"Senior Sister," the little assistant exclaimed upon seeing Mei Ran arrive, immediately rushing over to give her a bear hug, "Welcome back!"
"Long time no see." Mei Ran greeted a few more colleagues, then her gaze landed on the man standing in front of her desk, and she nodded slightly, "Brother Zhou."
Tian Tian suddenly remembered something, "Senior Sister, Dr. Zhou heard you were coming back today and made a special trip to see you!"
Having teased him about this often, she belatedly realized her words could be interpreted differently and quickly changed the subject, "He brought us so many dried persimmons from his hometown. I just tried one, and they're amazing!"
A slightly plump female doctor chimed in, "Yes, Dr. Zhou is really thoughtful! But we're well aware, we're benefiting from your influence, Dr. Mei!"
Zhou Yimiao smiled, his expression as warm and gentle as ever, "My mom had someone bring them from our hometown. There were too many, so I thought I'd share some with everyone."
As he spoke, he handed a large box of dried persimmons to Mei Ran.
"Thank you, Brother Zhou."
He glanced at her, his smile calm and gentle.
Just that one glance firmly placed a final period on the only time he had ever fallen in love in his life so far.
The scandalous rumors that had been swirling before—their truth or falsehood he didn't care about, because his heart was as clear as a mirror. Someone with such pure eyes, harboring the heart of a healer, would never be associated with those dirty words.
He had guessed she must come from an uncommon background, but never imagined she was actually the daughter of the wealthy Mei family. To him, she now became even more distant, like a star in the far-off sky.
Since he couldn't hold her in his hand, then let her shine forever in his night sky.
"Senior Sister," the little assistant swallowed the dried persimmon in her mouth, her face full of a fawning expression, "You kept it too well hidden, no wonder I said that when we went to that restaurant, why were they giving away limited-edition brand-name perfumes so easily! Hehehe, from now on, you've got my back!"
A few doctors seemed very interested in this topic and urged Tian Tian to recount the story. Tian Tian had no choice but to explain the whole thing from start to finish.
Mei Ran's eyes dimmed slightly, a faint touch of bitterness surfacing in her heart. So, things were still different. Their attitude towards her... was more enthusiastic than before, but mixed with an indescribable restraint and wariness.
"Whether you're Mei Ran, or Mei Hongyuan's daughter," Zhou Yimiao said, "in my heart, you are my junior sister. That won't change."
Mei Ran nodded, "I know."
Zhou Yimiao patted her shoulder a few times, seemingly a silent encouragement, "I have a meeting later, so I'll head back to my department first."
The little assistant had wiped her desk clean, and all sorts of materials were sorted and arranged neatly. Mei Ran sat down in her chair, sipping water absentmindedly.
The door was pushed open, and Tian Tian came in grinning, "Senior Sister, we're planning to go out tonight for a little gathering, as a welcome back for you. You absolutely have to come!"
Mei Ran softly acknowledged with a "Hmm," "Did anything happen these past few days?"
"Nope. It was basically calm and peaceful," the little assistant pursed her lips, "With you gone, even the patients dwindled. The TCM department was so deserted, A-Lan and I were busy daydreaming and gossiping every day."
The person right in front of her was actually the source of their gossip! She finally couldn't hold back and asked the question that had been itching in her heart, "Senior Sister, what stage have you and my male idol reached now?"
Mei Ran suddenly choked on her water.
Tian Tian, seeing this, "Oh oh oh" got it, and chuckled slyly, "I'll keep it a secret!"
"Senior Sister, I want to ask one more question."
"What's the relationship between Mei Mengran and you?" She was a seasoned Weibo fanatic. She knew all about the shady dirt on Mei Mengran online, and it was simply shocking. She couldn't even imagine that someone she'd followed was actually...
Moreover, Tian Tian had only started following Mei Mengran thinking she was MR. But now with everything happening this way, psychologically she really couldn't accept that Mei Mengran had even the slightest connection with MR. That would be such a huge blasphemy against her goddess, okay?
Mei Ran had no way to answer that question, because even she couldn't define what Mei Mengran's relationship to her was, so she could only vaguely brush it off.
"I've unfollowed her, probably a case of 'the deeper the love, the stronger the blame'," the little assistant said somewhat sulkily, "Right now, I just hope she isn't MR!"
Mei Ran gave a faint smile, saying nothing.
