Any Closer and I'll Lose Control - Chapter 49

Wei Chuan pulled Meng Tang out of the supermarket and walked north for a while before suddenly stopping to stare straight at her.

Meng Tang turned her face away. “What are you looking at?”

Wanting to apologize but stifled by an inexplicable shyness, Wei Chuan muttered softly, “I thought you wouldn’t talk to me anymore.”

Meng Tang lowered her eyes and opened her phone, sending over the money for the items they had just bought.

“Twelve yuan, and you still have to send it to me?” Wei Chuan glanced at the beer in her hand. “Why did you buy this?”

“To drink.”

Wei Chuan: “…”

He shouldn’t have asked.

“Ahem…” Wei Chuan cleared his throat. “Are you still angry?”

Meng Tang didn’t answer. Instead, she spotted a bench under the shade of trees to the north and walked over.

In the summer, the dense foliage provided shade, making it a popular spot for students to cool off. In winter, it was clearly less favored.

Meng Tang opened the bag of chips, picked one up, and popped it into her mouth, crunching loudly.

Still ignoring him, Wei Chuan resignedly sat down beside her and, no longer hesitant, spoke bluntly:

“I came to apologize. I’m sorry.”

Meng Tang handed the chips over. Wei Chuan froze, was she this easy to appease?

He eyed her suspiciously and tentatively asked, “Can I have some?”

Meng Tang nodded.

Wei Chuan still wasn’t sure. “If I eat these, does that mean we’re good?”

Meng Tang: “…Did we ever have a falling out?”

Yesterday had just been a case of heated words.

“No,” Wei Chuan grinned and took a chip. “Do you want to open the beer? I can help.”

Meng Tang handed him the beer. “I’m not drinking. You can decide what to do with it.”

Wei Chuan couldn’t drink either due to training. He took it and asked, “Are you in a bad mood? Why buy alcohol?”

Talking to someone might help ease her frustration.

Meng Tang glanced sideways at Wei Chuan, her tone as calm as stagnant water:

“I met Li Hanjin. Feeling a little down.”

“Why is it always-” Wei Chuan abruptly cut himself off and flashed Meng Tang an ingratiating smile. “If you don’t mind, tell me about it. What did he do to you?”

Though he said this, he couldn’t stand Li Hanjin in his heart.

Meng Tang briefly mentioned what had happened in the restoration lab. Wei Chuan was one of the few who had witnessed Meng Tang’s woodcarving skills up close.

If Li Hanjin’s abilities had driven Meng Tang to seek solace in alcohol, it was clear his talent was as exceptional as she had described.

So, was Meng Tang upset because she hadn’t surpassed Li Hanjin?

Wei Chuan gestured with his hand, drawing a wavy line. “Look, imagine countless mountain peaks here, each at different heights, some distant, some near. He’s standing on the peak in front, and you’re on the one behind. In reality, you’re the same height. You’re just convinced you’re shorter. Just because he pointed out your restoration technique, does that mean his skills are better than yours? Not necessarily, right?”

Meng Tang silently watched Wei Chuan. When he finished, she suddenly asked, “Do you think he’s studied under another master these past four years?”

Wei Chuan chuckled. “I never realized you were so competitive.”

Meng Tang finished the last chip and said quietly, “My grandpa always said that as a craftsman, you either don’t do it at all, or you strive to be the best in the industry.”

While others might say, “My mom says,” for her, it was always “Grandpa says.”

The old man had even encouraged her to marry and have children right after graduation. Wei Chuan turned to her and asked, “What if you can’t reach the top?”

Meng Tang replied, “Grandpa said if you can’t, it means your skills aren’t there yet.”

Those with talent often carry a hint of arrogance. While it might not be overwhelmingly evident in Meng Tang, she certainly had her share.

If she hadn’t had talent, the old master probably wouldn’t have let her pick up a knife in the first place.

After finishing a bag of chips, Meng Tang took out a small thermos from her bag.

Wei Chuan glanced at it, it was bought from the mall across from the museum.

The warm water soothed her throat. Once she had rested enough, Meng Tang said to Wei Chuan, “It’s a bit cold here. Let’s go.”

