Chapter 88

Chapter 88

By the time Liang Jing arrived, Yun Meilan had already cleaned up the broken glass in the living room. Now she was fussing over him warmly, cutting fruit for him, asking if he was hungry, bringing him tea and water-attentive in every possible way.

“What are you standing there for? Come sit with Liang Jing.” Yun Meilan waved at Yun Li, who had just come out of her room, her face full of gentle smiles.

Not a single word Yun Li had said to her today had gotten through.

Liang Jing, sitting to the side, replied with an amiable smile, “Auntie, please don’t trouble yourself. I’ve already eaten. I’m not hungry.”

Yun Li lowered her eyes. In that instant, a chill seemed to seep from every inch of her body. “I asked him to come over specifically because there are some things I need to clear up.”

“Whatever it is, you can talk about it later.” Yun Meilan stopped what she was doing, wiped her hands, and walked over. Her expression was a little flustered, and the look she gave Yun Li carried a hint of warning.

She was afraid Yun Li would tell Liang Jing everything she had said today.

Even more afraid that Liang Jing would be disappointed in her and agree to break up.

“I don’t have much to say. I just want to ask the two of you one thing: what was the point of teaming up today and pretending to go missing?” Yun Li took a step back, deliberately asking the question right in front of both of them.

She wanted too badly for Yun Meilan to see exactly what kind of person Liang Jing was.

Yun Meilan froze, then walked up to Yun Li and grabbed at her arm. “This was my fault. I was the one who asked him to take me to the hotel.”

“And your answer?” Yun Li shook off Yun Meilan’s hand and looked straight at Liang Jing, who had remained silent.

Liang Jing sat there, rubbing his knees as if holding something back.

Yun Meilan had come to him and said this method would definitely get him and Yun Li back together, so he had gone along with it.

He knew full well it was wrong, but he had done it anyway.

He was an accomplice.

But he prided himself on being a gentleman, a man of honor. He cared about his dignity more than anything, and he would never admit that he and Yun Meilan were birds of a feather.

Yet in front of Yun Meilan, because of that same need to save face, he could not push all the blame onto her either.

Yun Meilan’s face darkened. She likewise had no desire to answer the question.

It was hardly anything honorable.

“Neither of you is going to say it, right? Then I’ll say it.” Yun Li’s gaze swept back and forth over them as she said, word by word, “You wanted to pretend to go missing so I’d panic and force me to make up with Liang Jing. And you-you’re in the rising stage of your career, too busy to take care of your mother, but you don’t want to spend money hiring a caregiver either. And I, in your eyes, am the best caregiver you could ask for. So my mom was eager to help you, and you didn’t even have to put any effort into winning me back. For you, why wouldn’t you go along with it?”

Her words struck right at the heart of it, and both Yun Meilan’s and Liang Jing’s expressions turned ugly.

Liang Jing, humiliated and angry, could not lash out in front of Yun Meilan, so he lowered his voice and said, “Why do you have to make it sound so awful? That day, I misunderstood you and that rich second-generation guy. But you know what I’m like. I didn’t know how to apologize to you, so I went along with Auntie’s idea. I was thinking that after we made up, I’d make it up to you.”

“That’s right, that’s right,” Yun Meilan echoed. “Yun Li, Liang Jing truly likes you. Don’t say things just because you’re angry.”

“Are you still my mother?” Even at this point, she was still taking Liang Jing’s side. Yun Li was disappointed to the core. Facing the two of them alone, a bleak sadness rose in her heart. “You used suicide to force me to be with him. Fine, I agreed. And then what? I was unhappy being with him. I didn’t want to be a nanny for his family. I don’t even like him. I wanted to break up with him, and then you pretended to go missing to force me to make up with him.”

“Do you really want me to live that badly?” Yun Li’s repeated questions made Yun Meilan’s face twist with unbearable embarrassment.

Liang Jing could no longer hold back. “Yun Li, how can you talk to your mother like that?”

“Am I wrong?” Yun Li looked at him, every word stabbing at his heart. “Ask yourself honestly. Do you like me?”

“Mom, you might not even know this, but we’ve been together for almost half a year. He has never hugged me, never kissed me, never said a single affectionate word to me.”

