Sandwich Cookie

Su Yutang clutched her head, still dazed from the fall. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Yun Huaizhu holding Lin Meng's hand.

By now the anger in her heart had reached its peak. Su Yutang didn't hesitate for even half a second; she scrambled up from the floor in a sorry state and charged straight at Yun Huaizhu. 'Well, well! I was wondering why you kept refusing to leave my house. You knew she was coming all along, didn't you? You've been waiting here for her this whole time!'

Seeing Su Yutang looking ready to commit murder, Yun Huaizhu hurriedly shielded Lin Meng behind her. As if she had finally shed all pretense, she stared Su Yutang down. 'Are you insane? If I wanted to see her, I'd just go see her directly. Why would I stay here looking at that disgusting face of yours?'

Seeing Yun Huaizhu finally drop the act, Su Yutang let out a cold laugh. 'Finally dropped the act, huh? So what if you've latched onto my mother? If you dare cross me, I, Su Yutang, will make sure the Yun family can't survive in Jing City by tomorrow!'

When Lin Meng had first walked in, she'd been trembling with fear at the sight of Su Yutang in a rage. Yun Huaizhu shoving Su Yutang so hard she fell—that had been beyond anything she'd expected.

But the situation was clearly spiraling. Their argument had escalated to a dangerously serious level. If she didn't stop them now, these two would never end up together!

Lin Meng bit her lip and clenched her fists. As if she'd resolved something, she stepped out from behind Yun Huaizhu. 'Enough! Both of you, stop fighting!'

Seeing Lin Meng's eyes rimmed red, on the verge of tears, Yun Huaizhu rushed forward. Her voice was still hoarse from shouting at Su Yutang, but she softened her tone as much as she could. 'Mengmeng-jie, don't be afraid. Even if I have to risk everything today, I won't let her hurt you. I'll get you out of here, I promise.'

Lin Meng slowly pulled her hand free from Yun Huaizhu's grip. She gradually drew closer to Su Yutang, until she stopped squarely between the two of them. 'I'm sorry... if my being here is what made you two fight, then I'll leave right now.'

Seeing Lin Meng like this, the fury in Su Yutang's chest curdled into something indescribable—a stifled, sour ache that made her deeply uncomfortable.

Yun Huaizhu shook her head desperately. 'No! It's not your fault!'

Lin Meng glanced at Yun Huaizhu, who was frantically trying to explain, then turned to look at Su Yutang, whose face was dark with displeasure. 'Miss Yun, you've misunderstood. Eldest Miss Su hasn't done anything to me, hasn't hurt me... I just...' Her voice caught in her throat.

How was she supposed to reconcile this bitter pair who looked like they wanted to strangle each other?

Hearing the choke in Lin Meng's voice, panic flickered through Su Yutang's eyes. She couldn't even keep up her aloof, crossed-arms pose anymore.

Lin Meng lifted her head, looking at Su Yutang with eyes glistening with unshed tears. 'I admit that at first I was biased against you, Eldest Miss Su. But during this time, aside from scaring me a little, you haven't really done anything bad. I know someone like you is bound to have a temper, but could you control it? Just a little bit. Miss Yun is a good person too. If she can stand being here with you, then you don't hate her as much as you think. Can't you two just get along?'

When Yun Huaizhu heard Lin Meng call her 'Miss Yun' in front of Su Yutang, a dull ache suddenly welled up in her chest.

Was Lin Meng that afraid of Su Yutang?

That lunatic Su Yutang!

After Lin Meng finished speaking, Yun Huaizhu's blazing fury gradually subsided. As her rationality returned, she realized how disastrous her actions had been.

Yes, in the heat of the moment she could rush to save Lin Meng from Su Yutang's coercion. But what about tomorrow?

If Su Yutang truly flew into a rage and targeted her in earnest, even Su Yurong probably couldn't save her. She'd worked so hard to get her plan halfway there.

This time she really had acted on impulse.

But how could she just stand by and watch that madwoman Su Yutang treat Lin Meng like that?

In the future Yun Huaizhu envisioned, there was absolutely a place for Lin Meng. She had even resolved—once her plan succeeded—to take Lin Meng away from Jing City, away from this place her mother had painstakingly built up over half a lifetime.

