This left Mei Langchi momentarily bewildered, waiting for his superior to call upon Feng Xiaoxian and say similar words. He suddenly understood something.
Yang Wei didnât respond, and just then Sun Yu returned with wine, quickly stepping forward to take the wine from his wifeâs hands, saying, "Darling, why donât you go ahead and invite Mei Tuanâs wife over? Sheâs at home alone anyway, better she eats at our place."
"You mean Little Sister Ye, but Sister-in-law Wang said she saw Little Sister Ye go out, saying she was planned to meet Mei Tuan outside, something about a little earthen house... Oh, no..." Sun Yu purposefully mentioned a few obvious words, pretending she misspoke, and covered her mouth tightly.
Sun Yuâs demeanor raised suspicion, and Mei Langchi was just the deep-thinking kind.
Yang Weiâs eyes flickered, silently praising his wifeâs effort.
Turning back, he pretended to be nonchalant and laughed, "Since Little Sister Ye went out, letâs continue eating."
"My wifeâs not quite sensible, always talking gibberish. Mei Tuan, donât mind, she probably went to the canteen for a meal herself." Last time, Mei Langchi deliberately tried to win him over but his wife messed it up, and it was hard to meet with him againâintending to establish some rapport, with Mei Familyâs protection, the future would be smoother.
He came along when he heard Yang Wei invited Mei Langchi to dinner today. Unexpectedly, before it even started, his wife started acting up again.
He complained he shouldnât have brought her. Why is it that others have good fortune, marrying beautiful, wise, agreeable women, while he ended up with a troublemaker?
Mei Langchi smiled and nodded slightly, "Itâs my fault for not telling her. Sheâs probably worried because I havenât come home. Letâs eat quickly, and Iâll return afterward, lest she gets anxious."
"Haha, Mei Tuan is really nice to his wife."
"Ah... women need to be pampered, of course."
"Indeed, indeed..." Feng Xiaoxian echoed a few times; how could anyone not pamper such an enchanting woman?
The three men exchanged a few pleasantries and began chatting again, but Mei Langchi seemed a bit absent-minded.
Yang Wei glanced at the time and concluded the dinner according to Mei Langchiâs intent.
"Why end after just a few words? My soupâs not even ready." Sun Yu grumbled a bit, looking at the untouched food on the table, "What do you think, what does Mei Tuan mean, can he help you?"
"Help with what? What do you mean?" Yang Wei was a bit confused by his wifeâs meaning.
"What do you mean, of course regarding your position. Why do you think I spent the whole afternoon preparing all this meat?"
"My position is something Iâll strive for myself; I donât need anyoneâs help."
Sun Yu felt dissatisfied hearing this, "Itâs a matter of a simple sentence from someone, and you could save three years of struggle. If someone is willing to help but you donât use it, thatâs foolish. Look, who doesnât rely on connections these days? Take that literature teacher at our school, sheâs been diligent for years, but without a background, she hasnât achieved a title. Whereas Iâve been at school for just a few years? Only recently officially in the position, thanks to the leadership speaking some good words. Understand this, sometimes you have skills but donât get equal treatment."
"Alright, alright, I get it. Letâs tidy up. Iâm going out for a bit." At times like this, Yang Wei becomes impatient, sometimes wondering whether it was right or wrong to marry Sun Yu.
"Itâs late, where are you going?"
"Going to the team, might not come back tonight."
"Youâre not going anywhere, youâre trying to lie again, always using excuses like these." She had looked into it, Yang Wei had nothing urgent, just wanted to avoid her.
"Enough, stop fussing; Iâm going to the base to discuss my leave arrangements with the leadership, aiming to get a long holiday so we can visit the child."
"I can only go during the New Year, have no other time."
"We still need to arrange a holiday for New Year. Xiao Yu, why not bring the child back this year for New Year? The kid is already two, isnât there a nursery now where we can drop him off daily and fetch him in the afternoon? It wonât delay your work."
"Iâve seen the nursery, the care from the teachers there is careless, too many children, if cared for mostly itâs only the younger months old ones, a bit older and they barely look after you beyond not letting you starve. If bringing him back, we better wait till heâs three and can enter a preschool."
"A two-year-old is quite manageable now, look at Han Yiâs Little Star, he can already eat with a spoon by himself. As long as he doesnât starve." Yang Wei yearned for his son, but his wife was unwilling to bring the child back, a matter that stuck in his mind so much so he increasingly didnât want to talk to his wife.
Talking always frustrates him, unable to understand, anything seems right only to her.
Yang Wei ignored Sun Yuâs hinderance and set off downstairs. Originally intending to see how Han Yi was doing, but thinking itâd expose him, he directly went to the base.
Back home, Mei Langchi returned and indeed saw no shadow of Ye Qing. His dark eyes dimmed, puzzled by where Ye Qing couldâve gone this time, assuming she mightâve gone to the canteen herself rather than cooking.
Mei Langchi waited at home for a while, but didnât see Ye Qing return, with the canteen long closed nowânow Mei Langchi was a bit unsettled.
Picking up his coat, he stood up and headed out...
In the darkness, Li Liang awoke in a haze, reaching out to feel the darkness, frowning as he touched his neck.
"Damn it, who the hell hit him? What a crappy place." Li Liang said as he stood up in the dark.
Rubbing his heavy head, suddenly feeling uncomfortable all over, he reached to unbutton his clothes. Looking up around him but seeing nothing but darkness.
Muttering a curse to himself, he reached out to see what he could find. After a while, he discovered it was a run-down little house.
Li Liang cursed quietly at the night sky. In the darkness, Han Yiâs lips curled into a wicked smile, for not far away he had already faintly noticed someone approaching. Judging by the slender figure, it had to be Ye Qing.
Li Liang also noticed someone approaching then, hoarsely calling out to the shadow, "Whoâs there?"
Ye Qing paused upon hearing the voice, involuntarily breaking into a smile in the darkness, "Itâs me."
"Ye Qing?" Ye Qing didnât recognize his voice, but Li Liang did.
On her way she still felt anxious, wondering if Han Yi was playing some trick, yet knowing Han Yiâs temperament, he shouldnât be speaking such suggestive words for no reason.
Now at the place, her uneasy heart settled deep down, nobody knew her feelings thenâlike a farmer finding rain after long drought, or a fisherman spotting a lighthouse amidst fog, such joy unspeakable!
Ye Qing swiftly approached the voice, blushing lightly, ready to speak.
When suddenly the person nearby spoke, "Why are you here, what happened?"
Ye Qing then realized the person opposite wasnât Han Yi, the joy in her heart instantly froze, chilling her heart, thinking not good, "Li Liang, whatâs going on? Didnât I ask you to deal with that bitch Lin Wan? Why are you here, whereâs Han Yi, where did he go?"
"How would I know, I was at her door looking for the chance, then suddenly that brat behind hit me with a stick, waking up here. What place is this, how are you here?"
Ye Qing immediately knew things were wrong, "Youâre a fool, you mustâve been found out. This place is close to the military area, on a roadside small earthen house. Letâs get going, weâve been trapped."
"Why leave, finally meeting once, dark and blind." Li Liang wouldnât let Ye Qing go.
Upon contacting Li Liang, Ye Qing knew itâd gone wrong, "Li Liang, get a grip, this isnât the place. I need to go back, or else Mei Langchi will get suspicious."
"In this desolate place, where would I go?"
"Li Liang you bastard, let go of me." Ye Qing struggled, fearing someone might come soon, knowing this definitely was Han Yiâs doing, purposefully luring her hereânot knowing what the purpose is yet.