Any Closer and I'll Lose Control - Chapter 50

Wei Chuan waited until Meng Tang hung up the phone before immediately asking, “Li Hanjin isn’t leaving?”

Meng Tang gave a quiet “Mm” in response. “He’s already bought a place here, and his studio’s location is finalized too.”

Wei Chuan’s first instinct was that Li Hanjin had come for Meng Tang, and was staying for her.

His right eyelid twitched violently. He pressed it with his fingertip, but the more he tried to suppress it, the more his irritation surged.

Even the fragrant, perfectly seasoned rice noodles turned tasteless in his mouth.

Wei Chuan glanced at Meng Tang. “What else did he say to you?”

“There’s a small woodcarving exchange the day after tomorrow,” Meng Tang said. “Hosted by a master I really admire.”

“Are you going?”

“I’m considering it. It’s a rare opportunity.”

“Will Li Hanjin be there too?”

“Mm.”

“…”

Wei Chuan finished the meal absentmindedly. Meng Tang left as breezily as she had arrived, not sparing him another thought.

After grabbing food for her roommates, she stepped onto the balcony to call her grandfather and told him about Su Mian’s visit to Z City.

Meng Yuchun immediately saw through her. “You want to see her, don’t you? Just drop my name, and she’ll definitely agree to meet you.”

“It’s not that. I could go, but…” Thinking of Li Hanjin, Meng Tang trailed off.

Back then, her grandfather had been furious, so much so that he’d taken a whip to him.

But Li Hanjin had just knelt there, refusing to admit any wrongdoing even under the threat of death.

In the end, he was expelled from the school, yet still allowed to continue woodcarving. The whole thing was bizarre.

“Spit it out. What’s with the hesitation?” Meng Yuchun’s tone was stern, the way it always was when he lectured her. “Do you waver like this when you’re carving wood too?”

After a few seconds of silence, Meng Tang finally spoke. “I ran into Li Hanjin. He came to our university to give a lecture. He was the one who told me about Su Mian.”

A long silence followed on the other end of the line before Meng Yuchun finally replied, his voice measured. “Did he say anything else to you?”

Meng Tang: “He moved his studio to Z City.”

Meng Yuchun let out a noncommittal “Mm,” then warned, “See Su Mian if you want. Even without Li Hanjin, one call from me would get you that meeting. But after this, keep your distance from him.”

“Grandfather…” Meng Tang hesitated. “Back then, he-”

Meng Yuchun cut her off sharply. “All you need to know is that I didn’t expel him without reason.”

Meng Tang sighed almost imperceptibly. “Understood.”

Meng Yuchun then asked for the details of the event, and Meng Tang didn’t hide anything.

After hanging up, Meng Yuchun paused for a long moment before digging through his contacts and dialing Chen Xunli’s number.

Chen Xunli was in the middle of dinner when the call came in, startling him so badly he nearly dropped his chopsticks.

Was the old man finally acknowledging him as his second disciple?

But the moment he answered, the interrogation began. “Was it your idea to have Li Hanjin give a lecture at your university?”

As the “second disciple,” Chen Xunli was well aware that Li Hanjin had once been Meng Yuchun’s prized pupil.

Still, he and Li Hanjin were on decent terms, so he chuckled nervously. “It wasn’t my idea, he came to me. Master, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Meng Yuchun’s voice was flat. “Don’t call me ‘Master.’ In this lifetime, Meng Tang is my only disciple. I called to ask you about someone, out of respect for the bond we shared those few years.”

Chen Xunli straightened up immediately. “Go ahead.”

Meng Yuchun: “Does Meng Tang have a classmate named Wei Chuan? A sports major?”

Chen Xunli was taken aback. “There is such a person. Why do you ask?”

Meng Yuchun: “Give me his number, and… don’t mention this to Meng Tang.”

“Wait, at least give me a reason,” Chen Xunli said hesitantly. “Wei Chuan is the treasure of the sports department. He’s preparing for a major basketball competition, it’s really important.”

“Do you think I’d harm him? I just think he has an unusual physique and want to ask if he’d consider a career change.”

Chen Xunli: “…”

Wei Chuan, a burly sports student, doing delicate work like wood carving?

After a long silence, Meng Yuchun said seriously, “He’s friends with my granddaughter Meng Tang. He’s visited our home before. I need to talk to him about something important, and Meng Tang can’t know about it.”

Chen Xunli: “Alright, give me a moment. I’ll look it up for you.”

Satisfied with the response, Meng Yuchun hung up.

After washing up, Meng Tang sat at her computer and checked the calendar, realizing that the day after tomorrow was Friday. Even if she stayed out overnight, she wouldn’t need to ask for leave.

She immediately took out her phone and booked a room at the Wanhe Hotel.

After finishing classes on Friday, she returned to her dorm to pack her clothes, startling Xie Lingyin. “Where are you going?”

Meng Tang smacked her forehead. “Almost forgot, I’m heading out tonight and won’t be back until tomorrow.”

“You’re not coming back tonight?” Shi Lan also leaned over curiously. “Where are you going? Is it safe?”

Meng Tang reassured them, “It’s safe. I booked a room at Wanhe. The woodcarving master Su Mian is visiting Z City for inspiration, and there’s a small gathering tonight. I’m going to attend.”

Yang Ke let out an envious “tsk.” Masters of that caliber weren’t easy to meet.

In the world of woodcarving, Meng Tang’s connections were astonishingly strong.

Hotel check-in was available after 2 p.m., and Meng Tang planned to arrive at 3.

Li Hanjin called, offering to pick her up.

Remembering her grandfather’s warning, Meng Tang declined. “No need, I’ll go myself.”

“It’s on my way.”

“Really, no need.”

After a few seconds of silence, Li Hanjin didn’t press further.

Meng Tang said goodbye to her roommates, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed downstairs.

At the same time, Wei Chuan was already in the car on his way home.

Before they even reached the first traffic light, his phone rang, an unknown number.

Annoyed, he hung up immediately, but the caller dialed again.

Thinking it might be important, he answered with a curt “Hello?”

“Young Wei, how’s your relationship with Meng Tang at school?”

Old Man Meng? Wei Chuan immediately straightened up. “How did you get my number?”

Meng Yuchun replied mysteriously, “That’s not important. My granddaughter is attending a private gathering hosted by a woodcarving master at the Wanhe Hotel tonight, she’ll probably stay overnight.”

“Tonight? Overnight?” Wei Chuan’s voice shot up. “I thought it was during the day?”

Meng Yuchun feigned surprise. “Oh, you knew about this?”

“Wasn’t it your damned disciple who talked Meng Tang into it?” Wei Chuan tattled like a petty villain. “Is she staying overnight with him?”

Hearing “damned disciple”, Meng Yuchun fell silent for a moment.

“Uncle Yan, turn the car around right now.”

Wei Chuan’s urgent shout came through the phone, and Meng Yuchun guiltily hung up.

It wasn’t that he deliberately sent Wei Chuan to cause trouble, it was just that with Li Hanjin also involved, he wasn’t at ease.

Wei Chuan frantically ordered the driver to turn around. The driver, thinking he’d forgotten something, found a spot to make a U-turn and headed back to Z University.

By sheer coincidence, they spotted Meng Tang just as she stepped out of the gate.

Unable to wait for the car to stop, Wei Chuan rolled down the window of his Maybach and shouted, “Meng Tang!”

The roar was deafening, startling Meng Tang.

She looked up to see Wei Chuan’s face tense, his dark pupils seeming to spit fire.

“Get in the car.”

The vehicle came to a steady stop right in front of Meng Tang. The rear door was pushed open by Wei Chuan, his gaze and tone carrying a commanding edge she didn’t recognize.

She froze for a moment, unmoving, until Wei Chuan reached out and abruptly pulled her into the car.