In the end, Yun Huaizhu swallowed her resentment. Her pride as the daughter of the Yun family wouldn't allow her to truly grovel before anyone.

But Lin Meng was different. For the sake of the person she wanted to protect, she was willing to bear this humiliation.

Just as Lin Meng stood between the two, caught in a long, eerie silence, Yun Huaizhu—having talked herself into it—stepped forward, suppressing the urge to strangle the other woman, and bowed to Su Yutang. 'I apologize. That was my fault earlier. I shouldn't have shoved you without knowing the full story. If Eldest Miss Su still feels wronged, you can come push me back.'

Seeing Yun Huaizhu be the first to apologize, Lin Meng's eyes lit up.

As expected of Yun Huaizhu—beauty and gentleness combined!

Watching Lin Meng's gaze drift to that hypocritical Yun Huaizhu, the fire in Su Yutang's heart flared up again. She strode forward, grabbed Lin Meng's hand, and pointed at Yun Huaizhu. 'Can't you see she's faking it? How is that apology sincere at all?'

Lin Meng looked at Su Yutang with exasperation, then glanced at Yun Huaizhu, who appeared pitiful and vulnerable, her eyes blinking innocently.

How was that not sincere?

Clearly, Su Yutang was just picking a fight for no reason.

Lin Meng thought: since she was standing in front of a couple, she should naturally keep her distance from both of them. No intimate contact with either.

With that thought, Lin Meng pulled her hand back from Su Yutang's grip.

Seeing Lin Meng treat her so much more coldly than she treated Yun Huaizhu, Su Yutang finally ground her teeth as if conceding. 'Fine, fine! I'll apologize, alright? Just stop moving around!'

Lin Meng had only wanted to withdraw her hand, but Su Yutang gripped it even tighter. To keep her poor wrist from suffering further, she had no choice but to give up resisting for now.

Once Su Yutang apologized and the two made up, she would bolt immediately.

After agreeing to Lin Meng, Su Yutang turned to Yun Huaizhu with a dark expression. 'I'm sorry. I was so blinded by anger earlier that I yelled at you. Can you forgive me?'

A vein throbbed at Yun Huaizhu's temple—her anger from before hadn't fully subsided. She narrowed her eyes, smiling without warmth. 'Eldest Miss Su really is used to being treated like a princess. Just because someone who hurt me apologizes, does that mean I'm obligated to accept?'

Lin Meng was stunned.

Although Yun Huaizhu's words made perfect sense, if they didn't resolve this, there was no way the situation could move forward!

Su Yutang looked at Lin Meng as if she'd been gravely wronged, then sidled up to her and shook the dazed woman's arm. 'Darling, look at her! I accepted her apology earlier, but she won't accept mine. This time it's not my fault, right?'

Hearing Su Yutang whine so coquettishly, Lin Meng thought she'd misheard—until Yun Huaizhu responded, snapping her out of her bewilderment.

Yun Huaizhu sneered. 'I only apologized. I never begged for your forgiveness. My apologizing is my business; whether you forgive me is yours. What gives you the right to demand that I must forgive you?'

Lin Meng was floored by Yun Huaizhu's words.

She'd always known that although Yun Huaizhu could be a bit frightening at times, she was still the strong, gentle, kind, and cultured character from the novel.

She had never seen Yun Huaizhu argue back so boldly, so aggressively.

Hearing this, Su Yutang really wanted to throw this person out of her house like garbage, but Yun Huaizhu's words had clearly stirred up displeasure in Lin Meng.

As if sensing this, Su Yutang immediately swooped in and linked her arm through Lin Meng's. 'Then what should we do? Darling wants us to make up.'

Seeing Su Yutang shamelessly clinging to Lin Meng, Yun Huaizhu's urge to kill rose another notch. If patience had a limit, hers was bleeding from the strain.

Lin Meng had no idea she was already at the center of a vortex. Coming back to her senses, she nodded as if agreeing with Yun Huaizhu. 'What you said does make sense...'

The smug smile Su Yutang had worn at having pissed Yun Huaizhu off froze instantly.

