Chapter 7

The young girl was suddenly taken aback, unsure of how the atmosphere had taken such a sharp turn, becoming so tense.

The little girl weakly spoke up, "Sister, I am a university student now"

The little girl then said, "He is not my boyfriend, Brother Jinyu is just like Brother Kai."

Thus, this meal was originally intended for her alone. However, unexpectedly, there are now two additional people, making the atmosphere somewhat strange

The waiter was clearly familiar with her and finally asked with a smile, "Not adding any spice today?"

Cheng Kairan is not foolish; he is well aware of Ye Meng's character. He was momentarily swayed by her sudden display of affection, but now that he has calmed down and regained his rationality, he realizes that today's encounter is somewhat inexplicable. Moreover, the dancing machine is reminiscent of the scene from their first meeting.

"985, not bad," Ye Meng glanced at Cheng Kairan and joked, "Not a biological sister, right?"

Cheng Kairan understood her very well. Ye Meng's temperament was such that she could pamper those she liked to the heavens, while for those she did not like, even if they threatened to die, it would be of no use. At that time, there was a small leader on the street who was very fond of Ye Meng, making various attempts to show his affection, confessing, and even threatening her. Ye Meng completely ignored him. If it had been any other girl, she would probably have been too scared to go out after provoking such a person. That small leader even gathered a group of brothers, causing a commotion at the school gate, which infuriated the teachers to the point of chaos, nearly leading to Ye Meng's expulsion. Ye Meng was completely innocent; she didn't even remember who that person was. In the end, she picked up a large brick and confidently walked to the school gate, unhesitatingly slapped it against her forehead, and with blood streaming down, impatiently said to that lewd little leader: "Come on, what do you still like about me? I don't want it anymore. My legs? Should I go saw them off later? Get lost!"

Cheng Kairan is a person with an extreme desire for face yet possesses a deep-seated sense of inferiority. Since high school, he has felt insecure in the presence of Ye Meng, believing her to be beautiful, graceful, skilled at gaming, and an excellent dancer, with numerous boys around her who admire her. He, a local ruffian who never even completed high school, feels that he does not even register in her eyes. Although Ye Meng appeared carefree and nonchalant in high school, treating everyone well, she was particularly attentive to her younger brothers.

Cheng Kairan was caught off guard. He did not understand what Ye Meng was truly thinking; all the years of hatred seemed to completely crumble in the face of her nonchalant smile. This is what unrequited love is like, to the point that he remembered every boy who had once liked her even more clearly than she did.

Li Jinyu withdrew his gaze from the window with great exasperation and stared at her: "Do you speak so indiscreetly in front of children as well?"

He felt that Ye Meng must be feeling guilty, which is why she had been avoiding him all these years, never once reaching out to him. However, now Ye Meng appeared before him so openly, behaving so naturally and unexpectedly, as if they had never severed ties, as if she had never given up on him

Cheng Kairan lit a cigarette for himself, remaining silent.

Cheng Kairan spoke up to interrupt, "Don't tease the young lady, this is my sister. This is her boyfriend."

Ye Meng casually played with the lighter that had just been lit, looking at him with calm composure: "Speak up, if it weren't for you, my mother wouldn't have died. Of course, I know this isn't your fault; I only blame myself for not rushing in to take those two stabs for you at that time"

Ye Meng was slightly surprised, "High school student?"

Thus, despite Cheng Kairan now becoming a small leader, he still cannot help but feel inferior when he sees Ye Meng. Over time, this inferiority develops into a distorted mentality, believing that Ye Meng owes him something. During the years he could not see Ye Meng, he thought about her almost every day and night, dreaming and going mad with thoughts of how he must take revenge on her cruelty and the years of her indifference towards him

Li Jinyu took off his coat as soon as he entered and casually hung it on the back of a chair, lowering his head to play with his phone in the private room. He regarded the beautiful woman across from him as if she were invisible, clearly knowing that someone like Ye Meng, such a pretty sister, probably wasn't his type either. Cheng Kairan was not very familiar with Li Jinyu; he was the kind of person who never really got close to anyone. He appeared casual and carefree, yet inexplicably gave off a sense of distance. However, Cheng Kairan knew all too well that with Li Jinyu's looks, he was definitely the type that Ye Meng would like, as she had always been attracted to that kind of appearance since she was young.

Li Jinyu instinctively glanced up at Cheng Kairan, but said nothing and returned to deciphering his secret chamber.

Cheng Kairan suddenly turned his head to stare at her! She said that on purpose, she said that on purpose!

What Cheng Kairan did not know was how Ye Meng could possibly harm herself. It could be excused when she was young and immature, but how could she engage in such self-destructive behavior now? In fact, she was relying on the possibility that Cheng Kairan still had some lingering feelings for her, coupled with her certainty that his timid and cowardly personality would never allow him to express his affection for her; in the end, he would only storm off.

