"Is your hand hurting again?" Yu Sheng, noticing Mei Ran rubbing her wrist, asked curiously.
"Now that the weather's turning cooler, you really should take better care of it."
Mei Ran quickly stopped her movements, brushed the hair beside her ear to conceal her ears which were beginning to feel hot.
It didn't exactly hurt, it just felt a bit sore!
"Wait a minute," Yu Sheng added, "I remember you injured your right hand, didn't you? So why are you rubbing your left one? Don't tell me this can spread?!"
The ears beneath her dark hair had already turned as red as rubies.
Mei Ran stammered, "Ye... yeah. The weather looks nice today..."
Yu Sheng leaned in with a mischievous "Heh heh heh," "So, how'd it go last night? Did you manage to ask?"
"Last night." Mei Ran repeated the two words with difficulty. It truly was... quite the story!
The memory flowed back with crystalline clarity. After she'd said those words, she instantly felt the man beside her stiffen momentarily all over. Then, he kissed her deeply, his grip on her hand slowly guiding it to... that place.
"Huh? What did you say?"
Yu Sheng's eyes blinked like bright little lightbulbs. "Didn't you click on the video link I sent you last night?"
"No," Mei Ran gave a small yawn.
Where would she have found the time? They'd fooled around until almost 3 a.m. before finally sleeping, and it had been a struggle to get up in the morning.
"What a pity!" Yu Sheng let out a long laugh, took out her phone, clicked on the link, and watched the video from start to finish again.
"Didn't she use alternate accounts before to spread rumors about you getting plastic surgery? Karma really is a bitch, and payback is sweet!"
Mei Ran leaned against the pillar, her eyes slightly downcast. "Honestly, if it weren't for those old photos of her..."
"You still have her old photos?!" Yu Sheng suddenly jumped over and threw an arm around Mei Ran's shoulders. "Let me see!"
There's a saying that rings true: the scariest people aren't those who know about your past, but those who hold onto your ugly pictures from the past.
"They're at home," Mei Ran said.
Yu Sheng flashed a wicked grin. "Nice! If she ever dares to provoke you again in the future, just release those photos outright! If you're worried about getting your hands dirty, you can leave that sort of thing to me."
After all, dealing with bitches was something she absolutely loved.
Mei Ran smiled, her peripheral vision catching sight of a maid walking towards them.
"Young Lady, your father has returned. The Old Master requests your presence."
"How does he even dare to come back?" Yu Sheng's smile vanished entirely, a cold gleam flashing in her eyes. "I'm not going!"
The maid stood awkwardly in place.
Mei Ran tugged on Yu Sheng's arm. "Shengsheng, it's Grandpa's birthday today. Don't make things too tense. After all, no matter what, he is your father."
"I don't have a father like that!" Yu Sheng shouted angrily towards the courtyard, stamping her feet.
Mei Ran went straight for the jugular. "Whether you do or not, you know better in your heart than anyone."
Yu Sheng stomped her foot hard a few more times, but still followed the maid away.
Old Master Yu, being advanced in years and not as energetic as before, had moved the birthday feast to start early at four in the afternoon. There was still plenty of time, so Mei Ran planned to wander around and pass the time.
The osmanthus in the side courtyard was blooming exceptionally well. Mei Ran stood beneath the tree, looking up at the silvery-white blossoms clustered among the green leaves. When the wind blew, she caught a few blooms in her palm, delightedly bringing them to her nose to sniff again and again before tucking them into the pocket of her coat.
Continuing her stroll, she unexpectedly ran into a familiar figure in a corridor some ten-odd meters away. Mei Ran secretly bit her tongue.
Why was it that the very person she was trying to avoid was always the one she inevitably encountered?
Fu Shijin had seen her too, a trace of amusement flickering in his dark eyes. He watched her with a quiet, focused intensity, as if she were the only person he could see in his world.
Mei Ran walked over slowly, stopping a few steps away from him. "What are you doing here?"