Lin Meng lowered her head as if her brain might overheat, thinking about what to do next to make these two, who currently saw each other as mortal enemies, reconcile.

The moment she lowered her head, Su Yutang's and Yun Huaizhu's charged gazes met. In that instant, they seemed to reach some unspoken consensus.

Su Yutang linked one of Lin Meng's arms, while Yun Huaizhu came up and took her other hand. Just like that, Lin Meng was sandwiched between them as they sat down on the living room sofa.

When Lin Meng came back to herself, Yun Huaizhu was on her left and Su Yutang on her right. The white marble coffee table stretched out before her. Even if she wanted to slip away now, she couldn't.

Su Yutang leaned close to Lin Meng's ear and blew a breath against it, clearly teasing her. Lin Meng felt the tickle and hurriedly pulled her hand free from Yun Huaizhu's hold to cover her ear. 'W-what are you doing?'

Seeing the faint pink blush spreading across her face, Su Yutang smiled. 'Nothing, darling. I just wanted to say that even if someone and I haven't forgiven each other, we can still make up. Like right now—aren't we sitting in the same place, getting along just fine?'

After Yun Huaizhu's hand was shaken off, she was deeply unhappy. Lin Meng happened to turn her head at that moment. The gloomy expression on Yun Huaizhu's face instantly transformed into a hypocritical smile. 'Mengmeng-jie, it's like this—we're reconciled now.'

Although Yun Huaizhu was smiling, Lin Meng found the smile strange. She turned to look at Su Yutang, who was also smiling.

Well, since the CP had made up, there was probably nothing more for her to do here.

As Lin Meng thought this, she pulled her arm free from Su Yutang's hold. She placed both hands on her knees and let out a relieved breath. 'I'm glad to see you two reconciled. This is what I've been hoping for all along. In that case, I'll just—' She'd leave first.

Before she could finish, Su Yutang affectionately wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 'You're on break and haven't eaten yet, right? How about I take you to that French restaurant from last time? I've memorized all your favorite dishes. I won't get it wrong this time.'

Seeing this, a shadow flickered across Yun Huaizhu's face. She quickly grabbed Lin Meng's arm and gave it a gentle shake. 'Mengmeng-jie, you said the Chinese restaurant we went to last time was delicious too. How about you come with me instead?'

The moment the words left Yun Huaizhu's mouth, a glare cut across Lin Meng and landed on her. Yun Huaizhu refused to back down and glared right back.

Only then did Lin Meng realize something was off. This CP should be inviting each other out to eat; what did inviting her have to do with anything?

Caught between them, Lin Meng shook her head hastily. 'No, no. I still have leftovers from yesterday at home. If I don't eat them today they'll go bad. You two go ahead. If nothing else, one of you can treat the other one day, and the other treats the next—isn't that nice?'

Rounding up, that was practically two dates!

Yun Huaizhu was clearly used to Lin Meng's way of thinking, but when Su Yutang heard this, her expression turned ugly instantly.

The French restaurant she wanted to take Lin Meng to—if not for her connections there, it was usually impossible to even get a reservation. And that kind of fine dining, in Lin Meng's eyes, wasn't even as good as her own leftovers.

She suppressed the urge to explode and glared at Yun Huaizhu, who looked thoroughly pleased with herself. That dead green tea bitch was right here—there was no way she was going to be outdone!

...

Just as the atmosphere was about to reach a boiling point, the doorbell of Su Yutang's villa rang again.

Hearing the bell, Su Yutang's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. She clearly didn't want to let go of Lin Meng, and she had no idea who had the nerve to show up now.

The doorbell rang twice more. Yun Huaizhu watched Su Yutang with a smile. 'Eldest Miss, your guest is waiting outside. Aren't you going to answer the door?'

Su Yutang's face twisted into a strange smile. 'Since it's a guest, what sense does it make for the host to open the door? Isn't there a dog here? Since she's taken the master's benefits, shouldn't she do some work for the master?'

Yun Huaizhu quickly checked Lin Meng's reaction, but Lin Meng hadn't caught Su Yutang's implication. She breathed a sigh of relief.

But when she looked at Su Yutang's hateful face again, her expression returned to gloom.

The doorbell rang twice more. Su Yutang urged, 'Hurry up.'