Cheng Kairan felt a whirlwind of thoughts in his mind. Ye Meng, on the other hand, sat calmly beside him, ordering dishes. After finishing the order, she realized that all the dishes were Cheng Kairan's favorites. Cheng Kairan was three years younger than her and knew that she had always been quite attentive to others; it just depended on whether she truly cared.

The young girl was very shy, blushing as she spoke, needing to glance at Cheng Kairan and Li Jingyu beside her.

Ye Meng chuckled in surprise, glanced at the tall man, and said with a smile, half-jokingly, "Then let me have your boyfriend."

At that moment, when it was said that Ye Meng was going to repay him for these two scars, Cheng Kairan truly felt that she was capable of doing such a thing

Ye Meng smiled without saying a word. After a while, Li Jinyu stared out the window and began to speak in a lazy and frivolous manner: "Who wouldn't want to be the boyfriend of such an obedient younger sister? Doesn't the elder sister also like her younger brother?"

In the early years, the dance machine at the entertainment center was quite rudimentary, but Ye Meng was particularly fond of it, spending most of her time there after class. Cheng Kairan first saw her on that dance machine, where she was competing for scores with a boy with dyed yellow hair, drawing a crowd of people from the entire arcade. In this area, Ye Meng's name was well-known, and almost everyone who enjoyed playing knew of her.

Ye Meng crossed his arms and coldly stared at the two guests in front of him: "Aren't you leaving?"

Ye Meng did not look elsewhere, her eyes were particularly clean and pure as they gazed directly at Cheng Kairan

That year, the English listening test for the college entrance examination was still held six months in advance. Cheng Kairan was attacked, and Ye Meng was also injured, which caused her to miss the exam. The only subject she excelled in among her few lackluster courses, English, was directly marked down by thirty points. It was no surprise that Ye Meng failed her college entrance examination in her first year. After that, whenever she encountered Cheng Kairan on the road, she treated him as a stranger. The last time she saw him was during her second year of repeating the college entrance examination, when Cheng Kairan was beaten and disfigured in the snow.

Ye Meng: "Is that so? I think he really wants to be your boyfriend"

Ye Meng smiled slightly and said, "No need, my friend does not eat spicy food"

Ye Meng had already made preparations early on, gazing directly and sincerely at Cheng Kairan, "Let us talk about the past."

Cheng Kairan's heart trembled; after all these years, she was surprised that she still remembered. Although Li Jinyu also did not eat spicy food, Cheng Kairan felt that Ye Meng was currently worlds apart from him.

Ye Meng calmly poured a glass of water for the little girl beside her, then gently nodded towards Li Jingyu, who sat opposite her in silence yet was particularly attention-grabbing, and meaningfully asked, "Boyfriend?"

The young girl was about to explain when Cheng Kairan interrupted her again, "What do you want from me?"

Is that so? Ye Meng smiled and said, "You look quite young, almost like someone who hasn't graduated from high school. Which university are you attending?"

My mother has always believed that I harmed you. You know she suffers from depression, and her sense of guilt is already heavy. A few careless words in town could make her immediately attempt to harm herself. Having such a fragile-hearted mother, I was unwilling to continue associating with you. She never anticipated that this would lead to your disfigurement, and she has always thought it was her fault for not allowing me to associate with you. In the end, she took her own life

Ye Meng smiled and turned her gaze away from the window: "My mother has never asked me to be a perfect child, but she doesn't want me to be the bad child in others' eyes. However, the people in town all think I am a bad child." She smiled nonchalantly, "To be honest, I don't have many strengths; I just have a good attitude. No matter how others perceive me, there is one thing I think you should know. That day, I clearly called the police, so why didn't the police find you? It's because you all were unwilling to go to the police station. After I reported the incident, that group of people ran away, and you ran away with them, didn't you? Later, the police even called to ask me why no one was there, suspecting that I made a false report."

The meal ultimately did not take place, as Cheng Kairan was so infuriated by Ye Meng that he flipped the table and left, even forgetting to take his sister and her boyfriend with him

That year, on a snowy day, the social youth that Cheng Kairan had provoked came to Ye Meng's school several times to confront her. Ye Meng was called to the office by the teacher before she finished her exam. The test paper was filled with red crosses, and feeling distressed, Ye Meng sent Cheng Kairan a message to sever their relationship. Without a word, Cheng Kairan ran to the school to find her, only to be caught red-handed by the group of social youth lying in wait near Ye Meng's school.

"Central South University." A hint of confidence finally appeared on the little girl's face

Upon hearing this, Cheng Kairan stood up abruptly, "The well water does not interfere with the river water? Ye Meng, do you really dislike me this much?"

The little girl cautiously asked her, "Can I stay for a meal? I'm a bit hungry"

Ye Meng casually picked up the pen that had just been placed on the table after ordering, "If you insist on holding me accountable for this bill, why not draw a couple of lines on my face as well? Let’s settle this matter, and from now on, we will have no grievances between us, and our paths will not cross."

The young girl immediately blushed and said, "No, not at all"