He curved his lips into a slight smile. "Should I carry you the rest of the way?"
It took her a few seconds to register what he'd said. In the blink of an eye, she was standing right before him.
"I'm waiting for someone," he answered her earlier question.
"Oh."
Could it be her he was waiting for? A trap she'd walked right into?
After last night, facing this man again, Mei Ran's heart was pounding in her chest like a drum, her breathing a little out of control.
Why was he able to be so calm and composed?
The man's hand suddenly reached out. Mei Ran instinctively stepped back, but he was quick as a hawk, pulling her back by the waist and into his embrace.
"You smell wonderful," he breathed in deeply, picking a few tiny white flowers from her hair and lightly crushing them between his fingertips. "Is this osmanthus?"
"Do you like it?" Mei Ran fished a handful from her pocket. "I have more here."
He rested his chin on her head and breathed in again. "You smell wonderful."
Mei Ran leaned against his chest and laughed softly.
"Ran Ran," his breath suddenly brushed her earlobe, his low voice carrying a tempting quality. "I'm so happy to share such intimacy with you."
His voice dropped even lower. "Only with you."
You belong to me, and I belong only to you. So, don't be shy.
Mei Ran: "... Okay."
A few light coughs suddenly came from behind them. She jumped, turned her head, and hastily pushed the person before her away. "Dad."
So, the person he was waiting for earlier... was her father?
Why didn't you say so?! And he didn't know how long her father had been standing there watching. And the things they'd just said... Mei Ran wished she could instantly vanish into a hole in the ground.
Fu Shijin was slightly more composed than her, but only slightly. After all, being discovered by his future father-in-law in such a scene was not within his expectations.
One could only say he'd been too engrossed, failing to notice the approaching footsteps.
"Think About It," Mei Hongyuan looked at his daughter, his gentle gaze tinged with amusement. "Some friends of mine are very interested in antiques. Could I borrow Shijin for a little while?"
He added, "It won't be for long. Just half an hour."
"Dad!" Mei Ran protested, then promptly turned and ran off!
True to his word, Mei Hongyuan returned Fu Shijin within half an hour, but Mei Ran herself had vanished without a trace.
Finally, after inquiring with a maid, Fu Shijin learned that she had gone to the ancestral temple with Yu Sheng to pray for the Old Master's blessings. He didn't see her reappear until ten minutes before the banquet started.
Mei Ran and Yu Sheng wore identical dresses, looking remarkably like twin sisters. They sat on either side of the Old Master, coaxing and teasing him until he was smiling from ear to ear, laughter echoing repeatedly.
Mei Ran's gift of the "White Jade Ice Silkworm" had truly struck a chord with the Old Master. He pulled it out like a treasure to share with everyone, but quickly had it put away again as if letting others gaze at it too long was akin to stealing a piece of his own heart.
Yu Sheng pouted. "Grandpa, you're being so unfair! Yesterday you said you really liked the jade Ruyi scepter I gave you!"
"The palm and the back of the hand are both flesh," Old Master Yu chortled happily. "Grandpa likes them all, truly!"
Yu Sheng beamed. "That's more like it."
Her father was also present, but over the course of several hours, Yu Sheng didn't even glance his way once. This middle-aged man drank alone, his forced smile full of an unspeakable bitterness and regret.
One misstep led to countless missteps—there truly was no medicine for regret in this world.
By seven in the evening, all the guests had dispersed. Several maids bustled about tidying up, while Yu Sheng and Mei Ran helped their slightly intoxicated grandfather back to his room to rest.
Coming out, they happened to meet the Steward bringing sobering soup. Yu Sheng asked, "Where is he?"
"I heard he got pretty drunk. The driver took him back to the hotel ten minutes ago. He should still be on the road now."
Yu Sheng responded with a flat, unimpressed "Hmph."
Irritation prickled inside her. Why stay at a hotel? Who was he putting on an act for?
Mei Ran said nothing, simply quietly walked out with her, strolling along the riverbank.
