My Ex Told Me She’s Still In Love With Me - chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Shelf Life Of Happiness

Meng Qingwu laughed softly, picking her up and heading toward the master bedroom.

“Then I want to see just how well you can do tonight.”

“Mhm. Inspection welcomed.”

The sound of running water drifted from the bathroom. Meng Qingwu tilted her head, catching a glimpse of Cheng Yi’s silhouette through the frosted glass.

Slender, tall, yet like a fragile orchid—one always felt she must be exhausted supporting that height.

Cheng Yi seemed much thinner than before.

Meng Qingwu’s gaze darkened. She raised her hand, looking at the pad of her index finger. Every time, this finger would slide over a spot on Cheng Yi’s chest where a faint pink scar resided—so subtle it was invisible unless one looked closely.

But it wasn’t there before.

She recalled the tension that flared in Cheng Yi every time her fingertip landed there.

Is she hiding something from me?

“Qingwu, I’m finished.” Cheng Yi’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up to see Cheng Yi walking out completely naked after her bath. She frowned. “Why aren’t you wearing clothes?”

Cheng Yi walked over, lifted the covers, and lay down beside Meng Qingwu. She wrapped her arms around her and said in a low voice, “I thought holding you like this would be much more comfortable.”

Meng Qingwu: “……”

This woman had truly become more than a little “bold” lately.

But she didn’t mind; after all, she was the one enjoying it.

She closed her eyes, found a comfortable position in Cheng Yi’s arms, and drifted off to sleep surrounded by the fresh scent of bath soap.

Before falling asleep, she felt as if she had forgotten something. she tried to force herself to remember, but she was already sinking into a groggy, gentle slumber.

…

When she woke the next morning, she reached out beside her. The bed was cold; Cheng Yi’s warmth was gone.

She rubbed her head and sat up. Aside from the slightly wrinkled sheets, there was no evidence that a woman had been lying there last night.

Like an epiphyllum flower, she had bloomed slowly in the dead of night and vanished.

Meng Qingwu’s throat moved. Her heart felt a flutter of agitation; Cheng Yi really had done exceptionally well last night.

She finished washing up and went to the living room. Breakfast was already laid out on the table. Her eyebrows didn’t even twitch; she had expected this. Whenever Cheng Yi stayed the night, she always prepared breakfast before leaving. Today was no exception.

Leisurely sipping her porridge, Meng Qingwu checked the time: 8:00 AM.

Considering how late they had been up last night, it was impressive she could still get up so early to make porridge.

After breakfast, she went upstairs to change. As she headed out for work, she unexpectedly ran into someone.

Heavy smokey-eye makeup masked her natural purity. Sharp lines at the corners of her eyes flickered with a fierce edge, and her slightly tired eyes betrayed a night of indulgence.

Meng Qingwu raised an eyebrow, marveling that she could still recognize her despite the makeup.

Bi Xinglan looked at her without a trace of surprise. She broke into a wide smile. “Morning. Long time no see.”

The mature, heavy makeup somehow allowed her innate innocence to shine through when she smiled.

Meng Qingwu gave a faint smile. “Morning, Miss Bi.”

“Want to come over for a bit?” she invited.

Meng Qingwu checked the time. “No, I have a meeting at nine-thirty. Let’s talk next time.”

Bi Xinglan studied her expression. Seeing she wasn’t making excuses, she didn’t push further. She simply said, “Sure. Let’s exchange contact info to make it easier to schedule a time.”

Meng Qingwu looked at her for two seconds, nodded, and handed her a business card.

Bi Xinglan’s smile widened. She took the card, waved, and walked gracefully into her own courtyard.

Meng Qingwu withdrew her gaze, her expression unchanged.

…

When she arrived at the office, she was surprised to see another bouquet of flowers at the front desk. When the receptionist looked at her, she instinctively assumed the flowers were for her.

“Good morning, President Meng.”

Meng Qingwu: “…Morning. Who are these for?”

It was a bouquet of Blue Enchantress roses, brilliant and eye-catching.

“Oh, there’s no name. The delivery person didn’t say who they were for, so we had to leave them here.”

Meng Qingwu raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly.

She had thought the morning would pass peacefully, but during a meeting, she received terrible news.

Someone had fallen from the construction site.

The reason: working at height without a safety harness.

Meng Qingwu’s face instantly darkened.

“Where is Wang Zhiqiang?!”

“President Meng, he’s at the site. He’s afraid to come see you,” the assistant whispered.

Meng Qingwu’s knuckles turned white from gripping her pen. “I’ve told them more than once to pay attention to safety and follow protocols, yet this still happened!”

“To the site.” Her voice was chilling.

…

When she arrived, the construction site—usually filled with the clanging of tools—was silent except for the sharp wail of an ambulance.

As she arrived, she saw a body covered in a white cloth being lifted into the ambulance. Nearby, a woman was sobbing hysterically, a small boy clutching her skirt in confusion.

Meng Qingwu’s brow furrowed; her heart felt even more heavy.

She stepped forward and handed the woman a packet of tissues. Seeing she didn’t take them, she opened the pack, took one out, and helped wipe the tear stains from the woman’s face.

“We will handle this matter properly.”

Though the accident was caused by the worker’s failure to follow protocols, it happened on her site. They couldn’t stay out of it.