Logically speaking, as a wildly popular superstar, Mei Mengran should have a powerful public relations team behind her. But for some reason, this time they seemed like they had their hands and feet tied. What was even more lamentable was that, despite so much time having passed since the incident, her talent agency also didn't seem to have any intention of stepping in to do damage control.
It seemed Mei Mengran had suffered a major blow this time, but it was also her own fault.
"Mengran, when did you offend Tianxing Entertainment? I've got inside information... they're planning a complete blacklist on you."
Tianxing Entertainment? Ye Qihan? He was probably acting on someone else's instructions, right?
"Mengran, the higher-ups' decision is for you to take a break for a while." Clearly, she was being shelved.
The door slammed shut, blocking out the only light. Mei Mengran huddled on the sofa, picked up her phone, opened the contacts, found a name, and dialed.
"Mei Ran."
"..."
"Seeing me in this miserable state, you must be really happy in your heart, right?"
Mei Ran couldn't listen anymore and coldly interrupted, "You think I'm the one who caused this for you?"
Silence on the other end. Silent assent.
Mei Ran laughed, "Mei Mengran, I thought after all these years, you would at least have become a little smarter. I didn't expect..."
Mei Mengran hung up directly, but the final words spoken still haunted her thoughts, "I'll tell you this only once. The photos did not leak from me. I, Mei Ran, would disdain to do such a thing. I'm not asking you to believe it, I just want you to know."
Hah, if it wasn't her, then who could it be?
She dialed another number, "... The number you have dialed is busy..."
Wu Yuwan roared hoarsely, "What did you say?! Not valuable anymore?"
The phone showed an incoming call; she glanced at the three characters "Mei Mengran" and continued speaking, "Did you hear me clearly or not? I want to expose a story on the superstar Mei Mengran, she..."
She spat to the side, "Damnit! Can you keep your damn kid quiet?! If he keeps crying, I'll sew his mouth shut, believe it?!"
The child's parents weren't easy-going either, hurling verbal abuse at her. Wu Yuwan glared at them hatefully, jumped off the bed in two or three moves, and ran out into the corridor.
"Mei Mengran is completely tarnished now, like a rat crossing the street that everyone shouts to beat. The dirt you're trying to sell has no value."
"Hello?! Hello!?"
Wu Yuwan angrily kicked the wall.
She'd been lying in the hospital for days, not even having someone to pour her a glass of water. The test results were in; she hadn't expected to contract that kind of disease. Then the nurses kept pressing her to pay her medical bills, and Zhao Liang's phone was constantly unreachable...
Just a few days, what the hell happened to that useless girl? Did it mean she couldn't even count on her last lifeline?
Wu Yuwan couldn't understand and directly called back the missed call, intending to get a clear answer.
The two mother and daughter, each at their wits' end, clarified the entire situation over the phone—turns out they had both been played for fools by that man Zhao Liang.
"How did you get that photo of me?"
Wu Yuwan had lost her earlier arrogance and stammered, "I went back to the old hometown and got it from your Third Aunt."
Mei Mengran finally understood, "I see, I see."
This made sense. After she came to the Mei family, she had once sent a photo back to the Third Aunt in the mountains, instructing her to burn it before her grandfather's grave so the old man who had loved her so would know she was living well. But she never imagined...
So it really wasn't Mei Ran.
The busy tone sounded from the other end. Wu Yuwan, having even forgotten to bring up the critical matter of asking for money in time, hurriedly called back. But Mei Mengran's phone was already turned off. She was so angry she almost passed out! Cursing under her breath several times, she finally dragged her weak, unsteady body back to the ward.
"Dr. Mei, what are you looking at?"
Mei Ran snapped out of her thoughts, "Nothing, let's go."
Why was Wu Yuwan here? She glanced back at the three characters "Infectious Diseases Department" in the distance, thinking her earlier speculation had indeed been correct. She had very likely been infected with HIV.
Back at the office, Mei Ran searched around before remembering some important materials were left at home. There was an expert meeting tonight, and she was also among those invited.
So she took leave to go home. Opening the door, she spotted a pair of spotless black leather shoes in the entryway. Opening the shoe cabinet, the blue cotton slippers belonging to a certain someone were nowhere to be found. She walked quietly into the bedroom.
The person on the bed had only a thin quilt draped over his waist. His tall frame was facing her, breathing evenly, seeming to be sound asleep.
