After lunch, everyone discussed their itinerary.
Mai Xunwen’s parents planned to explore East City’s old district, while Mai Xunwen wanted to visit Meng Fuyuan’s company.
Since it was the exhibition opening day, several of Chen Qingwu’s former colleagues from Zhai Jingtang’s studio had come to East City. They had arranged a dinner gathering for the evening and insisted Chen Qingwu join them.
So naturally, everyone split into three groups.
When Mai Xunwen had returned home last time for ancestral worship, he had only transferred through East City and hadn’t had time to talk much with Meng Fuyuan. This was his first visit since Meng Fuyuan’s company had moved to its new location.
After touring most of the departments, Mai Xunwen asked Meng Fuyuan, “How’s your R&D progress?”
“We’re preparing to conduct the first full system boot test soon.”
“That’s faster progress than I expected.”
With Meng Fuyuan’s permission, Mai Xunwen entered the central exhibition hall and operated the first-generation robotic arm for a hands-on experience. “This is much more interesting than my daily work researching search engine algorithms.”
“You could come work here. I’d hire you at a high salary.”
Mai Xunwen smiled: “I’d be interested in a partnership, but working for you—forget it.”
Both knew it was a joke and didn’t take it seriously.
The two went upstairs to Meng Fuyuan’s office. Mai Xunwen said: “I just remembered today—I’ve met your girlfriend before.”
“When?”
“During grad school. She came with your younger brother, right?”
“Mm.”
“I remember, wasn’t she your brother’s girlfriend back then?” Mai Xunwen showed a somewhat puzzled expression.
Meng Fuyuan said: “Yes. I stole her away.”
Meng Fuyuan rarely shared his romantic situation with outsiders. Whether Pei Shao or Mai Xunwen, neither had any understanding of the details.
Mai Xunwen looked shocked. “Really? I never saw you as that type of person. I underestimated you.”
After the joke, Meng Fuyuan explained the full context in detail.
“I see.” Mai Xunwen said, “No wonder when she came to our house in Los Angeles last time, she kept being interested in your past during dinner.”
Meng Fuyuan was momentarily stunned.
He never thought his past was particularly noteworthy, but it turned out the person who loved him would try everything possible to gather details from the cracks of time, just to reconstruct a more real version of him.
She probably also had regrets that she knew so little about him in the past.
After dinner with friends that evening, Chen Qingwu went to KTV and didn’t return home until after ten-thirty.
They’d eaten hotpot for dinner, and the lingering smell clung to her. After entering the apartment, Chen Qingwu immediately stripped off her clothes and went to shower.
After showering, drying her hair, and going to the island counter to pour water, she suddenly stopped.
The “Flower and Mist” cup had been washed clean and placed together with the white rock-pattern ceramic cup she’d made in high school and the black-glazed cup Meng Fuyuan had made on his first try.
Her graduate thesis work showed her emerging personal style. The technique was certainly lacking compared to now, but standing from a master’s perspective, one had to acknowledge its completeness.
Such a cup had previously been placed by Meng Qiran in an exquisite glass display cabinet.
Now, placed together with two clumsy beginner works, it didn’t seem out of place at all. Instead, it seemed this was where it truly belonged.
Its “second half-life of being used” was truly beginning today.
Chen Qingwu picked up this cup, holding it in her hands and examining it for a long time.
After pouring water, Chen Qingwu went to the study to find him.
When Meng Fuyuan heard footsteps, he quickly and unobtrusively closed his desk drawer.
Chen Qingwu walked over and saw the mechanical robot “Frankenstein” had been taken out onto the desk. She asked: “Doing calibration?”
“Mm. Testing new commands.”
Chen Qingwu placed the water cup on the desk and glanced at the computer screen. The screen full of code was truly dizzying.
Meng Fuyuan looked at the water cup, naturally picked it up, and took a sip. “It’s a good work.”
“Purple is a very unstable color. If you’re not careful, it easily shifts to red or blue. To achieve this effect, I had to redo it at least twenty times.” Chen Qingwu said with a smile.
“So leaving it unused and enshrined was indeed regrettable.”
“I didn’t expect Qiran to return it. His personality is actually a bit…”
Meng Fuyuan finished: “Things that belong to him—if he won’t use them himself, he won’t give them to others either?”