The two were locked in a stalemate, and Lin Meng felt her chance to escape had finally arrived. She jumped up. 'No need, no need! You two rest, I'll get it!'

Before either of them could react, she had already jogged to the door.

But what Lin Meng didn't expect was that before she could touch the handle, the villa's door swung open first. Then she saw a woman with fox-like eyes standing before her, wearing a beige trench coat and a brown beret.

Lin Meng froze on the spot.

Seeing Lin Meng standing there dumbstruck, the woman smiled as if she'd figured something out. She called toward the living room where Su Yutang sat. 'No wonder I rang the doorbell for so long and nobody came to open it. Turns out Tangtang's little darling is here.'

Only then did Lin Meng snap out of it.

Little darling?

Was she talking about Yun Huaizhu?

Wait—from this angle, could she even see Yun Huaizhu inside?

No way Huo Yi meant her, right?

If it really was her, then Su Yutang and Yun Huaizhu were going to misunderstand again. That damn troublemaking fox, Huo Yi!

Only after hearing the voice did Su Yutang lazily glance toward the door. 'Oh? What wind blew our busy Miss Huo all the way here? Weren't you at some summit the day before yesterday?'

Huo Yi wore a mysterious smile. 'You know I hate wasting time. Any event I attend, I go and come back the same day. And today, when I came to see you, I found a little kitten shivering outside. She didn't have the courage to come in, so I brought her in for you.'

With that, Huo Yi opened the door a bit wider, revealing the person behind her.

The woman wore a white wool coat, with a long white skirt peeking out beneath it, fluttering in the wind. A diamond butterfly clip adorned her hair. The only jarring detail was the black scarf wrapped around the neck of this woman who looked like a fragile white flower swaying in the wind.

Lin Meng remembered that it wasn't very cold today, yet this person was wrapped up from head to toe, save for the ankles showing above her low-heeled leather shoes.

When that woman—who carried a faint echo of Yun Huaizhu's air, with delicate features and slightly reddened eyes—looked at Lin Meng, an ominous premonition began to surface in Lin Meng's heart.

Only then did Su Yutang deign to rise from the sofa. But when her gaze caught the black scarf around the woman's neck, her eyes suddenly softened, as if recalling something dear.

Su Yutang seemed drawn toward the person outside. The moment the woman saw Su Yutang, a single clear tear rolled down her cheek. Choking up, she called out, 'Jiejie, I'm back.'

Seeing this scene, Lin Meng understood everything. This woman, who shared some of Yun Huaizhu's aura, was Su Yutang's white moonlight—Bai Li.

So the plot had finally reached this point.

Su Yutang and her white moonlight reunited after a long separation, exchanging loaded glances full of unspoken feeling. Yun Huaizhu was surely feeling terrible.

Thinking this, Lin Meng cast a sympathetic look toward Yun Huaizhu. But when she saw the faint, inexplicable smile on Yun Huaizhu's face, confusion surged through her.

Uh... her own wife was having a deep moment with her white moonlight, and Yun Huaizhu wasn't jealous at all? If anything, she looked happy.

Had Yun Huaizhu been shocked senseless by this scene?

Lin Meng was about to go comfort Yun Huaizhu when she heard that fox behind her speak. 'Oh my, your little darling doesn't seem suited to this kind of scene. How about you leave her to me? I'll take her around for a bit?'

Lin Meng was about to say no thanks, but Su Yutang nodded and agreed for her. 'That works. If she wants anything today, just tell me. Put it on my tab.'

'No—'

Before she could get the word out, Yun Huaizhu shot up from the sofa as if she'd heard something outrageous. She rushed to the door almost instantly and stared at Huo Yi with open hostility. 'Even if someone's taking her home, it should be me. Mengmeng-jie doesn't like being around strangers.'

Su Yutang's brows knitted tightly at this. The gentle look she'd worn for Bai Li turned sinister. She turned to Yun Huaizhu and lowered her voice. 'Have I been too lenient with you today?'

Seeing another storm about to break, Lin Meng quickly intervened. 'No... I actually want to go out and have some fun right now. Miss Yun, don't worry about me. I told you—I'm an adult, I'll be fine on my own outside.'