Mei Ran sat down on the carpet, propping her chin with her hand as she studied him seriously. Her gaze slid from his handsome facial lines down to his beautifully defined clavicle bones. Her soft eyes lingered on his partly exposed chest... as if her mind, on its own, had begun staging a play of removing his white shirt...
"Ahem, ahem!"
She awkwardly brushed aside the stray hair by her ear, pretending to be calm as she met the pair of dark eyes that had opened, at some unknown moment, "Why didn't you tell me in advance that you were coming?"
If she hadn't taken temporary leave to return home, he probably would have had to wait until the afternoon.
The man didn't speak, only gently pursing his thin lips, quietly watching her from his side-lying position.
The next instant, kisses rained down on her like a storm. It felt as if their lips and tongues contained honey, and no matter how they licked, sucked, or bit, they couldn't dissolve the overwhelming sweetness.
"I regret it."
"Hmm?" Mei Ran's eyes clouded with a misty haze.
"I can't bear to let you see me off," he still nibbled lightly at her lips bit by bit, "but I can't bear even more the thought of having to part with you for seven days without seeing you."
The annual family event in France was something he couldn't miss. The schedule was fixed long ago, and he had already mentioned it to her, but really thinking about being apart for so long made Fu Shijin...
The him from before would never have had such moments of hesitation, but now it was different; he had a tie here.
"I really want to shrink you down and carry you with me every day."
Mei Ran laughed out a "Pfft," simply climbed onto the bed and nestled into his embrace, found a comfortable position, and nuzzled against his chest, "I can't bear it either."
Dense, scorching warmth coiled around her, and the man whispered in her ear, "When I return from France, we can get engaged first."
"Okay." Mei Ran hugged his waist, "But you have to propose first."
He was clearly pleased by her words, his voice dropping even lower, "Don't want to just hold you and sleep purely anymore, it's hard on me."
The person in his arms shook with laughter.
Fu Shijin's flight was at seven in the evening, so Mei Ran simply took the whole afternoon off, prepared a sumptuous dinner to see him off, and before she knew it, the sky outside had darkened.
Mei Ran walked him downstairs. The driver was already waiting with the luggage.
"I'll call you when I arrive."
Mei Ran straightened the scarf she had just wrapped around him. The man took the opportunity to bend down, and she quickly kissed his lips, "I'll be waiting for you to come back."
He cupped her face and deepened the kiss, only nodding, breath slightly uneven, after a long while, "Okay."
Mei Ran watched the black Cayenne disappear from sight, stood a moment longer where she was, then went upstairs wrapped in the thick hues of dusk.
The gathering only started after the meeting ended, and it was almost past ten by the time it wrapped up.
Mei Ran was going the same way as her little assistant, and they lived close by, so they headed back together.
Passing by a video store at a street corner, they saw a large pile of albums stacked at the entrance, with a bright red sign prominently displayed: Rock-bottom Clearance, Buy One Get Two Free!
Tian Tian took a look, exclaiming in surprise, "Aren't these Mei Mengran's albums?" They had been heavily promoted, a household name, just a while ago.
Seeing the two seemed interested, the shop owner came out holding a water cup, "Beautiful ladies, for the sake of your good looks, Buy One Get Three, want some?"
Seeing the puzzled looks on their faces, he explained, "The singer's reputation is rotten, the albums aren't worth anything anymore, can only sell them dirt cheap."
He sighed, "Heard her nationwide concert tour is also canceled... I stocked so many of her albums, really unlucky."
Mei Ran fell silent; Tian Tian heaved a sigh. In the end, they still didn't buy anything, walking off into the night.
The next morning, around eight, Mei Ran received an international call. From the other end came the familiar, low, husky voice, carrying a trace of weariness, seemingly mixed with a hint of lavender scent, "Miss me?"
I miss you. After eleven hours and seven minutes of being separated from you. In France, 16,300 kilometers away.
"Yes."
He chuckled softly, asking, "How much?"
"I was distracted in last night's meeting."
The girl's voice was warm and soft, like a pot of mellow, sweet wine, gently seeping into the depths of one's soul. Fu Shijin's heart softened unexpectedly, impossibly.
The two chatted for almost another half hour before ending the call. Mei Ran was about to get out of bed and wash up when her phone rang again.
As soon as she answered, the panicked voice of Mei Liangzhi jumped out, "Think-think, Ranran swallowed pills to commit suicide last night."