Chen Qingwu smiled and nodded. “As his older brother, you really do understand him well.”
What feelings did Qiran have when returning it to its rightful owner? Complete release, or a decision to sort out his emotions and start fresh?
Regardless, she could sense his blessing from both positions as “younger brother” and “childhood friend.”
Mai Xunwen’s family stayed in East City for one more day before departing for other cities. Mira wanted to climb the Great Wall, saying that last time she went, she only had time to visit the Forbidden Palace, which left some regret. They also wanted to see pandas and eat hotpot afterward.
During the following period, Chen Qingwu went alone to see the “Dust and Rosy Clouds” exhibition one more time.
Just as life was settling back into calm, Chen Qingwu received a call from Chen Suiliang.
An employee at Liao Shuman’s beauty salon had made an operational error, causing an old customer’s skin to have an allergic reaction. Despite Liao Shuman’s compensation and repeated apologies, she still couldn’t keep the customer. That customer’s circle of close friends were also regular clients of Liao Shuman’s—she lost several high-quality customers at once. Liao Shuman was anxious and stressed, and with the recent flu going around, she developed a high fever and was hospitalized.
Chen Qingwu immediately returned home.
By the time she arrived, Liao Shuman was already back home. The fever clinic was perpetually packed, and since cold and flu are self-limiting illnesses, once the fever subsided without recurrence, the hospital tactfully requested discharge.
Liao Shuman was leaning sideways on the sofa resting—she had no energy after just recovering from the fever, but also felt uncomfortable lying down too long.
On the coffee table sat a bowl of plain congee, only a few bites taken.
“Where’s Dad?”
“Who knows where he ran off to.”
Chen Qingwu reached out to touch the bowl—it was already cold. “Do you still want to drink it? I’ll heat it up…”
“No appetite. Pour me a glass of water.” Liao Shuman looked listless.
Chen Qingwu mixed warm water and handed it to Liao Shuman. “About those customers…”
“Don’t mention it. I get annoyed just thinking about it.”
Chen Qingwu was silent for a moment. “Is there anything I can help with?”
“Living your life well and not causing me trouble is the biggest help.”
Liao Shuman never spared anyone with her words. Chen Qingwu knew this, so she said nothing more.
After sitting with her for a while, around noon, Chen Suiliang came home.
Upon seeing her, he launched into a barrage of scolding: “So you finally know to come back!”
“I came back to see my mom…”
Liao Shuman was very irritated: “Can you not argue? If you’re going to argue, go argue outside.”
Chen Suiliang snorted coldly. “You two really are adding to my troubles one after another.”
“Who are you calling troublesome?” Liao Shuman’s anger immediately flared. “I didn’t spend a cent of your money opening my beauty salon, and when problems arose, I never asked you to bail me out. Just because I’m sick and asked you to help take me to the hospital and bring me some water—that’s adding to your troubles? I think we should just stop this marriage. Go find someone who doesn’t add to your troubles!”
Chen Suiliang would never concede verbally: “What, you want a divorce?”
“Let’s go to the civil affairs bureau tomorrow!”
Chen Suiliang gave a cold laugh but turned his attack toward Chen Qingwu: “Did you stir up trouble with your mother?”
Chen Qingwu’s tone was calm: “Why can’t it be that Mom herself wants a divorce?”
Liao Shuman spoke up: “Qingwu, don’t engage with him. The more you engage, the more energized he gets. The Meng family recently lost a large investment, and the principal he invested with them is also gone. Now he’s just looking for someone to vent on.”
Liao Shuman might as well not have mentioned it—bringing it up only made Chen Suiliang even more furious. He shouted at Chen Qingwu: “The relationship between our two families has completely collapsed because of you! In previous years when marriage was mentioned, Meng Qiran didn’t say a word. Even then you kept throwing yourself at him. Now that he’s changed his mind, why do you suddenly think he’s not good enough for you?”
Over the years, Liao Shuman generally avoided arguments when possible. Ninety percent of the time, she’d let things slide if she could. “Chen Suiliang, this is your daughter. Can’t you think before you speak?”
She looked at Chen Qingwu. “I told you not to engage with him…”
But Chen Qingwu laughed once and looked at Chen Suiliang. “Do you wish you never had a daughter like me in the first place?”
