meng said it.”
He actually called him his friend? How ridiculous.
“I counted to one thousand but Meng-Meng still didn’t appear, so I counted another thousand. But I still don’t see Meng-Meng!” Meng Yi pouted.
–
He continued rapping his fingers lightly against the wall and mouthed silently, “95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100.”
Gu Ze should have been gone by now.
Yet when Meng Fu peeked over, he saw Xiao Yi talking to Gu Ze with a big smile on his face.
His intuition told him that it was dangerous for Xiao Yi and Gu Ze to be together. Xiao Yi was such an innocent boy—he wouldn’t be able to withstand Gu Ze’s verbal attacks.
“Xiao Yi.” Meng Fu came out of the hallway and watched as the three of them turned their eyes to him in unison.
“Meng-Meng, I’ve been looking for you for so long!” Meng Yi ran excitedly to Meng Fu’s side.
“Shh, be quiet. Didn’t I tell you that loud noises are forbidden in the hospital?” Meng Fu reminded him quietly.
Meng Yi pouted and nodded his head. Then, he moved over to Meng Fu’s ear and whispered, “Meng-Meng, I was wrong, I’m sorry.”
“Mr. Gu,” he said, and nodded at Zhang Ming’er who was seated on the chair with a smile as a greeting.
Zhang Ming’er looked at the three handsome men in front of her and suddenly felt that her twisted ankle was worth it.
“What are you doing in the hospital?” Looking at the patient gown that Meng Yi was wearing, he said naturally, “Can an idiot like him even be cured?”
“Big Brother, who’s an idiot?” Meng Yi asked, eyes wide in curiosity.
Fearing that Meng Yi would have to endure even harsher words, Meng Fu quickly covered Meng Yi’s ears. Meng Yi turned his head over to look at Meng Fu in confusion. “Meng-Meng?”
“Big Brother has something to talk with this big brother about. Xiao Yi can’t listen, okay?” he moved one hand away and whispered softly into Meng Yi’s ear.
Even though he didn’t quite understand, Meng Yi still nodded obediently.
Zhang Ming’er finally understood why this boy gave him a strange feeling, and it turned out that he was autistic. She couldn’t help but sympathize with Meng Fu, and simultaneously scorned Gu Ze for his caustic words.
“Why the need to cover his ears? Can an idiot like him even understand?” Gu Ze said.
“Mr. Gu, please don’t talk about Xiao Yi like that. He’s not an idiot, just simple-minded. He wanted to feel closer with his friends in the hospital, so he asked the nurse to give him a hospital gown. Xiao Yi isn’t sick.” Gu Ze could hurt him as much as he wanted, but he couldn’t let him hurt Xiao Yi.
“If you’re not here for the doctor then what are you doing here?”
“We came to visit the sick children.”
“Charity work?” Gu Ze raised his voice, speaking in a tone filled with ridicule, “So this is how you’re planning to redeem yourself?”
Zhang Ming’er could feel that the harsh attitude Gu Ze had towards herself was nothing compared to this man in front of her. She was tempted to lash out at Gu Ze. Why did he have to speak with pins and needles in every sentence? But when she saw the stern look on Gu Ze’s face as he looked at Meng Fu, she suddenly lost her courage.
His words were really prickly, and Meng Fu thought so as well.
After so many years, it still didn’t tire him to jab at him with every sentence.
After he had gotten used to the sting and licking his own wounds, the smell of blood would constantly remind him of the blood of that woman and her unborn child, washed away in the night under the storm. And that was why Gu Ze wanted him to have to smell the stench of blood at every moment.
“No, I just wanted to help whoever I could.” In Gu Ze’s eyes, Meng Fu couldn’t atone for his sins no matter what, could he?
“Oh.” Gu Ze nodded, but a meaningful smile curved up his lips.
“We still have things to do, Mr. Gu. I’ll be taking my leave with Xiao Yi.”
He wanted to get away from here as soon as possible, to further himself from Gu Ze’s harsh words and cruel smile.
“Sure,” he responded. But Meng Fu and Meng Yi hadn’t even taken two steps away when he began following them.
Zhang Ming’er watched on dumbfoundedly as the three men left and suddenly had the feeling that she’d been completely forgotten. She shouted at Gu Ze’s back, “Hey! What about me?”
But she was reminded by a passing nurse, “Miss, no loud noises in the hospital, please.”
Zhang Ming’er quickly apologized and lifted a finger to her lips. Helpless, she could only call her driver.