Cheng Yan looked at the girl who'd fallen onto the inflatable cushion below. The corners of his mouth twitched a little; then, without any hesitation, he also jumped down.
Ming Shu had just stood up when another figure dropped from above and hit the cushion by her side, the force of which again made her lose her balance. A warm palm caught her wrist, and Cheng Yan got onto her body, gazing at her gloomily.
They looked at each other for a long while.
"Lu Meng, you win."
After finishing this sentence, Cheng Yan got up and left.
Ming Shu stared at his figure through the cushion. Soon, his back disappeared in the crowd.
"Mengmeng, isn't this going too far?" Ye Miaomiao found Ming Shu and pulled her up from the cushion. "I saw Cheng Yan was quite down when he left. Just now, he did jump down after you."
"Because there's a cushion here." Ming Shu brushed at her clothes and thought, Only a coward wouldn't have the courage to jump.
Ye Miaomiao revealed a contemptuous expression. "You really think anyone would dare jump down from a building? Mengmeng, you have no idea how lucky you are. Cheng Yan is an excellent man. He's been chasing after you for so many years, do you know how many girls out there envy you? But you don't value him at all, what a poor man."
"Well, you can marry him if you like. Just don't let him bother me." I have offered my whole heart to snacks, how can I love someone else? Ming Shu thought.
Ye Miaomiao pinched Ming Shu's arm. "Okay, stop it. If my boyfriend finds out, he'll kill me!"
"Well, what a pity." Ming Shu shook her head. She paid the workers who provided the cushion, then went straight to the nearest restaurant.
"I just don't understand. Why don't you like Cheng Yan?" Throughout all these years, even if you didn't fall in love with him at first sight, maybe you have some feelings for him now? Ye Miaomiao wondered.
Cheng Yan was indeed a poor student before, but he had changed greatly these years. He was no longer that troublesome boy.
"Why should I like him?" What a strange question.
Because Cheng Yan dedicated himself to Ming Shu for many years, but she never responded, others began judging her as ruthless, treading on such a sincere heart.
Some even said she was purposely playing Cheng Yan. They believed she should have told Cheng Yan clearly if she didn't like him, instead of wasting his time.
What?
Hadn't she expressed specifically since the beginning that she didn't like Cheng Yan?
Yes, dislike!
Now it was her fault?
I'm feeling wronged, okay? How should I defend myself?
Ye Miaomiao scratched her head. "Fine, fine, you don't like him. But what kind of man do you like? There are also many other men admiring you nowadays, but which one do you like?"
My heart has broken worrying over your happiness, but you're not aware of it at all! Ye Miaomiao was bleeding inside.
"Humph, they don't deserve me."
"You? Who do you think you are?" Ye Miaomiao rolled her eyes at Ming Shu. "I say, no one will marry you in the future. Look at yourself, staying at home almost everyday, only knowing how to find food, like a boring lady in ancient times. Do you even live in the twenty-first century?"
Ming Shu raised her eyebrows slightly, a knife and fork in hands. "Who told you that a woman has to marry someone?"
Ye Miaomiao gave her a helpless look. "Won't you feel lonely when you're on your own? Since the world has men and women at the same time, it makes sense to find your other half. You are violating the natural law."
"Natural law? Can that be eaten?"
"Eat eat eat, all you care about is eating." Ye Miaomiao gave up. "Okay, as you will. I dare say Cheng Yan will not pay attention to you, either. I want to see how you'll live your life by yourself!"
Ming Shu shrugged her shoulders indifferently.
I will live with my snacks, isn't it simple?
If I feel bored, I'll go make some trouble. This world is so lively, anywhere could be a great place to stop and see the sights. Is it even possible for me to feel lonely?
Of course not!
Ye Miaomiao was angered and grabbed her bag, getting ready to leave. Ming Shu held onto her clothes and curled her mouth in a beguiling manner. "Liushui, how about eating some seafood tonight?"
Ye Miaomiao looked down to stare at the girl gazing up at her with sparkling eyes. She kept silent before freaking out: "I'm going mad!"
...
Just like Ye Miaomiao predicted, Cheng Yan didn't show up from that day forward. Their lives seemed to have split in different directions.
But occasionally, Ye Miaomiao would report Cheng Yan's recent condition to Ming Shu.
People on the outside held different opinions on their relationship. But Ming Shu didn't care. Later, she left the city to pursue fine food in other places.
When she left, she got an MMS from Cheng Yan.
The content was a little odd. It was a small and antiquated yard, looking like a picture within a picture. But she didn't know where it was.
After many years, when Ming Shu had returned to the city, she occasionally let Father Lu see the saved picture in the phone. Father Lu pointed at the little yard and asked surprisedly, "Isn't this the place where we lived before? How did you get this photo?"
Ming Shu looked to the picture as well and said, "Did we live there before?"
"Right. When your grandpa and grandma were still alive we all lived in that house. Later, after they passed away, we moved out. Back then, you were so naughty, playing around…" Father Lu was caught in distant memories and spoke for a long time.
Ming Shu captured several key words from Father Lu's redundant descriptions.
"Dad, did you and Cheng Yan meet a long time ago?" It can't be like those outdated infant matrimonies, right?
"Right! Otherwise we wouldn't dare to leave you alone with that kid." Father Lu got up to search for a while in the study. Soon he handed a photo album over to Ming Shu. "We thought you would be together, who knows…"
The album contained many photos, most of which were childhood photos of the Host. Occasionally a little boy would be present, which should be Cheng Yan.
"Dad, who's this?" Ming Shu pointed at a little girl in a princess dress. It clearly wasn't Lu Meng.
"That's your elder cousin. She passed away of illness when you were eight." Father Lu sighed pityingly.
According to Father Lu's memory, after the cousin was gone, Ming Shu also fell seriously ill. Later Grandma and Grandpa passed away one by one. They were afraid that the house was an ominous place, so after the funeral, they quickly left with Lu Meng.
Lu Meng had a memory problem after recovering from the illness. As she grew up, lots of childhood memories became more and more distant and were totally forgotten.
"If I'm gone, you have to protect Mengmeng, take care of her. You must promise me."
"But…"
"I don't care. If you don't promise, I'll never see you again."
"Okay. I promise you."
"Mengmeng is healthier than me. She is going to live longer than me, too. I hope she will live happily for me, see the world that I won't have the chance to see."
"She will."
Ming Shu had a strange dream that night. In the dream, she seemed to have returned to that small yard and met with her elder cousin.
Ming Shu woke up blankly. Covered in her quilt, she stared outside the window at the darkness.
So this was why Cheng Yan didn't let her go? To fulfill the promise made to a young playmate?
Right, that was how she felt for Cheng Yan as well. He was trying to complete a mission, instead of loving her for real.
From the indifference in the beginning to the inexplicable pursuit afterward…
But when did he find out she was that Lu Meng from his childhood?
Whatever, it was none of her business. That Lu Meng had long disappeared from this world.