With that, Lin Meng pulled her phone from her pocket and waved it at Yun Huaizhu. 'You take care of yourself too, okay?'

At the gesture, Yun Huaizhu's eyes reddened instantly... Lin Meng still remembered.

Before, whenever she went out or was about to be alone with Su Yutang, Lin Meng would always remind her through the phone: If Su Yutang does anything bad to you, or if you're in danger, you must tell me. I'll come protect you.

Even in such a dangerous situation, Lin Meng was still thinking of her. How could she let her efforts go to waste now because of a moment's impulse?

Even if only for the chance to be with Lin Meng in the future, she had to endure this humiliation now.

Yun Huaizhu's beautiful eyes held boundless sorrow and grievance as she slowly lowered her gaze. She nodded as if obediently. 'I understand.'

Seeing Yun Huaizhu saddened by Su Yutang's white moonlight, Lin Meng felt awful. But this was a necessary plot point—this was the love-hate entanglement belonging to the three of them. Her interfering too much wouldn't help.

Besides—

Lin Meng lifted her head to look at that fox-like, cunning woman. She had to get this troublemaking Huo Yi away from here, otherwise, with a few casual words, she'd make Su Yutang and Yun Huaizhu misunderstand who knew how many things.

And so Lin Meng followed Huo Yi out of the villa. Seeing that all the irrelevant people had left—oh wait, there was still Yun Huaizhu—Bai Li looked at the incomparably striking woman beside Su Yutang, her expression terrified. 'Jiejie, am I interrupting you by coming here? If so, I'll leave right away.'

Hearing this, Su Yutang shot Yun Huaizhu an irritated glance. 'Since you're a dog my mother sent over, I won't chase you out. Now go find somewhere empty. If I see your face before I'm done talking, I'll have to invite you down to the basement for a chat.'

Yun Huaizhu immediately threw her a dirty look, rolled her eyes skyward, and went upstairs.

Watching how Su Yutang treated that woman, Bai Li's lowered face betrayed a trace of a smile. But that smile was quickly replaced by her pitiful, captivating expression.

Su Yutang stared at the person by the door for a long time. Finally, she angled her body slightly and said without expression, 'Come in.'

Bai Li stepped into the villa cautiously, with a reverence and admiration she couldn't quite hide.

...

Lin Meng followed Huo Yi out of the villa's courtyard. As she walked, she thought: once she got Huo Yi away from Su Yutang's territory, she'd make her escape.

Huo Yi pulled out a key with a prancing-horse emblem and pressed it. Ahead, a Ferrari so eye-catching and flashy it was almost ostentatious beeped.

Hearing the sound, Lin Meng looked up at the car parked a few steps away.

In that instant, her eyes went wide in disbelief—this car looked so much like the Ferrari she'd seen that rainy night!

Was it a coincidence?

Surely not everyone in this world knew where she lived?

No, no, that couldn't be. Su Yutang and Yun Huaizhu knowing her address was one thing, but she'd only met Huo Yi once at Su Yutang's gathering. She'd never met Huo Yi before that.

Besides, Huo Yi was just a troublemaking bystander. Why would she go to her neighborhood? She must be overthinking it!

Seeing this cute little sheep standing frozen in front of her car, Huo Yi bent down to look at her profile. 'Does Miss Lin like my car?'

Seeing Huo Yi so close, Lin Meng's expression immediately scrunched into a frown. She shook her head. 'N-no...'

She did love Ferraris. But she didn't like the Ferrari Huo Yi drove.

Seeing her flustered expression, Huo Yi narrowed her eyes and smiled. 'Why so nervous? I'm not going to eat you.'

With that, she walked around to the passenger side and opened the door, then beckoned to Lin Meng. 'Get in.'

Lin Meng hesitated, then got into the Ferrari—her favorite car since childhood—driven by someone she disliked.

The chassis was a bit higher than the luxury car Su Yutang had driven her in before, though low chassis were typical of sports cars.

Once Huo Yi got in, she asked Lin Meng, 'Where do you want to go?'

Hearing this, Lin Meng's eyes darted around. No matter what, she absolutely couldn't give Huo Yi the chance to go back and stir up trouble today!