She took a deep breath. “…When I was little, learning to speak slowly was wrong, getting sick was wrong, being sensitive was wrong, not being socially adept was wrong, not studying the major you liked was wrong, spending so much money studying abroad was wrong, not taking the stable job you arranged was wrong, liking Meng Qiran was wrong, not liking him is also wrong… not to mention being with Meng Fuyuan now—completely wrong.”
It was as if in Chen Suiliang’s eyes, her entire life was a collection of mistakes.
“Anyway, I was born the wrong gender, so everything I do is wrong, isn’t it?”
Liao Shuman froze because she saw large tears rolling down Chen Qingwu’s face.
Come to think of it, since becoming sensible, her daughter had almost never cried. Back then, when hospitalized with IV needles, switching from left hand to right hand, after needle removal her hand would be bruised blue-black in a circle that took ages to fade.
Some IV fluids were irritating and caused pain when entering the veins, but she never made a sound.
During hospitalization, Chen Suiliang would only visit for ten minutes a day, and during those ten minutes she was always smiling, as if afraid that showing any sadness would make him dislike her.
When she and Meng Fuyuan went public, Chen Suiliang had said even harsher things—she didn’t cry then. Why was she suddenly crying now?
Seeing Chen Qingwu’s state, Chen Suiliang said nothing for a moment.
Her final accusation of “gender preference” directly punctured all of Chen Suiliang’s righteousness, instantly silencing him.
At this moment, Liao Shuman reached out her hand.
Chen Qingwu hesitated, then walked over.
Liao Shuman took her hand. “You’re so grown up and still crying. I didn’t know you were this delicate before.”
Chen Qingwu didn’t know what expression to make.
Liao Shuman looked at Chen Suiliang. “She came back to visit a sick person, not to be scolded by you. Are you incompetent? Can’t survive without the Meng family? You say Qingwu threw herself at them—aren’t you the one throwing yourself at the Meng family?”
This sentence hit Chen Suiliang’s sore spot even more directly.
When he entered this business, Meng Chengyong was already established, with far more connections and resources. So back then, when he befriended the Meng family, whether his motives were pure—everyone knew in their hearts.
However, Chen Suiliang later did very well, faintly approaching equal footing, which was when the two families became peers.
Chen Suiliang was momentarily speechless. He couldn’t think of a rebuttal. Worthy of being his life partner—one sentence hit the nail on the head.
He snorted coldly and stormed out.
The housekeeper was bringing dishes to the table. Seeing Chen Suiliang’s fury, she didn’t dare ask, only told Chen Qingwu that the meal was ready.
“Do you want to eat something?”
“Don’t want to eat…” Liao Shuman raised her hand to press her forehead, frowning. “Help me upstairs to sleep for a while.”
Chen Qingwu also had no appetite, so she asked the housekeeper to leave the food and reheat it later.
Upstairs, Chen Qingwu helped Liao Shuman lie down on the bed.
She propped up the pillow and tucked in the blanket. As she stepped back, she saw Liao Shuman was watching her.
“…What is it?”
“Qingwu, I’ve never felt I didn’t want to give birth to you as my daughter. Good or bad, the experiences are all unique. It’s just that your father and I are a mess, and sometimes this is all we can do.”
“…You could divorce.”
“Divorce or not—it’s all the same. Given your father’s personality, if I mentioned divorce, he’d definitely take me to court and drag it out three to five years until everyone’s exhausted. He won’t take advantage of me, but probably won’t let me take advantage of him either. Property division would be a nightmare.”
Chen Qingwu couldn’t understand. She was the type who, once feelings were gone, would definitely draw clear boundaries. “…Don’t you feel wronged?”
“I stopped having those thoughts long ago. Whatever he says, I can let it go like a fart.”
“…Maybe after divorce, you could meet someone you like better?”
Liao Shuman shook her head. “Those the same age would definitely prefer younger women. Those younger than me—I’d have to weigh whether they have ulterior motives.”
Chen Qingwu said nothing for a moment.
“You don’t need to understand. Everyone has their own way of living. It’s better that you’re a bit naive. I watched Qiran grow up. Though he’s a bit free-spirited, he’s fundamentally good. When he reaches a certain age, he’ll naturally settle down. As for Meng Fuyuan, he’s definitely more steady. My advice is to always persist in your career. That way, no matter what happens between you and Meng Fuyuan later, you’ll have the capacity to walk away with your head held high. Of course, I certainly hope you two will always be fine.”
