Chapter 88:
Meng Zhenhua was so angry that the veins at his temple bulged, “If you had the ability to coax Zhao Yunrui well, would he break off the engagement with you?”
Meng Yan knew that whatever she said would be wrong, so she didn’t dare make a sound.
She had no idea where that text message came from, some meddlesome nurse who didn’t know any better.
Meng Zhenhua’s face darkened, “What’s the use of keeping you around? One after another, you’re all just here to anger me! Get out, all of you!”
Lin Peilan deliberately waited until he finished venting before going over to console, “Honey, calm down, don’t ruin your health over this.”
Meng Zhenhua’s chest heaved, “The company is already giving me enough headaches, and now the home isn’t peaceful either!”
“The breaking off engagement has already happened, getting angry won’t solve the problem.” Lin Peilan poured a cup of tea and handed it over, “Isn’t there still Yaoyao? Since she’s back, couldn’t the marriage alliance with the Xu Family be put on the agenda?”
Mentioning Meng Shuyou, Meng Zhenhua’s anger surged again, “Do you think she’ll listen to me? She’s been abroad for a few years and grown bold, even cutting off her card doesn’t scare her!”
Meng Yan couldn’t help saying, “Dad, she’s just found herself a rich man outside, of course she doesn’t lack money.”
Meng Zhenhua gripped the tea cup tightly, “Shameless!”
Lin Peilan thought for a moment, “Don’t just use force, sometimes a mix of soft and hard tactics is needed to achieve the goal.”
–
The temperature dropped slightly over these two days, not as muggy as before.
In the evening, Meng Shuyou took Shu Man out to stroll around the mall and buy her clothes.
Although she couldn’t wear them in the hospital, she could still dress up nicely for occasional outings.
At this age, which girl doesn’t love beauty? She didn’t want her sister to only remember blue-and-white striped patient gowns in the future.
Shu Man barely spoke in front of outsiders, and strangers couldn’t tell she had any issues; the sales assistant kept praising her gentle and quiet temperament.
After buying five sets of clothes, she couldn’t carry any more.
After checking out, Meng Shuyou held Shu Man’s hand and returned to the hospital.
On the way back, they passed a roadside vendor selling candied hawthorn, and Meng Shuyou asked, “Older Sister, want some candied hawthorn?”
Shu Man nodded.
Meng Shuyou pulled out her mobile phone and ordered a skewer from the boss.
Shu Man took the candied hawthorn, tore open the transparent film, and first held it to Meng Shuyou’s mouth.
Meng Shuyou recalled her childhood, when Mother worried about cavities and only bought one skewer for the two sisters to share; Older Sister always let her eat the first one, and the extra one was hers too.
“Older Sister, you eat first.”
Shu Man insisted she eat first.
Meng Shuyou opened her mouth and took a bite, the sugar coating cracking with a crunch.
Sour and sweet, just like the taste in her memory.
Her mobile phone suddenly rang; she looked down and saw it was an unfamiliar number with no contact saved.
She answered the call, and a voice that was both strange and somewhat familiar came through, “Yaoyao, Meng Yan said you returned from abroad—why not come home to stay?”
Meng Shuyou paused for a few seconds, recognized who it was, and coldly retorted, “Where do I have a home?”
Lin Peilan spoke kindly, “Yaoyao, that’s not how you should put it. You bear the Meng surname, you’re part of the Meng Family—how could you have no home?”
Meng Shuyou sarcastically tugged at the corner of her mouth; in the Meng Family, had anyone ever treated her as family? From beginning to end, she was just a chess piece cultivated by the Meng Family.
“If you have something to say, just say it.”
Lin Peilan spoke earnestly, “You’re finally back in the country—come home and have a meal together. Your dad has thought it through and won’t force you anymore. He’s just stubborn by nature; don’t take it to heart. There’s no overnight grudge between father and daughter, right?”
How could Meng Shuyou believe her? Meng Zhenhua was selfish and dictatorial to his core; he probably wouldn’t change in this lifetime. “No need.”
Lin Peilan continued persuading, “After all, we’re family. Your dad was wrong, but he raised you to this age. Whatever it is, you can sit down and talk it out, clear up the misunderstanding.”
She was trying to play the family card.
Little did she know, Meng Shuyou’s last shred of familial affection for Meng Zhenhua had been exhausted months ago.
This biological father of hers, if he had any conscience at all, wouldn’t push his own daughter into the fire pit for benefits.
“If that’s all, no need to waste words. Hanging up.”
“Wait.” Lin Peilan quickly stopped her, “You can’t stay away forever, can you?”
“If you never come back, I’ll have the servant clean out your room and turn it into Zihao’s study. But I don’t know which of your things are useful and which aren’t—if I accidentally throw away something your mother left you, you’ll blame me again.”
Meng Shuyou gripped her mobile phone tightly, “I’ll come back tomorrow.”
The things Mother left her were all locked in a combination lock box.
Not valuable, but precious.
Once, Meng Yan sneaked into her room and took the necklace Mother gave her, throwing it into the bushes in the back garden; she searched all day, her hands cut by branches, ending up covered in dirt and disheveled.
After that, she could only lock up the important things.
–
The next morning, after Aunt Xue arrived at the hospital, Meng Shuyou went to the Meng Family.
The car stopped in front of the black wrought-iron gate; she got out, standing at the doorway for a moment.
This Nanyang villa before her eyes was like a cage; from the first day she arrived, she was trapped, suffocated by all the rules and scoldings.
“Second Miss?” The security guard uncle called out to her through the window and pressed the remote to open the iron gate.
Meng Shuyou nodded in greeting, “Uncle Li.”
She stepped forward and walked straight inside.
The servants tending the flower bed outside the villa were surprised to see her return; the Meng Family hadn’t been peaceful these days, and Second Miss coming back now probably wasn’t good.
Meng Shuyou entered and passed the living room, seeing Meng Yan sitting on the sofa drinking coffee; she wanted to ignore her, but the other didn’t give her the chance.
“Weren’t you not coming back?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take my things and go.”
Meng Yan set down her cup and walked toward her, “Take what? Weren’t all your things bought for you by the Meng Family?”
Meng Shuyou met her gaze, her voice cold, “Taking my own things. Anything the Meng Family bought, I won’t take a single one.”
“What, are you really planning to cut ties with the Meng Family?” Meng Yan’s tone was mocking, “Then why not pay back all the money Dad spent on you over the years? You’ve found yourself a rich man anyway, so you shouldn’t be short on cash, right?”
“Did I ask him to spend on me? He forcibly brought me back to the Meng Family back then—do you think I wanted the Meng surname?” Meng Shuyou shot back without mercy, “And you keep harping on ‘finding a rich man’—is it because you want one but can’t get one?”
Meng Yan was provoked to anger, “Don’t you slander me. You think everyone is as shameless as you.”
In comparison, Meng Shuyou was much more composed emotionally, “In that regard, I probably can’t compare to you.”
Her gaze shifted down to Meng Yan’s lower abdomen, “Weren’t you pregnant? Why cancel the wedding then? Could it be the Zhao Family doesn’t acknowledge this child?”