About halfway, Yu Sheng suddenly remembered something and quickly took out her phone. "My agent told me Mei Mengran is on 'Entertainment Star News' tonight. Ugh, what lousy signal! I can't get anything to load, and I'm on 4G!"
She even exaggeratedly stood on a rock trying to find a signal, fiddled for a while, but finally gave up.
"I really wanted to see how she's going to spin this one!"
"On such a beautiful night," Mei Ran pulled her up, and the two sat down together by the bridge. "Bringing her up is such a mood killer."
"That's true!" Yu Sheng leaned against Mei Ran, looking up at the stars. "Think About It, which one do you think my Mom is?"
"That one!" Mei Ran pointed.
"How do you know?"
"Because the one next to it is my Mom," Mei Ran said. "They were such good friends in life. They must still be now."
"You're right!" Yu Sheng laughed, collapsing against Mei Ran's shoulder. "Such good friends!"
Mei Ran felt the wetness on her shoulder and began to hum a song softly, "In my most beautiful time..."
As the gentle melody was scattered by the cool breeze, the live broadcast of "Entertainment Star News" also reached its interview segment with the special guest.
"For this episode, we've invited the well-known singer Mei Mengran. With the popularity of 'The Good Singer,' I'm sure everyone is familiar with her by now." The host smiled towards the camera. "Mengran, say hello to the audience."
"Hello everyone, I am Mei Mengran."
The host quickly moved to the main topic, asking questions centered around the recent plastic surgery incident.
Mei Mengran smiled generously and appropriately, replying without haste. "It's an issue of angles. We learned about it in middle school physics—the refraction of light can make objects appear broken."
"As for my eyes," Mei Mengran playfully blinked at this point. "It might be due to my body's constitution. Whenever I cry, they just become disobedient and turn noticeably different sizes. It's frustrating even for me."
The host smiled and chimed in. "That's perfectly normal. I used to get droopy eyelids whenever I didn't sleep well..."
In front of the television screen, a man sitting cross-legged on a sofa blurted out incredulously, "Are you sure she's the same person as in this photograph?"
"Believe it or not, even I almost didn't recognize her at first," Wu Yuwan was wiping the sweat from her neck with a tissue.
The man's eyes widened, his gaze shifting rapidly between the TV and the photo in his hand. Even with the cosmetics and careful styling, the overall facial structure still matched the person in the photo.
"My god!"
"Don't crinkle that photo!" Wu Yuwan snatched it back. "I have to return it in a couple of days."
"What?! You're really giving it back?" The man was extremely displeased. "This is our golden goose! What, you want to starve in the future?!"
"A dog will jump over a wall when cornered!" Wu Yuwan snorted coldly. "She's no fool. Did you think she'd fall for this forever?"
"Besides," she added, "I have plenty of other ways to control her."
She suddenly sighed. "I'm actually feeling a little bad."
"Last night I dreamed her father came to me, kneeling by my bed crying all night long! That man... I don't know how many times I cuckolded him while he was alive, but it's not all my fault! Who told him to be such a useless weakling, done in three minutes... I have a guilty conscience! I can understand him pleading for his real daughter after his death, but I know that's not his seed..."
Wu Yuwan's health had been declining lately. She often had illusions, frequent nightmares at night, and had even experienced sleep paralysis for several nights.
She'd been with several men, but the one in front of her was the most long-lasting, especially fulfilling her in that way. Though she couldn't say she was wholly open-hearted with him, she told him almost everything.
"Brother Zhao..." she called out coyly, her foot already suggestively winding up his calf.
Zhao Liang had been staring at the photo in a daze. Give it back? She might be a fool, but he certainly wasn't. With Mei Mengran's plastic surgery incident heating up so much these days, this photo might fetch a high price! Money was something you needed to keep in your own pocket, that was reality...