The woman looked up at Meng Qingwu, and her tears fell even faster.

Meng Qingwu knelt down and handed a tissue to the boy, saying softly, “You’re a little man now. You need to take care of your mother.”

The boy looked at her timidly but nodded.

Meng Qingwu gave a faint smile and stood up to find the site manager.

“Get someone to block the news immediately. Don’t let this spread,” she told her assistant.

The assistant nodded. “Understood.”

Meng Qingwu walked quickly over the uneven ground, her face grim. Her mind raced through compensation plans, how to keep the incident from escalating and damaging their reputation, and countless other details. With every thought, her expression grew darker.

“President Meng, I told them to take precautions! But they wouldn’t listen, I… I…” Wang Zhiqiang couldn’t finish, his face full of panic.

Meng Qingwu looked at the man. His suit was no longer neat; the wrinkles spoke of his frantic state.

“If they don’t listen, let them go! Is that so difficult?!” Meng Qingwu snapped in cold fury.

Was it really worth a life just for a bit of convenience?

After paying 1.56 million in compensation to the worker’s family, the incident was suppressed. But the storm in Meng Qingwu’s heart hadn’t settled.

She had seen the scene of the fall, the tragedy, the woman’s desperate wailing, and the helpless child. They were flesh and blood, yet tragedy struck just like that.

One never knows when an accident will suddenly descend.

…

Knock, knock.

A knock sounded at the door.

Meng Qingwu put down her wine glass, checked her phone, and clicked the door open.

She looked up to see Cheng Yi walking in carrying a large amount of groceries. Cheng Yi smiled at her first, then carried the items to the kitchen.

She was as natural as if this were her own home.

Meng Qingwu was silent for a moment before following her into the kitchen. She watched as Cheng Yi took things out of the bags one by one and organized them. “What are you doing?”

“Filling the fridge,” Cheng Yi said while putting items away. “Have you had dinner?”

Meng Qingwu: “…I didn’t call you today.”

Since the accident at the site, she hadn’t contacted Cheng Yi for nearly half a month.

Cheng Yi finished putting things away, walked over to Meng Qingwu, and lifted her hand to her lips for a kiss. Meeting her gaze, she said warmly, “I missed you.”

“Missed what?” she asked.

“My body missed you.” Cheng Yi lightly took a fingertip into her mouth.

Meng Qingwu’s gaze remained flat. She withdrew her hand and turned toward the living room. “But I don’t want to right now.”

Lying on the sofa, she felt exhausted. She stared at the half-glass of red wine she had left, her gaze drifting.

Cheng Yi followed her and knelt by her legs, looking up. “What’s wrong? Are you in a bad mood?”

The faint scent of wine surrounded them. Meng Qingwu looked down at her without speaking. She noticed dark circles under Cheng Yi’s eyes, her skin lacked its usual luster, and her brow carried a hint of fatigue.

“Have you been busy lately?”

Cheng Yi hesitated, looking at her face. “No… not busy…”

“The truth.” Meng Qingwu’s expression showed a flash of impatience.

Cheng Yi gripped her hand tighter. “Quite busy. The research has reached a critical stage, so it’s busier than usual.”

Meng Qingwu glanced at her. If she was so busy, why come here?

“Go back. I don’t want you dropping dead here.”

“Qingwu, I don’t want to leave. Can I stay?” Cheng Yi looked up, her eyes pleading.

Meng Qingwu fell silent, suddenly dazed as she looked at her. She began to wonder: Did I ever really know her?

“Cheng Yi, let me ask you a question.”

Cheng Yi pursed her lips. “Go ahead.”

“Tell me, which is more important: a moment of happiness, or the potential bad consequences that might follow?”

Cheng Yi froze, lowering her head to think carefully about the question.

“What kind of bad consequences?”

“Unpredictable. Maybe death, maybe disability.”

Cheng Yi’s face suddenly went stiff. She looked away, not daring to meet Meng Qingwu’s eyes.

“Well? Which is more important?” Meng Qingwu insisted on an answer.

Cheng Yi suddenly became nervous. She stood up to pour herself a glass of water, her hand gripping the cup tightly, yet she couldn’t speak.

Watching this abnormal behavior, Meng Qingwu’s eyebrows drew closer together.

“Compared to a consequence that might come at an unknown time, I would rather have that moment of happiness. Life is short; enjoy it while you can,” Cheng Yi whispered.

Hearing this, Meng Qingwu watched her quietly, then slowly asked, “So, when you were with me back then, were you actually not happy?”

Otherwise, why would someone who prioritized a moment of happiness cast her aside so decisively?

Cheng Yi’s hand trembled. She shook her head quickly. “No! I was happy! Very happy!”

She stepped forward and grabbed Meng Qingwu’s hand, staring into her eyes as she repeated, “I was truly, exceptionally happy. The days I spent with you were the happiest of my life.”

Meng Qingwu’s face remained wooden. She slowly withdrew her hand, a mocking smile curling her lips.

“So the shelf life of your happiness is only two years?”

Together for two years, then you got bored, grew unhappy, and threw it away?

Cheng Yi shook her head. Cold sweat began to bead on her forehead, whether from nerves or something else.

“Qingwu, if I had deceived you from the very beginning back then… would you still have loved me?”