Translator: Helliot
Editor: P’Raikantopeni
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Aunt Zhang informed him that a woman had come to see him.
A woman? Meng Fu’s mind went blank for two seconds. He could not imagine who it could be. Could it be Xie Zhenzhen? No, Xie Zhenzhen had already married, and they had long since broken up with each other.
Xie Zhenzhen, who was waiting on a sofa in the living room, looked up to see him, and her eyes were filled with joy. “Meng Fu!”
She stood up with her hands in front of her, seemingly protecting her own belly.
“Zhenzhen.”
Meng Fu looked at Xie Zhenzhen as if he could not believe his eyes. His gaze trailed over Xie Zhenzhen’s stomach.
Xie Zhenzhen walked to him and grinned. “The auntie wouldn’t let me in at first, but since I didn’t look like a bad person, she let me in eventually.”
While speaking, she pulled Meng Fu over to the sofa.
“Why did you come here?” He asked.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time. So turns out you’ve been here…” Xie Zhenzhen lowered her head and smiled. “Thank God I found you, Meng Fu. I finally found you.”
She looked up again at Meng Fu’s gaunt face. “Meng Fu, you’ve lost a lot of weight.”
She reached out and tried to touch his cheek, but Meng Fu pulled away. However, Xie Zhenzhen was persistent and even threw herself into Meng Fu’s embrace.
“Meng Fu, I missed you so much.”
“Go back, Zhenzhen,” he said helplessly. Xie Zhenzhen felt warm in his arms, but a breakup was a breakup.
“Go back? Back where? Tell me, Meng Fu. Where can I go? I’m pregnant but he still hits me.” Xie Zhenzhen muttered, “Meng Fu, my body is covered in scars. He found out about the last time I saw you. As soon as you left that morning, he dragged me back there.”
Meng Fu recalled that day. Xie Zhenzhen went to his house and stayed the night. By the time he returned, she was already gone. So this was what happened.
Hesitant but worried, Meng Fu put his hand on Xie Zhenzhen and patted it gently.
Xie Zhen’s heart rate suddenly sped up, and there was a faint smile at her lips. “Meng Fu, I’m pregnant. I’m pregnant with our child, and I’m here so that the baby can see its daddy.”
Meng Fu’s hand froze. “Zhenzhen.”
It can’t be his child, he knew it.
“Meng Fu, you know I’ve always wanted to have a baby with you, and now I’m pregnant. To me, this baby is yours.”
She grabbed onto Meng Fu’s clothes. “Meng Fu, let’s go somewhere far away, all right? That man’s a monster, I can’t stay with him. He’ll beat me to death sooner or later. My dad wanted me to marry him no matter what, but I don’t even love him one bit. Meng Fu, you’re the only one left. I have nowhere else to go.”
Meng Fu patted her shoulder again and pulled her into his arms.
He felt helpless all of a sudden. He had no idea how to react to Xie Zhenzhen’s words. He was like a fish lying on the dry, cracked earth, parched and suffocated.
Glancing out the window, the wintersweets were still blooming. It felt like the two months had barely shortened at all.
“Zhenzhen, let’s find a place to stay first.”
That place, naturally, could not be Gu Ze’s home.
Meng Fu walked over to Aunt Zhang and said, “Aunt Zhang, I need to go out today.”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible, Mr. Meng. Please don’t make things hard for me. Mr. Gu has already said that you must not be allowed out.”
“Please, Aunt Meng. Xiao Yi will stay here, so don’t worry. I’ll come back and give Mr. Gu a proper explanation.”
Xie Zhenzhen stood behind him, clutching Meng Fu’s sleeve. While Meng Fu was speaking, her hands slid down into his palm, holding his hand tight.
Meng Fu was stunned for a moment, but he did not push her away. He could not bear to reject her.
Aunt Zhang was very troubled about this, but after hearing what Meng Fu said, she tried to compromise. “Mr. Meng, I think you should call Mr. Gu first and discuss this with him.”
“This is unlawful imprisonment!” Xie Zhenzhen shouted, clutching Meng Fu’s hand even tighter.
Calling Gu Ze…No, even if he did call Mr. Gu, he would not let him out, but right now, he needed to find Xie Zhenzhen a place to stay. He pleaded with Aunt Zhang again. “Please.”
Aunt Zhang was unyielding.
Meng Fu had no choice but to call Meng Yi over and ask for his phone. Breaking away from Xie Zhenzhen’s hand, he walked into a corner and called Gu Ze. “Mr. Gu.”
“Meng Fu.”
Gu Ze, who was in the middle of a meeting, stood up and walked out when he saw his phone ring, ignoring the surprised board of directors. He walked into an empty office room and picked up the call.
Ripples were swirling in the deep pools that were his eyes.
“I’d like to go out and see the wintersweets outside.” His voice was calm.
“Very well.”
“Thank you.”
He was just about to hang up, but Gu Ze suddenly called out his name in a hurry. “Meng Fu.”
“Is there something else you need, Mr. Gu?”
“Why the sudden urge to see the flowers?”
“They look like they smell nice. Winter is ending soon, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to smell them,” he answered.
“Mm.”
“Thank you.”
He thanked him again before hanging up the call.
In fact, there were still questions left unasked. Gu Ze still kept his phone pressed to his ear. Meng Fu, why are you in such a hurry to hang up? Even if you have nothing to say…but what else is there to say between us?
The number of topics that they could talk about was pitifully few.
Meng Fu returned to the living room and handed the phone back to Meng Yi. After saying a few words to him, he told Aunt Zhang that Gu Ze had given him permission to go outside. Only then did he leave with Xie Zhenzhen.
Xie Zhenzhen hurried to catch up with him and slid her hand into Meng Fu’s palm, interlocking their fingers.
Glancing at the wintersweet tree on the side, the air seemed to be filled with the fragrance of flowers. Meng Fu’s lips curved into a faint arc. It was just for a brief moment, but it felt like the shackles in his soul were being unlocked.
Subconsciously, he grasped Xie Zhenzhen’s hand gently.
While hailing a cab, he suddenly remembered something and said embarrassedly, “Zhenzhen, I forgot I was penniless.”
He did not have a single cent on him. Besides Xiao Yi, he truly had nothing.
“It’s fine, I still have enough money for a taxi.” Xie Zhenzhen patted her bag.
The taxi stopped in front of the apartment he once rented. He kept the key in his pocket all this time, always ready to go home, eagerly awaiting the end of the two months that Gu Ze spoke of.
The key was inserted into the keyhole, but the door would not budge.
He twisted the key desperately. The lock rustled, but it would not open.
Meng Fu turned back to look at Xie Zhenzhen. “Wait here, I’ll go and ask the landlord.”
Before he could take two steps, the old couple in the neighboring unit returned. They swept a contemptuous gaze over Meng Fu’s body, then sized up Xie Zhenzhen next to him, and deliberately walked closer to the wall while clicking their tongues in disgust.
“How is that murderer still alive?”
“Isn’t he messing around with men? How did he end up knocking up a woman now?”
“Let’s go quickly, dear. Better to keep out of the way of these sinister people.”
There were stares in this world that could cut deeper than a knife.
It felt as if the gauze wrapped around his wrist constricted his blood flow. His face went pale and his body felt cold.