She and Chen Suiliang went from school uniforms to wedding dress. However beautiful it was at the start, the disillusionment at the end was equally profound.
From any angle, she hoped her daughter’s romance could escape the fate of a beautiful beginning turning to bitter fruit.
Chen Qingwu had rarely had such an open-hearted conversation with Liao Shuman. She smiled. “…Are you comforting me because I just cried?”
Liao Shuman laughed. She chose to respond jokingly: “Otherwise what do they say about the squeaky wheel getting the grease.”
“I was afraid you’d find me annoying… before, you were always the one staying up all night to care for me…”
“If I found you annoying, I would have thrown you to your father long ago and run away myself.”
“Then you have to tell me… How would I know if you don’t say…”
This somewhat aggrieved, coquettish tone—Liao Shuman only felt it was long-lost, even unfamiliar, so much so that for a moment she was at a loss.
After a pause, she reached out to touch Chen Qingwu’s face. “Alright, alright. I’ll tell you in the future. I saw the poster you posted on WeChat Moments. Is it your own exhibition?”
“No, it’s an exhibition initiated by Teacher Zhai.”
“Then when you can hold an exhibition, invite me to see it.”
“Okay.” Chen Qingwu smiled.
“I’ll sleep for a while. Go downstairs and eat.”
Chen Qingwu went downstairs to pour a glass of water and placed it on the nightstand by Liao Shuman’s bed.
At this moment, Liao Shuman added another sentence: “From now on, don’t worry about your father’s affairs. He’s both stubborn and face-conscious. Anyway, you and Meng Fuyuan will stay in East City. Come back during holidays—he won’t make things difficult for Meng Fuyuan. Among all the Meng family members, the only one he truly respects is Meng Fuyuan.”
Chen Qingwu nodded in agreement, then closed the door and tiptoed downstairs.
By evening, Liao Shuman’s spirits had improved. She drank a bowl of congee, then directed Chen Qingwu to help organize some recent receipts.
While the two were busy in the study, the housekeeper came to say that Meng Fuyuan had come to visit.
Chen Qingwu was very surprised and quickly asked the housekeeper to invite him in.
Liao Shuman took a shawl from nearby and put it on, then walked out of the study with Chen Qingwu to the living room.
Upon entering, Meng Fuyuan first apologized, saying he came in a hurry and hadn’t prepared a gift. “Qingwu told me not to come, but I thought since you were ill, I should still come see you.”
Liao Shuman accepted this courtesy, had Meng Fuyuan sit, and asked the housekeeper to make tea.
“Are you feeling better?”
“It’s nothing. The fever broke this morning. There are many seasonal flu cases. You two should be careful too.”
Meng Fuyuan nodded.
In truth, Liao Shuman communicated very little with her daughter’s boyfriend ordinarily, so naturally they had nothing to say. Forcing conversation topics would only make things more awkward.
As if the atmosphere wasn’t awkward enough, the housekeeper came again to say that Meng Qiran had also arrived.
Liao Shuman: “…”
Meng Qiran entered and saw the scene in the living room—he nearly turned and left on the spot.
Steeling himself, he greeted them: “Auntie. Brother.”
Liao Shuman said: “Come sit.”
Meng Qiran found a seat far from his brother and Chen Qingwu and sat down, smiling: “I saw on WeChat Moments that you said you had a fever and were hospitalized, so I wanted to come see you. How are you now?”
“It’s nothing. The fever broke this morning.” The exact same answer—Liao Shuman repeated it again.
“That’s good.”
As his words fell, the living room lapsed into silence.
Liao Shuman glanced at him. “Do your parents know you came?”
“I came without telling them.” Meng Qiran smiled. “I’m consorting with the enemy. Auntie, please keep it secret for me, or when they find out I’ll definitely get scolded.”
Liao Shuman laughed once.
Meng Qiran was the first unable to withstand this subtle atmosphere. Before the tea even arrived, he stood up. “Auntie, as long as you’re fine, I’ll be going… I’ll be staying at home these days. If you have anything you need, call me anytime.”
Liao Shuman nodded.
