My Ex Told Me She’s Still In Love With Me - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Bullying

The subsequent interactions went exactly as Meng Qingwu expected—they couldn’t connect at all. Even the messaging felt like a cycle of reincarnation; the replies were agonizingly slow.

Meng Qingwu wasn’t the type to demand an instant response, but waiting several hours for every single text was too much. Does anyone really go hours without looking at their phone?

She sighed in her office. Must I really settle for a remote location for the office?

“President Meng, Mr. Liang is here,” Assistant Zhang announced.

“Let him in.”

Knowing they had a finalized contract, she assumed he was here specifically to deliver it. Soon, Liang Siming entered. Dressed in a perfectly tailored, sophisticated handmade suit, he looked every bit the gentleman. He kept himself in good shape, not at all inferior to Cheng Zhan.

Meng Qingwu rose and led him to the sofa. “You could have just sent someone. Why trouble yourself to come in person?”

Liang Siming sat down. For the first time in his life, he felt a sense of bashful restraint while pursuing someone. He took the contract from his briefcase and handed it over. “I don’t find it a trouble at all,” he said softly. On the contrary, it was a legitimate excuse to see her.

Meng Qingwu began to meticulously check the clauses. Liang Siming didn’t rush her; he watched her face with a quiet smile. “I heard you’ve been looking for an office building lately?”

She nodded. “Yes, but suitable ones are rare. I finally took a liking to that empty building in the High-Tech Zone, but the owner refuses to lease it.” Speaking of which, she was speechless at the owner’s behavior. She had never seen an adult be so capricious.

“The one in the High-Tech Zone?” Liang Siming’s voice rose slightly.

“Hmm? You know them?” Meng Qingwu looked up, finding his tone odd.

“Yes, I know them.” Liang Siming nodded. After a moment of thought, he smiled. “Since you’re interested, how about I invite them out so you can talk?” He also felt it was a waste for that place to stay empty—think of the lost income every month! If Meng Qingwu wanted it, helping her get it would be a perfect favor.

“If you could do that, it would be wonderful. To be honest, I’ve tried several times and been rejected,” she admitted with a wry smile.

“When are you free, Miss Meng? I’ll set a time with them.”

“Anytime recently works for me.”

“Great. I’ll text you once it’s set.”

“Thank you, Mr. Liang. Once it’s settled, the meal is on me.”

“Haha, deal!”

After leaving, Liang Siming sat in his car and did a celebratory fist pump. He hadn’t expected a contract delivery to yield such a result. Excitedly, he immediately called Cheng Zhan.

…

After Liang Siming left, Assistant Zhang returned with some files, her expression grave.

“What is it?” Meng Qingwu asked.

“Regarding that pacemaker project you liked… Professor Li Zhiyi hasn’t led a project personally in a long time.”

Meng Qingwu leaned her head on her hand, brain-storming other candidates.

“However,” Assistant Zhang continued, “Professor Li recommended someone else. He says it’s his student, and their current research direction happens to be exactly this. He suggested you consider them.”

Anyone endorsed by Li Zhiyi wouldn’t be mediocre. “Who? Set up a time to talk.”

“Cheng Yi.”

Meng Qingwu: “…”

“Who did you say?” she asked, needing to confirm.

“Cheng Yi. The one from D University,” the assistant repeated, confused.

Meng Qingwu: “…” What kind of twisted fate is this?

She looked down, deep in thought. While contacting Cheng Yi wasn’t pleasant, she prioritized the project. The domestic pacemaker market was monopolized by foreign companies with exorbitant prices. A domestic breakthrough would have massive potential.

Cheng Yi…

“Make the appointment,” she said. She would treat her as a simple business partner.

…

Meng Qingwu checked her phone and saw a text from her father asking her to come home for dinner. She sighed and covered her eyes with her arm. She didn’t want to go. Her mother had divorced him when she was quite young; she grew up with her mother and rarely saw him, so their bond was thin. Not enemies, just… not close.

After work, she drove to her father’s house. The Lan family was large. Old Man Lan had three sons and one daughter. Her father, Lan Shantu, was the second son and wasn’t particularly favored. The most pampered was the youngest daughter, Lan Xining. Despite the years, the family still lived together.

As she entered, she saw her cousin, Lan Yiji, running around kicking a soccer ball.

“Hey! Take this!” The twelve-year-old boy was at that age where even a dog would find him annoying. He kicked the ball straight at Meng Qingwu.

She dodged, opened the front door, and kicked the ball right back outside. The boy burst into tears. “Who are you?! Why did you kick my ball! What are you doing in my house!”