Yun Li sneered, exposing him without the slightest mercy. “Tell me, doesn’t that mean he doesn’t like women?”
“What the hell are you talking about?!” Liang Jing shot to his feet in a frenzy, as if trying to cover up his utter humiliation-or perhaps his guilty conscience. He no longer cared that Yun Meilan was watching. Pointing at Yun Li, he snapped, “There are limits to how much you can mess around. Do you really think I wouldn’t dare lay a hand on you?!”

“Try it!” Before Yun Li could speak, Yun Meilan stepped forward in disbelief and grabbed Liang Jing’s hand. Her eyes held both suspicion and a piercing disappointment. “Liang, is this true?”

Liang Jing came back to his senses and immediately regretted his impulsiveness and loss of control. He hurried to apologize. “I’m sorry. I lost my composure. But anyone would be unable to keep their temper if they were slandered like this, wouldn’t they?”

He took a deep breath and explained, “My family is rather traditional. I believe things like kissing and intimacy are more appropriate after marriage. Besides, I know Yun Li doesn’t fully like me yet. I wanted to wait until the day we truly loved each other before doing anything intimate.”

He paused, then looked at Yun Li. “You know this too. I’m a public servant, and my personality is more conservative. I really don’t know how to make you happy the way other men do, but you can’t slander me…”

Other men.

Yun Li looked at him with a cold laugh.

Every word was a defense for himself. He had even dragged “other men” into it, subconsciously shifting the blame back onto her.

Yun Li had never wanted to expose him before because he had behaved himself. She had been willing to pretend she knew nothing and act along with him.

But from the moment he saw Jiang Baichuan and suddenly developed that inexplicable possessiveness, even going so far as to insult her and call her shameless, her patience had vanished completely.

Liang Jing felt an inexplicable chill under her gaze.

Yun Meilan had been talked into half believing him and half doubting him. “Are you serious?”

Liang Jing raised his hand and swore, “Not a single lie!”

Yun Meilan said nothing. She walked to the sofa and sat down, exhaustion weighing on her entire body. Only after a long while did she muster a trace of an elder’s authority and wave her hand. “You should go home first. It’s late. Both of you should calm down.”

She did not completely believe Liang Jing, but she did not believe Yun Li either.

Yun Li knew that realizing she had misjudged someone would hurt her mother far more than her own daughter’s defiance.

That night was destined to be sleepless.

When Yun Li woke the next morning and saw Yun Meilan making breakfast as usual, the heavy stone in her heart eased, if only for a moment.

After all these years, Yun Li had long since stopped hoping that her mother would understand her. All she wanted was for her to be safe.

She was her only family.

Yun Li arrived at the flower shop as usual. After clearing out the flowers that had already wilted, she busied herself with completing the day’s orders.

At nine o’clock, Xia Wanzhi came over to help. The two exchanged a glance, then smiled at each other. Neither mentioned what had happened yesterday.

At nine thirty, a new batch of fresh flowers was delivered. Yun Li crouched on the floor with a notebook in hand, checking the varieties and quantities, when a pair of obviously expensive leather shoes suddenly appeared before her. She paused slightly. Without looking up, she knew it was Jiang Baichuan.

“Boss, wrap me a bouquet of lychee rose,” Jiang Baichuan said, his magnetic voice flowing out slowly.

Hearing the voice, Xia Wanzhi pushed herself up from the table to take a look. When their eyes met, the two greeted each other with a glance.

Yun Li stood and gave him a sidelong look. “I don’t want it. Don’t give it to me.”

“Who said I was giving it to you?” Jiang Baichuan chuckled, lifting his chin in Xia Wanzhi’s direction. “I’m giving it to Wanzi.”

Xia Wanzhi deliberately put on a flattered expression to lighten the mood. “Really? President Jiang is so kind.”

Yun Li: “…”

“My girlfriend doesn’t need you giving her flowers.” An icy, merciless voice cut in. Xie Qiyan was not wearing formal attire today. Dressed in a casual outfit, one hand in his pocket, he strode in with overwhelming confidence and faced off against Jiang Baichuan.

Yun Li raised her brows slightly and looked at them with amusement.

She understood why the flower shop was so lively today.

Their silent concern.

She had received it.