Meng Qiran looked at Meng Fuyuan again. “Brother, I’m leaving first.”
Chen Qingwu realized that from last time to this time, Meng Qiran was deliberately avoiding her, as if she didn’t exist.
Meng Qiran had walked to the entrance but suddenly stopped. After a long while, as if making some kind of decision, he suddenly turned and said: “Wuwu, can I talk to you alone for a moment?”
Chen Qingwu froze. “Um… okay.”
She glanced at Meng Fuyuan and stood up to go.
The door was left ajar. The two walked out and descended the steps.
Meng Qiran remained very silent. Chen Qingwu didn’t initiate conversation either. The two walked out the gate and along the tree-shadowed path, strolling forward.
On a spring evening, the wind faintly carried the fragrance of flowers and trees.
“…How have you been recently?” Meng Qiran finally spoke.
“Mm. Pretty good. I hired someone to run the online shop. They’ll be starting soon.”
“That’s good.”
Another silence.
“…That cup—I returned it without any other meaning. I’ve just been bored recently and read many books and documentaries about ceramics, and went to see several exhibitions. After learning more, I felt that such a beautiful cup was wasted in my hands. It’s too fragile—you have to be especially careful when using it. Given my personality, I probably really can’t be that careful. If I accidentally broke it, that would be too regrettable… I’m probably better suited to stainless steel, plastic—things like that.”
Chen Qingwu pursed her lips and smiled slightly. “…Compared to what you like, ceramics are probably still too boring. Actually, it’s okay not to understand.”
“I at least needed to know what I truly missed and gave up…”
“Qiran, when you meet that person whose soul truly resonates with yours, without deliberately cultivating it, you’ll naturally draw close. So missing me isn’t regrettable at all.”
Meng Qiran was silent.
Recently, Zhan Yining had confessed to him. He understood Zhan Yining’s intention—purely to reach closure. He was very clear that Zhan Yining didn’t necessarily like him that much. It was just a kind of pursuit of being the center of attention, no different from her liking limited edition handbags.
He naturally refused. Zhan Yining joked at the time: Missing someone as good as me—you’ll regret it.
But Chen Qingwu said, missing me isn’t regrettable at all.
Perhaps only someone who has truly loved another person could say, “missing me isn’t regrettable at all.”
He smiled, momentarily feeling wistful, but chose to change the subject: “I probably won’t be in the country much for the next period.”
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t know. Just traveling around the world.”
“What about the shop?”
“Someone’s managing it.”
Chen Qingwu nodded.
“If I send you postcards, will you accept them?”
“Of course I will.”
Meng Qiran smiled. “Mm. Then that’s good enough.”
“When are you leaving? Where’s your first stop?”
“Antarctica?”
“That far?”
“If I’m going, I should go to the farthest place.”
Chen Qingwu heard that Meng Qiran was joking. “The moon is even farther.”
“But they haven’t opened Earth-Moon flights yet.”
Both laughed.
It seemed long-lost—this kind of relaxed, unburdened conversation.
“I’ll stay in South City for a while longer, partly to process visas, partly to keep my parents company. They lost a large sum of money and are in bad spirits now.”
Chen Qingwu nodded.
Meng Qiran had said everything he needed to say.
After the silence, he said: “Then I’m going.”
“Mm. Be safe on your way back.”
Meng Qiran turned around, pulled up the hood of his athletic jacket, and lowered his gaze.
In the end, he still couldn’t say “I wish you and my brother well.”
He wasn’t magnanimous at all, nor had he found any release. It was just that the moment when he had to let go had truly arrived.
Meng Qiran walked quickly forward in the night. At the residential complex entrance, he brushed past two children.
A boy and a girl, walking side by side, holding a tin pencil case. Not knowing what was inside, the two carefully protected it, occasionally exclaiming in wonder.
They wore the nearby elementary school uniform, water bottles in their backpack side pockets, charms hanging from the zippers.
One red and one blue rabbit—like a pair from some cartoon.
He suddenly thought of his childhood days with Chen Qingwu.
That day in the park when he caught a rhinoceros beetle and called Qingwu over to see.
He carefully separated his palms just a crack. Qingwu exclaimed “Wow!” in delight.
Cicadas droned in the trees, foxtail grass swayed in the wind.
That blazing, drowsy summer—he thought it would last a lifetime.