The little tyrant of the household had never suffered such a “grievance.” He tried to rush her and hit her. Meng Qingwu, not one to indulge a brat, placed a hand on his head, keeping him at arm’s length while his little fists swung uselessly.

“Mom! Mommy!” Unable to reach her, he wailed for his mother. Meng Qingwu remained indifferent.

“Shut up.” A calm voice drifted from upstairs. The tone was light, but the authority behind it silenced the boy instantly. He became as obedient as a lamb.

Meng Qingwu let him go and looked up at Lan Xining on the stairs. A genuine smile finally reached her face. “Auntie.”

Lan Xining’s expression softened. She glanced at the boy. “If you kick a ball indoors again or act so ill-mannered, I’ll break your legs.” The boy shuddered; he was clearly terrified of her.

“Qingwu is back!” A female voice came from the kitchen. Xu Yu, the wife of the eldest uncle, walked out smiling. “The Old Man heard you were coming and had the kitchen prepare your favorites.”

Meng Qingwu nodded. Other family members trickled in. Lan Yiji tried to complain to Xu Yu, but one cold look from Lan Xining made him wither like a dog in the rain.

“Qingwu.” Her father, Lan Shantu, appeared. Beside him was a woman in her thirties holding a seven-year-old boy. Meng Qingwu gave a simple nod to her father, then paid her respects to Old Man Lan and the rest of the elders in order of seniority.

The Old Man gave a slight, lukewarm nod. “It’s a family dinner tonight. Relax,” he said.

…

At the table, Meng Qingwu sat next to Lan Xining. She didn’t care about her lack of “fit” in this family.

“Any new dietary restrictions after all these years?” Lan Xining asked. Meng Qingwu shook her head. Years abroad had cured her of being a picky eater.

Lan Shantu looked like he wanted to talk to her, but seeing her cold expression, he hesitated. The woman beside him ignored Meng Qingwu, focusing on feeding her own child—acting as if Meng Qingwu posed no threat at all.

Meng Qingwu looked at her half-brother with no emotion. She was bored.

Lan Xining watched her with a sense of pride, like seeing a child grow up. “How is your mother lately?” she whispered.

Meng Qingwu trusted Lan Xining and didn’t hide anything. She shook her head. “Not great.”

“Oh? What’s wrong?”

“She’s been in a bad mood lately,” Meng Qingwu said, wondering if her mother was hitting menopause.

“Is that so?” Hearing this, Lan Xining actually seemed more cheerful. Her voice took on a light quality.

Meng Qingwu looked at her suspiciously. Lan Xining just smiled. Meng Qingwu had always felt the atmosphere between her mother and her aunt was subtle. Her mother always spoke of Lan Xining with disgust, yet Lan Xining never took it to heart and constantly lingered around her.

“Qingwu, you’re staying for good this time?” Old Man Lan asked.

“Yes, I plan to develop my career here.”

He nodded. “You’re twenty-five. It’s time to consider your marriage. I think the boy from the Ye family is quite good. I’ll arrange a meeting.”

Meng Qingwu finally realized the purpose of the dinner. An alliance marriage. Her face turned cold. What gave them the right to interfere in her life so brazenly?

“No need. I’m not in a hurry.”

The Old Man frowned. “Even if you’re not in a hurry, you can meet as friends.”

Meng Qingwu set her utensils down. Her voice turned icy. “Why don’t you ask my mother? See if she agrees?”

The table went silent. The Old Man’s face turned livid. Ignoring them, Meng Qingwu stood up. “I’m finished. I have things to do.” She walked out without waiting for a response.

Bam!

“No manners!” The Old Man slammed the table. He roared at Lan Shantu, “Look at the daughter you raised!” Lan Shantu cringed in fear, bowing his head in apology.

Lan Xining watched her cowardly second brother with a complex gaze. “Dad, I’m done too. Friends are waiting for me for drinks.”

The Old Man’s face softened. “How can you drink without eating? It’s bad for your stomach.”

Lan Xining walked over and placed some food in his bowl. “I won’t just be drinking; there will be food there too!” The Old Man nodded but reminded her not to drink too much.

…

Once outside, Lan Xining sat in her car for a long time before dialing a number she knew by heart. It wasn’t answered the first time. Or the second. On the third try, it connected.

Before the other side could get angry, Lan Xining spoke: “Your daughter was just bullied by the Lan family. Don’t you want to know about it?”

Meng Shuyu on the other end: “…”