Chapter 51 Part 2

Meng Ning pulled out her phone to scan the code for ordering, but Cen Meigui gently blocked her hand. “How can I let a little kid like you foot the bill?”

Meng Ning chuckled. “I’m already in my twenties—still a kid?”

“You’re still younger than me, anyway.” Cen Meigui scanned the code and placed the order. “Their beans aren’t great here. The flavored drinks are better. How about a cinnamon latte? I think it’s their best one.”

She was a woman with decided tastes.

Meng Ning nodded. “Sounds good.”

The coffees arrived, and Cen Meigui asked, “So, what have you been busy with lately?”

“Work,” Meng Ning said. “Just keeping busy.”

Cen Meigui took a sip of her coffee, leaving a mark from her lipstick on the rim of the white porcelain cup. “You don’t talk much.”

Meng Ning smiled again. “Feels like you don’t either.”

Cen Meigui set down her cup and nodded in agreement. “You’re right—I don’t.”

“Then why invite me for coffee?” As Meng Ning spoke, she laughed again. “You know that popular personality test? Two introverts who barely know each other sitting together—it’s a total disaster.”

Cen Meigui gazed at Meng Ning across from her. She wore no makeup at all, her face clear and luminous, which made her eyes stand out, bright whites contrasting sharply with the dark irises.

She smiled often, but whether it was her long lashes or something else, the way they fluttered when she laughed always gave off a misty, hazy impression.

“I don’t usually invite near-strangers out for coffee either,” Cen Meigui said. She flicked her thumb with a self-deprecating chuckle. “Today was pretty random of me.”

She turned to Meng Ning. “You’re not from around here, right? Have you ever been to any of the cities in the central region?”

Meng Ning’s heart skipped a beat.

Cen Meigui was merely setting up her next words. “When I was younger, I spent some time in Crane City. You know, it’s one of those riverside towns with no central heating in winter—damp and freezing. The winters there drag on forever, which makes spring feel way too short. This early spring weather here always reminds me of autumn in Crane City.”

“Autumn in Crane City,” Meng Ning murmured, keeping her head down as her fingertip traced absent circles on the white porcelain saucer. “What’s it like?”

“There are just a few days of perfect weather—sunlight so clear and pure, hardly a cloud in the sky, trees dotted with these little blooms.” Cen Meigui pointed at a tree outside the window. “Ours were osmanthus flowers, though, with that sweet scent. I was living in an old alley back then. The little boys there loved racing around on these tall old-fashioned bikes, their bells clanging dully. I still remember this one little girl who rode too—she wouldn’t let the boys beat her. One time she skinned her knee badly, and I was the one who bandaged it up for her.”

Beneath the table, Meng Ning’s knee twitched slightly.

“Anything else?” she asked, staring at the patterns etched into the saucer.

“And…”

Cen Meigui spoke those three words, then fell silent for a long while. It wasn’t until Meng Ning lifted her head and met her gaze that she tugged her lips into a faint smile. “Nothing else.”

Meng Ning said goodbye to Cen Meigui and returned to her rental apartment. Before long, someone knocked on the door. “Are you the one donating old clothes?”

Meng Ning nodded.

She had found an online service that recycled used clothing for people in need in the mountains. They even offered pickup, which made it all very convenient.

Meng Ning let the person in and handed over the bags of clothes she had packed up. Now she only had a few simple pieces left in her luggage bag.

Afterward, she gave the entire rental a thorough cleaning.

She and Qi Xiao had actually cleaned it together just the day before—it was already spotless—but Meng Ning wiped down the floors again anyway. She even figured out a way to scrub the grease from the range hood and gave all the faucets a good polish.

When she finally set down the brush, she realized there was nothing else left to do.

Qi Xiao came back soon after. She had a carefree look about her, but she was actually quite perceptive. One glance around the place, and she could tell Meng Ning had cleaned again.

That was because Meng Ning would be heading back to the island tomorrow to finalize her resignation—and then she’d be gone for good.

Qi Xiao peeked through the half-open door of Meng Ning’s bedroom. All the woven bags were gone; Meng Ning must have shipped her luggage already.

Qi Xiao didn’t say anything. She just set down her bag and felt a quiet gloom settle over her.

It was Meng Ning who spoke up first. “It’s still early today. Want to head downstairs for that seafood noodle place you love, then catch the bus to the dock?”

Qi Xiao nodded. “Sure.”

The two of them went downstairs for noodles. They usually took turns paying, and it was Qi Xiao’s turn this time, but Meng Ning settled the bill anyway—and even added an extra order of big prawns for her.

Qi Xiao stirred her noodles and muttered, “What’s the big idea?”

Meng Ning just smiled.

They boarded the bus together. Meng Ning gave Qi Xiao the only available seat. Qi Xiao sat by the window, holding both their bags while Meng Ning’s luggage sat at her feet. She was usually quite the talker—even the billboards whizzing by could spark a full conversation with Meng Ning. But today, as she stared at the sunset beyond the window, she stayed completely silent.

Meng Ning’s shadow fell across the side of the bus, clipped short where the open window gaped. Her shadow, too, remained silent.

Things were much the same as usual when they got back to the dorm. They tidied up quickly, and while Qi Xiao started playing her games, Meng Ning headed out for a swim.