A moment later, as if she'd thought of something, she turned to Huo Yi with excitement. 'I remember Jing City just renovated an old-town scenic area. I heard the street has lots of snacks and fun things. Can we go there?'

Huo Yi heard this and, combined with the way Lin Meng had been thinking, knew exactly what she was up to.

The woman narrowed her eyes and chuckled. 'Miss Lin, when you're with Tangtang, do you make demands of her like this too?'

Lin Meng frowned slightly at this. From the sound of it, Huo Yi wasn't planning to take her. 'So... it's a no?'

Huo Yi hadn't buckled her seatbelt yet. She leaned toward Lin Meng's seat, and Lin Meng—who had buckled up the moment she got in—hurriedly dodged to the side.

But she was strapped into the car and couldn't move.

Just as Huo Yi's pretty, fox-like face—bright and bewitching—was about to touch hers, Lin Meng squeezed her eyes shut in fright.

Seeing her so panicked, Huo Yi reined in the urge to tease her.

Just as she'd imagined—such a scaredy-cat.

So fun.

Huo Yi sat back in the driver's seat and buckled up. 'Alright then, hold on tight.'

Only then did Lin Meng dare open her eyes. She thought: no matter how aggressive Huo Yi drives, she can't be faster than Su Yutang, right?

With that, Huo Yi floored the gas and shot forward.

Of course, in the city she still had to follow traffic laws. But once Huo Yi got onto a highway with no speed cameras, she couldn't resist anymore and pressed the gas halfway down.

Lin Meng's face went pale with fright. Clearly, this time she wasn't as panicked as when she'd ridden with Su Yutang before—she was so scared her hands and feet went cold, and she stiffly grabbed at Huo Yi's coat hem. 'S-slow down, slow down!'

Huo Yi opened the roof panels, and the enclosed sports car instantly became a convertible. Lin Meng had never dreamed of such a thing. The cold wind hit her face, and she felt like she was going to be blown senseless.

Huo Yi was clearly even worse than Su Yutang. After all, with the wind roaring like this, Lin Meng had no chance to speak at all.

Only when they were about to exit the highway did Huo Yi slow down. By then Lin Meng wanted to lean over and throw up, but she remembered they were on the highway and held it back.

She still liked riding in cars like this, but she hated people like Su Yutang and Huo Yi who drove so fast.

Seeing her adorable reaction, Huo Yi actually hummed a little tune in a good mood. Lin Meng leaned back in the passenger seat like she'd already died once.

It was spring now, and the weather today was lovely, so the old town scenic area was crowded. Normally it took two hours to drive here, but Huo Yi had made it in a little over one—proof of just how aggressive her driving was.

Lin Meng had wanted to keep Huo Yi as far away as possible, but she hadn't expected Huo Yi to retaliate like this.

Absolutely despicable!

...

Huo Yi drove to a paid parking lot. After parking, she looked at the dizzy Lin Meng with interest. 'Miss Lin, we're here.'

Lin Meng responded with a weak 'Okay...'

Huo Yi smiled. She put the roof back up, got out, and came around to Lin Meng's side. Knowing Lin Meng must be feeling awful, she unbuckled the seatbelt for her, then reached out to carry her out.

Sensing Huo Yi's hand about to reach her waist, Lin Meng snapped awake. 'What are you doing?'

Huo Yi looked innocent, her bright eyes blinking. 'Carrying you out. Look at you—how are you going to stand steadily like this? I really am sorry. I didn't know you got carsick so badly.'

Lin Meng forced a smile at her. 'No need. Thank you.'

This person was clearly doing it on purpose!

As expected—one of Su Yutang's fox friends!

Lin Meng got out on trembling legs. She wanted to find a quiet place to throw up, but there wasn't one, and since she hadn't eaten or drunk anything today, she just dry-heaved a few times where she stood.

Seeing this, Huo Yi quickly pulled a spray bottle from the car. She shook it and sprayed it in front of Lin Meng.

A cool, refreshing sensation spread from Lin Meng's nasal cavity to her lungs. She suddenly felt much less dizzy.

She opened her eyes and looked at Huo Yi. 'What did you just spray on me...'

Huo Yi broke into a brilliant smile. 'