My Ex Told Me She’s Still In Love With Me - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Blind Date

On Cheng Zhan’s birthday, Meng Qingwu did not show up in person. She did, however, prepare a gift—though it wasn’t for Cheng Zhan…

“Meng Qingwu, isn’t this going a bit far?” Cheng Zhan’s voice on the phone sounded utterly speechless. It was bad enough that he didn’t receive a gift for his own birthday, but he was also being asked to deliver something to Cheng Yi for her?

Meng Qingwu leaned lazily back into her sofa, popping a grape into her mouth. She murmured indistinctly, “Didn’t you say she was short of a car? The car just arrived, so help me deliver it.”

Cheng Zhan: “…” How did I end up knowing a woman like this!

After hanging up, he went outside to see what kind of car Meng Qingwu had sent. A black sports car was parked there, its body lines sleek and futuristic. Cheng Zhan’s eyes lit up instantly.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but hiss through his teeth. He recognized the model: a Koenigsegg Gemera. One of these cost nearly 20 million RMB. Meng Qingwu was incredibly generous! He felt a bit salty. They’re already broken up, and she drops 20 million on an ex-girlfriend?

When he drove the car back to the Cheng residence, it caught the attention of Mrs. Yu and the others. Seeing him get out of the car, Mrs. Yu asked hesitantly, “Why did you buy another car…”

Cheng Zhan: “…” I’m thirty years old! Can’t I have the freedom to buy a car?!

“It’s not mine. Qingwu sent it to Yi-yi to thank her.” Cheng Zhan tossed the keys to Cheng Yi, who had followed him out.

Cheng Yi caught the keys clumsily, her expression dazed as she stared at the cool sports car. “For me?” she asked, seemingly unable to believe it.

Cheng Zhan nodded, adding sourly, “She didn’t even give me a gift for my birthday today.” Not asking for a supercar, but surely a cake? Comparing the two, Cheng Zhan felt pathetic. An ex-girlfriend gets a 20-million-dollar luxury car, while he, a genuine friend, didn’t even get a few-hundred-dollar cake.

Cheng Yi looked at the car, her heart pounding so hard she felt her blood boiling. Her hands and feet felt numb. She stepped forward and gently stroked the car’s body. Meng Qingwu sent this to me? Her nose felt stingy, but she didn’t want to show it in front of her family. She turned away, her eyes rimmed with red.

The others noticed her reaction but said nothing. Mrs. Yu gave a look to the rest of the family to head inside first, giving Cheng Yi some space to compose herself.

Once inside, Cheng Gan asked in a deep voice, “Is it true—what they’re saying about Qingwu liking women?”

Cheng Zhan’s heart jumped. He realized his parents were calling him to account. “…Yes.”

Cheng Gan turned to look at him, his gaze exceptionally stern. “Then can you tell us—what exactly is your relationship?”

Cheng Zhan: “…” Though he had expected this, he was still intimidated by his father’s tone. “…I didn’t want you all to keep nagging me, so I asked Qingwu to help me by pretending to be my girlfriend.”

He told the truth, though he omitted why Meng Qingwu had agreed. Otherwise, she might never be able to enter the Cheng family home again.

Cheng Gan stared at him. Even Mrs. Yu’s gentle demeanor cracked slightly. She rubbed her forehead and sighed. “Zhan-zhan, you’re not a child anymore. How could you do something so unreliable?”

Cheng Zhan pursed his lips. He admitted his behavior was immature.

“Actually, this is for the best,” Cheng Gan said. “Since you two aren’t real, and she likes women, and Yi-yi likes her… this is the best outcome. Qingwu has been going on blind dates lately, right? Arrange it. Set the two of them up.”

Cheng Zhan: “…” He sat in the corner alone, nursing a glass of wine and watching the guests. He wondered if he was actually his parents’ child. Did they consider his feelings at all? He felt miserable. He had to arrange a blind date between Meng Qingwu and Cheng Yi? How was he supposed to do that without exposing his own lies to his sister?

While he was spiraling, Cheng Yi sat down beside him.

“Brother, I saw you eating with a woman a while ago,” Cheng Yi said softly.

Cheng Zhan: “…” And?

“Can I ask who she is?”

Cheng Zhan: “…A Vice President at the company.”

Cheng Yi’s face remained calm. “So just a superior and subordinate? Do superiors usually peel shrimp for their subordinates?”

Cheng Zhan: “…” Thinking of Tan Li, he felt another pang of rejection. The shrimp he’d peeled for her had actually been snubbed…

Cheng Yi laughed softly, her eyes bright. “Brother, you and Qingwu… are you real?”

Having stepped out of the situation, Cheng Yi had finally noticed the anomalies. She loved Meng Qingwu, and Meng Qingwu had loved her; she knew what Meng Qingwu looked like when she was in love. She didn’t see that state in her brother.

Cheng Zhan stiffened. Did she hear a rumor? But Cheng Yi wasn’t interested in their social circle.

“Brother?” Cheng Yi prompted.

Looking at her calm, “I-know-everything” face, Cheng Zhan felt a bit annoyed. He remembered Meng Qingwu saying his sister needed to see the cruelty of society.

“I and Qing—”

Before he could finish, Cheng Yi interrupted. “Does that subordinate know you already have a girlfriend?”

Cheng Zhan: “…”

…

Cheng Yi drove the car Meng Qingwu had given her, her heart a mix of bitterness and sweetness. It was painful, yet she felt a sense of release. She drove all the way to Yun Mountain. The mountain was silent at night. Looking down, the neon lights formed a sea of lamps, reminding her of the past.

Her thin windbreaker fluttered in the night breeze.

“Cheng Yi, are we really camping here?” Meng Qingwu’s voice in her memory was tinged with worry but mixed with suppressed excitement.

“Yes,” Cheng Yi had laughed, hugging her from behind. “Don’t you think the view is beautiful?”

The cool night wind had blown away the day’s heat. The occasional sound of insects and birds became musical notes.

“Cheng Yi, hold me tighter,” Meng Qingwu’s voice had been soft. She had loved her so much she was willing to sacrifice herself just to be with her forever.

“Okay,” Cheng Yi had replied, pulling her closer.

“Cheng Yi.” “Hmm?” “I think, in that sea of lights, there will be one lamp left for me by you.” A soft promise of a future together. A home where a light would always be on to guide the other home.

Back in the present, Cheng Yi leaned against the car, her eyes on the mountain lights, her head full of Meng Qingwu’s smiles. She took out her phone.

Cheng Yi: Qingwu, that beef tripe shop you liked is open again. Want to go try it?

Her heart raced as she waited for a reply. Ding-ding—

Qingwu: Are you sick?

Cheng Yi laughed softly, then sighed. Current Meng Qingwu was like a rose covered in thorns. Beautiful, but she stung.

…

The next morning, Meng Qingwu was busy moving her company to the High-Tech Zone when she got a call from Madam Meng.

Madam Meng: “There’s a gathering tonight. Go attend.” Meng Qingwu: “What kind of gathering?” Madam Meng: “A blind date.” Meng Qingwu: “Is it a man?” Madam Meng: (Gritting teeth) “…A woman!”

“Pfft,” Meng Qingwu laughed. “I trust your taste, Mom. I’m sure she’s excellent!”

At 7:00 PM, she arrived at a famous “couples” restaurant in the city center. The atmosphere was dim and romantic. Meng Qingwu sat down and waited. She was curious about who her mother would set her up with.

Suddenly, a bouquet of lilies appeared in her field of vision. The fragrance was fresh, as if carrying dew.

“Qingwu,” a voice said softly.

Meng Qingwu looked up into Cheng Yi’s elegant face. She had clearly dressed up today, and her light makeup made her even more striking. Meng Qingwu’s face went cold.

“What is the meaning of this?” she asked. Why was it Cheng Yi? What was Madam Meng thinking?

Cheng Yi looked awkward, still holding out the flowers. “I’m your blind date.”

Meng Qingwu: “…” She pointed at herself in disbelief. “You’re going on a blind date with your sister-in-law? Cheng Yi, did you get kicked in the head?”

Cheng Yi flushed, beginning to stutter. “No, no, I kn—”

Meng Qingwu stood up, her face grim. She leaned in close to Cheng Yi, staring into her eyes, then smiled sharply. “Cheng Yi, regardless of anything, we should have some morals, right?” She tapped her finger against Cheng Yi’s chest. “After all, you are my sister-in-law (younger sister of my ‘boyfriend’).”

Saying those words felt refreshing to Meng Qingwu. Cheng Yi stared at the finger on her chest, her heart racing. “Qingwu… I know.”

Meng Qingwu’s face darkened. Cheng Yi reached out and carefully held the finger on her chest, placing the lilies in Meng Qingwu’s arms and smiling slowly.

“Qingwu, I know you can’t forgive me easily. But I want to beg you… beg you to give me a chance to pursue you. Meng Qingwu, please.”

…

Meng Qingwu drove fast along the coastline, the salty sea breeze clearing her head. She slammed on the brakes, her body jerking forward then hitting the seat hard.

Why regret it now? Why come back and beg me?! Her chest heaved.

She leaned her head on the steering wheel and laughed. Had she not begged her before? And what did those pleas earn her? Only words that cut to the bone.

Flashback: “Cheng Yi, did I not do well enough?” a younger Meng Qingwu had asked. “You’re fine,” Cheng Yi had said with a cold, indifferent face. “I just don’t like you anymore.” “But you said you loved me very much.” “That was then.”

Back in the present, Meng Qingwu’s eyes turned cold. That was then. Who knew if she was just acting on a whim now?

…

In the days that followed, the company front desk received a bouquet of flowers for President Meng every day. Each bouquet came with a note detailing trivial, everyday things.

Then, Madam Meng called again. “There’s a dinner tonight. Go.”

Meng Qingwu: “Mom, do you know that while you were arranging a date for me, someone else was also on a date?” Madam Meng: “…” Meng Qingwu: “I saw Auntie (Lan Xining) out with a client. The date was a very beautiful, charming woman. They looked very well-matched.”

The phone went dead. Meng Qingwu smiled and hung up.

…

“President Meng, your flowers.” Her assistant brought in a huge bunch of pink roses. Meng Qingwu: “Throw them away!” The assistant hesitated. “The card too?” Meng Qingwu didn’t speak. The assistant nervously placed the card on the corner of the desk and fled.

Meng Qingwu eventually picked up the card. It was another list of trivialities. She tore the card in half. Does Cheng Yi even know how to pursue someone? Sending flowers with a daily itinerary?

That night, she invited Jin Le and the others over for drinks. Meanwhile, Cheng Yi arrived at a restaurant 30 minutes early to wait for Meng Qingwu (having invited her in one of the cards).

One hour passed. Two hours. Until the restaurant was closing. “Miss, we’re closing. Is your friend not coming?” Cheng Yi stood up stiffly. “Check, please.” She stepped into the cold night air. She really doesn’t care about me anymore.

…

At Meng Qingwu’s place, the floor was covered in empty bottles. “I’m so tired,” Meng Qingwu murmured, leaning on Jin Le. Jin Le helped her to bed. “Tomorrow will be better,” she whispered. “Will it?” Meng Qingwu’s voice was faint before she fell asleep.

Downstairs, the friends found Meng Qingwu’s phone. A message from Cheng Yi popped up: Qingwu, I heard there’s a bonfire party on Yun Mountain tomorrow night. Can I invite you?

“Does she even know how to chase someone?” Cui Lanyu asked in disbelief. “I’m so much better at this than her!”

“We’re going hiking tomorrow,” Jin Le announced. She wasn’t going to let Meng Qingwu go alone with Cheng Yi.

…

The next day, Meng Qingwu was “packaged” and taken to the foot of Yun Mountain. Cheng Yi appeared, holding a bouquet. “Good morning, Qingwu.” Meng Qingwu: “Who brings a bouquet to a mountain hike?” Cheng Yi looked embarrassed. “Should I throw it away?” Meng Qingwu snatched the flowers and handed them out to nearby children.

They began the climb. Cheng Yi silently followed, her face pale then flushing red with exertion. Halfway up, she offered Meng Qingwu water. “No thanks, I brought my own,” Meng Qingwu snapped.

Meng Qingwu sped up, leaving Cheng Yi behind. Cheng Yi’s chest burned. She tried to catch up but tripped, her knee hitting the sharp stone. Blood seeped through her pants. She sat down, laughing weakly. At least I didn’t roll down.

At the summit, Meng Qingwu felt the cold mountain wind. She looked back down the trail. Cheng Yi was nowhere to be seen. Without a word to her friends, Meng Qingwu turned and started running back down the path.