Chapter 213
It seemed that something had happened, and nearly everyone along the way was gossiping.
“Wow, I never thought such a beautiful woman would enjoy being the third wheel so much…”
“Right? The real kicker is that she can flirt with six guys at once. That’s a talent, isn’t it? Hahaha…”
“What’s her name again? With that kind of wildness, I might just see if I can get her for myself, have a little fun…”
“Something like Shen…”
Hearing these voices, Long Aotian slowed his pace.
The lingering scent of alcohol on Shen Mengjie, the sense of collapse in her cries, combined with the rumors he was now hearing…
He turned and sprinted back the way he came.
Though he didn’t know exactly what had happened, there was no doubt that such a situation would be deeply hurtful for a woman…
She was waiting for him, wondering if he had let this slip?
He didn’t know.
But instinctively, Long Aotian felt the need to explain, and to check on her, as her emotions were clearly off-kilter.
...
**Chapter 258: I Don’t Feel Sorry for You**
Back on the internal path strewn with fallen leaves.
Long Aotian glanced around, but the figure in the hat, curled up on the bench, had vanished.
He hurried over, finding only a few empty beer cans left behind.
Long Aotian exhaled deeply, scanning the area, but he couldn’t find the one person he desperately wanted to see.
“Shen Mengjie?”
“Shen Mengjie, are you still here?”
At that moment, Long Aotian felt a genuine sense of urgency.
He couldn’t help but feel regret; he had sensed that Shen Mengjie’s mood was off today. If he had set aside his brief prejudices and listened to what she wanted to say, even if he couldn’t pull her out of the whirlpool of gossip, at least he could have prevented her from spiraling into despair…
After all, Long Aotian didn’t really understand what kind of person Shen Mengjie was…
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
He took out his phone.
Opening the Penguin messaging app, he checked his friend requests. The first one was from Shen Mengjie.
Friend request message verification: [Is it you?]
Seeing those three words, Long Aotian ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
He couldn’t help but recall Shen Mengjie saying, “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
She was waiting for him, wanting an explanation? Or perhaps just to know if this had anything to do with him?
But what had he done?
In the end, her cries of “Why? What right do you have?”—were they directed at him, or at herself?
He didn’t know. All he knew was that he had to find Shen Mengjie and clarify that none of this had anything to do with him…
So, after accepting her friend request, he initiated a video call.
He waited until the call timed out, but she didn’t pick up.
Long Aotian took a deep breath, imagining himself as Shen Mengjie. If he were in her shoes, where would he go?
In a fleeting moment, he thought of a place.
If it were him, feeling utterly confused and with no one to talk to, he might go there.
But at the same time, he hoped Shen Mengjie wouldn’t go there.
With that thought, Long Aotian ran down another path.
Under the moonlight, he suddenly stopped, looking at the empty beer cans scattered by the roadside.
His emotions were tumultuous.
An indescribable feeling swirled in his mind.
He didn’t want her to come here, yet he was relieved to have found this place.
Not far ahead was an artificial lake, surrounded by a small grove—a popular dating spot for couples.
Usually, this place was quite lively, but with the weather turning cooler, not many people were hanging around, braving the cold for a date.
The moonlight was bright, reflecting on the lake’s surface, shimmering like a layer of silver dust.
The wind stirred the water, scattering the moonlight’s reflection, creating ripples that converged once more.
The scenery was beautiful, but Long Aotian’s attention didn’t waver for a moment.
He was fixated on the slender figure sitting on a rock not far away.
Before arriving, Long Aotian had prepared all his explanations.
But now, it felt as if the very words had lost their meaning.
“You came.”
“Let me guess, are you some kind of fortune teller?” Long Aotian tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere with a casual remark.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips, and Long Aotian was taken aback. Was he really that funny?
But the fact that he could make her laugh suggested that things weren’t as dire as he had imagined.
“I’m not a fortune teller; I just had a feeling you would come.”
Hearing Shen Mengjie say that, Long Aotian felt his caution slip away. He walked over to her and sat down beside the empty beer cans.
“Want a drink?”
He picked up a can, opened it, and said, “Then let’s drink.”
Shen Mengjie turned, chuckling lightly, and tapped her can against his.
“You don’t think I’m fragile, do you?”
“Not at all.”
“Hypocrite.”
“Someone once told me the same thing. She said, ‘I’m not as fragile as you think.’”
“When you picked up that bottle and said that, I knew you weren’t really fragile. It might be a bit late to say this, but I truly don’t think you’re as weak as you seem.”
At Long Aotian’s words, Shen Mengjie chuckled again, but remained silent, tilting her head back as if to down the beer in one go.
In fact, she did finish it. After she opened another can, Long Aotian sighed and took the drink from her hand.
“What are you doing? Give it back! I don’t need anyone’s pity.”
“To be honest, I don’t feel sorry for you. At least from my perspective, what you did was rather unfair.”
Just the fact that Shen Mengjie had sent mixed signals to Huang Fei, then turned around to hang out with other guys, having meals with them—Long Aotian felt that was indeed a bit unfair.
Shen Mengjie laughed, reopening a bottle and taking a small sip. “Fair or unfair, I really don’t care.”
“Not even about those ridiculous comments online?”
“In my eyes, you care a lot.”
“I don’t care!” Shen Mengjie’s eyes reddened, her voice hoarse as it rose, as if she believed that if she spoke loudly enough, it would make everything truly not matter.
Long Aotian watched her, and in that moment, the usual aggression in her eyes faded, replaced by an indescribable pain.
Yes, pain—like a wounded cheetah in the animal kingdom, licking its own wounds in solitude.
Meeting Long Aotian’s gaze, Shen Mengjie chuckled softly, her tone slowing down. “You really don’t know anything. If our lives could be swapped, you wouldn’t care either.”
Some people are incredibly strong-willed, like walking a tightrope, constantly on edge. When one is in such a tense state, they unknowingly develop a defensive posture.
To appear strong, to hide any sign of weakness, they often adopt a superior demeanor to shield themselves. Over time, what seems like an impenetrable defense is filled with anxiety, insecurity, and helplessness.
Shen Mengjie was one of those people.
She always claimed, “I don’t care at all.”
But her expressions and actions clearly revealed that she couldn’t possibly be indifferent. Perhaps she didn’t care that much, but she definitely couldn’t be completely unconcerned.
Long Aotian understood, but he also knew that there was no way to persuade her about this.
Verbal violence is like invisible blades—unseen, untouched, yet capable of inflicting deep wounds…
**Chapter 259: Are You Crazy?**
After a long pause, Long Aotian gently tapped his beer bottle against Shen Mengjie’s. “I’ll drink with you, but just drinking isn’t fun. From now on, for every extra word you say, I’ll drink another can…”
Before Shen Mengjie could agree or disagree, he tilted his head back and finished the beer in his can, exhaling heavily before opening another one, placing it beside him, and waiting quietly.
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