The pair only arrived home when dusk was falling. Old Yang had already handled the pheasant, and Old Lady was busy in the kitchen, carefully arranging the chicken pieces into the clay pot.
"Why did you two take so long?"
Upon hearing this, Mei Ran shot a light glare at the man beside her. Although her sorted dress didn’t look too out of place, the stubborn creases that refused to be smoothed out still reminded her of what had just transpired between them. She blushed and continued washing the wild vegetables.
The man felt a slight itchiness in his heart from her glare. He curled his fingers and pressed them against the corner of his brow, the amusement in his voice impossible to conceal. "We were delayed on the road."
Old Lady didn’t press for details. She evenly spread the washed wild mushrooms over the chicken, then turned her head. "You two go wait outside first. It’ll probably need to stew for another hour or so."
Old Yang was in the living room reading the newspaper. He greeted Mei Ran warmly as soon as he saw her. Catching sight of the man following behind her, he scratched his head with a simple, honest smile, meaningfully winked, and then tactfully went into the kitchen to help.
Suddenly, Mei Ran had the feeling that the whole world was clearing the stage just for them to have a relationship.
"What are you thinking about?"
Mei Ran smiled. "I'm thinking that with such a sumptuous dinner tonight, I might have to eat an extra bowl of rice."
She didn't know how captivating she looked when she smiled. A faint blush tinged her rosy cheeks, her red lips slightly pouted, revealing an indescribable fresh and lively beauty.
The man reached out and lightly tapped the tip of her nose. "You should eat more." His gaze, carrying a burning intensity, swept over her body three times. "You’re too thin. It would feel better to hold you if you were a bit plumper."
Hold? How else did he plan to hold her?
Mei Ran quickly tried to push against his chest, only for him to catch her hand again. The uniquely masculine, clear, and crisp scent lingered in her nose. His deliberately lowered voice sounded particularly beguiling. "Ranran, would you like to hear me play the piano?"
Of course she would!
In a corner of the study stood a piano, meticulously maintained, yet it looked as though it wasn't played often.
Fu Shijin saw her puzzlement and said thoughtfully, "It's been seven years since I last touched it."
For these seven years, he hadn't dared to touch anything he was once familiar with day and night. He tried to forget that he was once the musician Ansel, adored by thousands; to forget the lyrics and melodies he cherished; to forget the piano… Letting the dust settle thickly upon himself.
The words "seven years" were like a pair of gentle hands lightly plucking the strings of Mei Ran's most sensitive nerves. She couldn't help but feel a pang in her nose. She took the initiative to take his hand. "I'm sorry. I made you wait too long."
"Silly, there's no need to apologize to me." The man drew her into his embrace, his voice gentle. "If I could end up waiting for you, I wouldn't care how long the wait was."
He had asked himself before, was it worth it? Relying on a mere stubborn obsession, betting on seven years of his life for the sake of an outcome that might never come.
The answer was now in his arms.
"Promise me one thing, okay?"
"What?"
Even if I cannot accompany you for the rest of this life, please don't suddenly disappear again, leaving me with no word, no trace.
There aren't many things in this world that I like. I don't know if I could find another belief to sustain me through the remaining years of my life if I were to lose you again.
Even if we cannot stay together until our hair turns white, just knowing that you are still alive in this world gives meaning to the rest of my days.
"Okay." Mei Ran nodded solemnly.
The man brought her hand to his lips and lightly kissed it, his posture like that of the most devout believer in the world.
Having secured this promise from her, his life thus gained a new creed — Mei-ran-ism.
He was a Mei Ran-ist.
His entire person, from body to heart, completely, would belong to this woman before him.
Familiar, cheerful melodies echoed in the study. Mei Ran sat beside him, her gaze infatuatedly fixed on that handsome profile, unwilling to look away even for a second.
He was playing "Mariage D'amour."
Only when a knock sounded at the door did the entranced pair snap out of it.
Old Yang peeked his head in. "Dinner's ready."
The mushroom and chicken stew was aromatic, its fragrance wafting everywhere. The oily green wild vegetables soaked in the thick golden chicken soup looked fresh, tender, and delicious, making one's mouth water.