The woman's body pressed against him abruptly. His gaze sharpened as he took in her protruding ribs on her chest, the cold sweat continuously beading on her skin, and the small pimple... A feeling of nausea, as if he'd eaten spoiled food, welled up instantly. Somewhat disgusted, he pushed her away. "The bet I placed earlier is being drawn tonight. Not a good time to lose your edge now."
Wu Yuwan kicked him. "You bastard!"
"Why is there only one photo?"
"That girl never liked having her picture taken. Me? I wasn't close to her either. When we came out of the mountains, I only had fifty yuan left in my pocket, not even an extra change of clothes. Why would I have the spare energy to bring her photo? I was just bluffing to scare her before. Who knew she'd actually fall for it." Wu Yuwan laughed. "Luckily, I went back to the old place again, that's where I found this picture from her Third Aunt..."
A full moon hung low in the sky, the nightscape beautiful and serene.
Yu Sheng's phone suddenly rang. Mei Ran tilted her head and saw the caller ID, instantly taken aback.
Yu Sheng saw it too, a strange flicker passing through her expression. She instantly ended the call. Within a few seconds, it rang again.
"You should probably pick up. It might be urgent."
"I won't!"
Mei Ran knew her well. Once Yu Sheng had made up her mind about something, she'd stick to it stubbornly all the way to the end.
Sure enough, the phone didn't ring again.
Gondolas were moored beneath the bridge. The two oil lamps hung at their prows swung back and forth in the wind, the lamplight flickering uncertainly. Mei Ran rubbed her arms and stood up. "The wind's picking up. Let's head back."
A much brighter beam of light shone towards them. She looked over and, making out the man getting out of the car, she replaced her initial surprise with a faint, gentle smile. "Shengsheng, look. A truly handsome, dashing, and elegant gentleman!"
That line was from an opera she'd heard only once before while accompanying Old Master Yu to a show. Somehow, she'd memorized it word for word.
Ye Qihan shook his phone slightly as he walked towards them.
He couldn't exactly explain why. Last night, hearing her somewhat cool, distant "Goodbye," his mood had instantly plummeted. It felt like he was being controlled like a puppet on strings, his mind shouting just one thought: *Get close to her, get close to her.*
Luckily for him, getting the specific address of her hometown wasn't all that difficult.
The hard part was, she adamantly refused to answer his calls again. Even now, with him standing right in front of her, she simply met his gaze with a completely ordinary look.
One of the boat lamps was extinguished by the wind. Mei Ran also felt that her own role as a third wheel was no longer appropriate to maintain. She turned and walked down the other side of the bridge.
Who could have predicted that not far along the bridge's other side, she'd glimpse another familiar silhouette? He stood leaning with his long legs casually crossed, a posture both lazy yet exuding a strange nobility. Those beautiful eyes watched her with a seemingly amused smile.
Clearly, he'd been sitting there for a good while.
Mei Ran's legs suddenly felt weak.
Indeed.
"Handsome and dashing?" He took her hand and pulled her onto his lap, holding her there. "Elegant and distinguished?"
Mei Ran's voice was feeble. "Misunderstanding. It's a misunderstanding."
She wasn't unaccustomed to how this man behaved when jealous. Luckily, they were on this side of the arched bridge, where a tall plane tree on the bank blocked the moonlight, casting them into shadow. There was no need to worry about anyone seeing... certain inappropriate sights.
The night in the water village was gentle and amorous.
At each end of the bridge, two pairs of lovers nestled close, each whispering heartfelt words to one another.
The next day, Mei Ran and Fu Shijin returned to City A together, arriving past six in the afternoon. As soon as they stepped out of the airport, they were hastily intercepted by Mei Ran's father's secretary.
Two hours earlier, what appeared to be old, pre-plastic surgery photos of the popular singing star Mei Mengran had been exposed, shocking everyone.
Half an hour earlier, S City's richest man, Mei Hongyuan, was also embroiled in a scandal involving allegations of keeping a female college student as a mistress.
Thus began what would later be termed the persistent news event known as the "Twin Mei Incident."