By the time Meng Ning returned, Qi Xiao had already gotten into bed and turned off the light, pretending to sleep with her back to the door. She lay there listening to the soft sounds of Meng Ning tiptoeing into bed. She cracked her eyes open, her lips twitching as if to speak, but in the end, no words came.

She finally drifted off to sleep.

When she woke again, groggy and disoriented, it was to Meng Ning’s voice calling softly. “Qi Xiao, time to get up for morning training.”

Qi Xiao sat up and scratched her head.

Meng Ning spoke gently. “Make sure you set an alarm tomorrow, okay? Otherwise, maybe ask Ju Mengya to give you a wake-up call every morning on her way out.”

Qi Xiao still looked half-asleep. “Oh.”

After washing up in a rush, she hurried to the beach. During roll call, she realized that starting today, “Cara Mong” was no longer on the roster.

Qi Xiao ate breakfast with Ju Mengya, while Meng Ning had eaten alone before heading off to HR to handle her resignation paperwork.

When Qi Xiao finished and made it to the beach control room, the realization hit her again—Meng Ning wouldn’t be coming back here anymore.

Suddenly, she broke into a run.

Ju Mengya called after her. “Hey, Qi Xiao!”

She glanced back over her shoulder as she shouted, “I’m not on the first shift today—I’ll be back soon!”

She sprinted all the way to the dock. Sure enough, Meng Ning had finished her paperwork and was waiting there.

“Meng Ning!” Qi Xiao called out from a distance as she ran up.

Meng Ning, with her backpack slung over her shoulders and her luggage bag at her feet, turned around in surprise. “Aren’t you supposed to be on duty?”

“I’m not on the first shift today.” Qi Xiao barreled straight into her, wrapping her in a fierce hug.

Meng Ning stiffened for a moment, feeling Qi Xiao’s arms clamped tightly around hers. “No matter what you might think, I just had to come tell you—I really do think of you as a true friend.”

Why were people always so bad at facing goodbyes? Why did they twist themselves into knots and stay silent all the way to the very last second before finally speaking their hearts—only to regret not having done it sooner, without all the awkwardness?

If only they had enjoyed those seafood noodles happily yesterday. If only they had chattered away the whole bus ride. If only they had talked deep into the night.

“Hey…” Meng Ning said.

Qi Xiao could feel her trying to pull free and only gripped her tighter.

Meng Ning laughed. “At this rate, how am I supposed to hug you back?”

“Ah? Oh.” Qi Xiao finally loosened her hold a little.

Meng Ning freed her arms and pulled Qi Xiao into an embrace by the shoulders. It started light, then grew tight. She buried her face in Qi Xiao’s shoulder—a forcefulness Qi Xiao had never imagined from her.

Qi Xiao’s nose began to sting again. She patted Meng Ning’s shoulder. “All right, no need to get so sentimental. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again.”

Meng Ning let go, her smile as steady as ever. “Excuse me? You’re the one who started with the sentiment—I was just playing along.”

“I did not!”

By then, the fast boat to Isolated Island was ready to depart. Qi Xiao sniffed twice and said softly, “Go on.”

Meng Ning looked at her and smiled. “See you later.”

Beneath the rays of the rising sun, Qi Xiao watched Meng Ning leap aboard the speedboat. The young woman had a tall, slender figure, and her athletic shirt hung loose on her frame. Watching her retreating back, Qi Xiao thought she looked… so very alone.

What was this feeling?

Qi Xiao spun on her heel and took off running again in an exaggerated, cartoonish sprint, wondering if Meng Ning was watching her back and laughing.

Addicted! No more getting sentimental!

The same day, in Paris.

The pool at C Hotel sat atop the hotel itself, with an infinity-edge design that made it seem as though its lip merged seamlessly with the sheer ninety-degree glass wall plunging downward. Wen Zenian wore a sleek black one-piece swimsuit as she floated by the pool’s edge, relaxing her arms and legs.

Chen Luzi was nearby, pushing a unicorn float around. She had drifted aimlessly for a bit but soon grew bored and began kicking her feet to propel it playfully.

When she passed by Wen Zenian, she stopped and propped an elbow on the unicorn. “Hey, the second I heard your aunt was giving you two days off, I flew straight to Paris to keep you company. How’s that for loyalty?”

Wen Zenian didn’t even lift an eyelid. “Please. It’s obviously because the M House Haute Couture Show got moved up early, and you wanted to go shopping.”

Wen Zenian had flown to Paris to handle an urgent contract handoff. Her big boss had taken pity on her for the back-to-back work and magnanimously granted her two days to rest at C Hotel before diving into the next round.

Chen Luzi bobbed up and down on her unicorn float. Listening to the splashing water, Wen Zenian said, “Settle down for a minute.”

“Don’t think I can’t guess what’s on your mind.”

“Hm?” Wen Zenian looked languid, still not bothering to open her eyes.

“You workaholic—lying there by the pool with your eyes closed and not saying a word. Your brain’s definitely racing: how to kick off the Paris operations, whether the island project wrapped up smoothly, that sort of thing.”

Wen Zenian finally opened her eyes and beckoned to the poolside attendant. In a low voice, she said, “Merci.” A glass of fresh-squeezed juice was promptly delivered into her pale fingers.

She took a sip. “Why would I still be thinking about the island?”

“I’ve set all my pieces in place over there. Of course it’ll wrap up smoothly. Once a dream is over, it’s over—I won’t dwell on it. Next, I’m going to craft another one.”