"The meat from these free-range chickens is truly authentic," Old Lady said, ladling a spoonful into Mei Ran's bowl. "Xiao Ran, you've worked hard, eat more."
"Thank you, Grandma." Mei Ran repaid the kindness by using serving chopsticks to pick up some green vegetables for the old lady. "They taste quite fresh and sweet, and are easy to digest. You should eat more too."
"Yes, yes!" Old Lady responded repeatedly, her smile wrinkling her face like blossoming flowers. "Good, very good!"
Such a virtuous and dignified girl… I should find time to discuss with Shijin about marrying her into the family soon. Thinking of this, the wrinkles at the corner of her eyes deepened even more.
The meal was harmonious and joyous. Mei Ran helped clear the dishes, but Old Lady quickly shooed her out of the kitchen. "How can we let your hands get dirty with that greasy mess? Old Yang and I can handle it. You, go have some tea and keep Shijin company."
Seeing no other way, Mei Ran wiped her hands and walked out.
The man sitting on the sofa smiled at her, pulled her over, and stroked her hand for a while. "I can't bear it either."
After resting for a while and seeing the late hour, Mei Ran felt it was time to go home.
Fu Shijin personally drove her back to the Mingjing Garden apartment complex. At some point in the night, a fine drizzle had begun to fall. A hazy mist of water seemed to drape like a thin gauze over the streetlights, making the light they emitted as soft and gentle as moonlight.
Because of the rain, there was hardly a soul to be seen around, only layers upon layers of tree shadows.
The man habitually leaned in to claim his goodnight kiss.
This time was more lingering than ever before.
Mei Ran was kissed until her whole body felt soft and weak, leaning limply against his strong arm. She suddenly let out a gasp as, in the blink of an eye, she was scooped up and placed on his lap.
He took the opportunity to kiss her even deeper, his tongue like a nimble snake exploring every corner of her mouth. Still seemingly unsatisfied, he pressed against her tender neck and lightly nibbled.
Mei Ran's heart pounded like thunder, yet she hadn't an ounce of strength to push him away, nor did she really want to. She had never been this close to any other man, and she didn't find this intimacy with him repulsive.
However, as the kissing continued, something began to feel off. She felt that the area she was pressing against seemed to undergo a substantial change. Realizing what was happening, her face flushed crimson.
The man rested his head on her shoulder, panting lowly, calling her name over and over. "Ranran, Ranran…"
The calls went straight into the depths of Mei Ran's heart. She wrapped her arms around his waist and softly replied, "I'm here."
The reaction became even more pronounced.
His suppressed voice sounded near her ear, already somewhat incoherent. "Don't be afraid. I’ll just hold you for a while, just for a while… It'll be over in a moment."
This turned out to be a rather prolonged "moment."
Fu Shijin took a deep breath and kissed her lips once more. "Goodnight."
Mei Ran looked up, the lingering ardor in the man's eyes clearly reflected in her own gaze. Her defenseless heart instantly melted completely into a soft mess.
Even her legs felt weak and jelly-like. Mei Ran made it home, closed the door, sat down on the floor leaning against it, waves of heat washing over her face.
It was a good while before she finally went into the bathroom for a shower. Only after undressing did she belatedly realize…
Indeed, women were made of water. With a gentle squeeze, water could come forth.
Mei Ran buried her face, burning with embarrassment, into the warm water.
After blow-drying her hair, she sat by the bed with her phone, scrolling through Weibo. Mainly, she wanted to check whether that certain someone had heeded her words and refrained from commenting on or replying to Yu Sheng's post about them.
In the trending topics section, the discussions concerning their Weibo posts still ranked high. Luckily, there were no other new topics that had emerged. Feeling relieved, Mei Ran inadvertently glanced at the topmost section:
Everyone is searching: Tianhang Entertainment CEO Ye Qihan and Diva Queen Yu Sheng.
Driven by curiosity, she clicked into the search and couldn't help but chuckle.
Ye Qihan v: Be good. Don't make a fuss. // Yu Sheng v: The original post’s phrasing is ambiguous. Are you inquiring about the courage of "love," or... (you all know) // Fu Shijin v: Tell me, how much courage is still required?