Wei Chuan stood up. “You haven’t even had dinner. How can your body handle the cold?”

“I’ll stop by the cafeteria,” Meng Tang said as she pulled out her phone. “I’ll ask Lingyin and the others what they want to eat.”

The girls were all in the dorm. When they heard Meng Tang was bringing them food, their gratitude was beyond words.

Meng Tang noted down each of their orders and said, “I’ll bring them back after I eat.”

“Perfect timing,” Wei Chuan suggested, quietly following her. “I haven’t eaten either.”

Meng Tang recalled how he had suddenly appeared and pulled her away earlier, feeling puzzled. “Were you trying to buy something when you went to the supermarket earlier?”

“I was just passing by.”

In truth, he had spotted her from afar, looking like she had lost her soul, and had followed her like a thief the whole way.

Meng Tang: “…If you were just passing by, why did you drag me out?”

Wei Chuan said matter-of-factly, “I was planning to apologize to you anyway. Might as well seize the chance to pay for something and earn some goodwill.”

“…” Meng Tang looked up at this fool with too much money beside her. “When you have a fight with your friends, do you buy them things?”

It didn’t seem like it. Back when Xie Lingyin was drunk, he had been straightforward with Xu Heqing, pushing him without hesitation.

“I rarely fight with my friends,” Wei Chuan met her gaze. “We say what we mean and don’t hold grudges.”

“I’m not holding a grudge either,” Meng Tang said. “It’s just that Li Hanjin was like you earlier, making wild guesses and testing the nature of our relationship.”

Wei Chuan froze, stopping at the side entrance of the cafeteria. “How did you answer?”

“Friends, obviously,” Meng Tang said, looking confused. “What else?”

“…Right, of course.” Wei Chuan forced an awkward smile.

Meng Tang entered the cafeteria, and Wei Chuan followed closely behind, ordering the same meal as her.

Just as they sat down at the table, Meng Tang’s phone rang.

She frowned slightly when she saw the caller ID.

From across the table, Wei Chuan caught sight of the name “Li Hanjin” and thought: This guy is seriously haunting her like a damn ghost.

Does he like Meng Tang?

Senior-junior relationship, childhood friends… The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Wei Chuan poked at his rice noodles and asked, “How many years older is Li Hanjin than you?”

“Seven,” Meng Tang said. “He came to my house to become my master’s disciple the year I turned seven.”

So, they ate from the same pot? Lived under the same roof?

Wei Chuan stared at the caller ID, his tone unconsciously sour. “Aren’t you going to answer?”

Meng Tang finally snapped out of it and picked up the call, whispering to Wei Chuan, “Thanks for the reminder.”

Wei Chuan: “…”

Heart attack.

“Little junior, I’ve got good news for you.”

Meng Tang sounded indifferent. “What good news?”

“Master Su Mian is in Z City. I have some connections with her, she’s staying at the Wanhe Hotel and is hosting a small gathering the day after tomorrow. Want to come?”

“Su Mian?” Meng Tang was stunned. “She hasn’t made a public appearance in ages. Why would she come to Z City?”

Li Hanjin replied, “She’s mostly retired these days. She’s working on a book based on her years of experience and stopped by Z City to gather material.”

Meng Tang thought for a moment. “What time?”

Li Hanjin said, “7:30 p.m. the day after tomorrow. Master Su will be out collecting references during the day.”

“Let me think about it.”

Staying overnight at a hotel would be unavoidable.

“Meng Tang,” Li Hanjin suddenly called her name with a serious tone. “I suggest you come. Grandmaster once praised Master Su’s ‘three cuts to form a peak’ technique. I think there’s something worth learning from this exchange.”

“Got it.”

Hearing the hesitation in her voice, Li Hanjin didn’t press further. Instead, he adopted a lighthearted, joking tone:

“Let me share some good news with you. After being away for a few years, I’ve decided to move my studio to Z City’s art district.”

Meng Tang exclaimed in surprise, “You’re moving your studio to Z City?”

Wei Chuan abruptly looked up, what did that mean? Was Li Hanjin staying for good?