The hot comments below prominently displayed the following:
Anran: Oh my god! Even through the screen, I can smell a strong aura of [something]! Heart Heart Wish you happiness, Goddess!
The Rebellious Bone: How did these two get hooked up together? Why wasn’t there any word before?
Autumn Sun Sweetie: Total vibe of 'The Overbearing CEO Falls In Love With Me.' Can't talk, gotta go eat dog food now! Heartbreak Heartbreak
Mutual Admiration: Does nobody think that CEO Ye's words were actually directed at Fu Shijin? Oh my god! Unintentionally feeding my mind full of xxx…
Reading this, Mei Ran laughed out loud.
How fitting — a villain is best dealt with by another villain.
I wonder how that lady, who was happily hopping around earlier, will react now. Must be quite interesting.
Mei Ran suddenly felt the thrill of watching a fire burn from the opposite shore.
Unexpectedly, before she could find amusement in her best friend's situation, she herself got blackened.
To be precise, it was her "Think it Over Carefully" account that got blackened.
The attack stemmed from a Weibo posted by a certain account ten minutes ago. The blogger firmly claimed to have solid evidence proving that "Think it Over Carefully" had undergone cosmetic surgery. They claimed to know "Think it Over Carefully" in real life, describing her as an extremely vain person, and ambiguously hinted that Fu Shijin might be temporarily bewitched by her fake beauty, clouding his judgment…
Although the entire argument was full of ambiguity and cleverly skirted the line of personal attacks, the internet was a special kind of melting pot where even a tiny spark could ignite a prairie fire.
Within no time, a large number of paid posters flooded in, each seemingly carrying mud, churning the space below into a filthy mess. Soon, "Think it Over Carefully plastic surgery" swiftly climbed the trending search list.
Mei Ran was simply dumbfounded.
Her phone suddenly rang. It was Yu Sheng calling. As soon as the call connected, she sputtered angrily, "I saw that post too. It should be a planned paid poster smear campaign. Don't make any reply for now. I'll go get my PR team to help you think of a way."
Such was a best friend — always ready to mock and tease you without reserve, yet also always the first to stand up for you, to take on burdens for you.
People like this didn't need to be many; one in a lifetime was enough.
"I know," Mei Ran's voice was calm. "I'm fine."
Yu Sheng briefly comforted her and hung up.
Meanwhile, the mastermind behind it held a phone, smiling with eyes full of coldness. "Mei Ran, you must be sweating with anxiety by now, aren't you?"
Smack! The sudden turning on of the light completely exposed the person's outline. Cen Chen walked over, puzzled. "Mengran, why weren't the lights on?"
She leaned over to look. "The recovery is pretty good. I’ll have someone draft an explanation tomorrow for your disappearance this period."
Mei Mengran, with her nose reshaped to become delicate and beautiful after another surgery, let out a light "hum." "My previous plan achieved the expected effect."
Cen Chen frowned. This was precisely why she had come over.
"Mengran, your resentment may be quelled, but have you thought about what might happen if someone discovers you were the mastermind behind all this? It could lead to a reputation-ruining downfall. After all, our circle is a battlefield of fame and fortune. Once there's a stain…"
Mei Mengran chuckled lightly. "I did it cleanly. No one will find out."
Ever since that man blocked her and she suffered that humiliation, a knot had formed in her heart. Now she finally felt somewhat better.
Cen Chen sighed. In her heart, she understood that this girl was merely blinded by jealousy and hatred. But what could she do? As long as the two of them were on the same ship, she had to clean up her messes.
To be honest, apart from hiring a smear campaign to vent her frustration, Mei Mengran didn't dare to make any other major moves yet, such as directly revealing the true identity of "Think it Over Carefully." After all, she had to consider the potential backlash.
Of course, the caution wasn't towards Fu Shijin.
She still believed that this seemingly upright and forthright man's attention towards Mei Ran might be due to his friendship with her uncle, Mei Hongyuan. This explanation was reasonable and justifiable.
Who she truly feared was Mei Hongyuan and the powerful Mei Corporation standing behind him.
If this sharp and ruthless man found out that his only cherished treasure, his daughter, was being smeared like this, he definitely would not let it go. If he took action, she, Mei Mengran, might have no place left to stand in the entertainment industry.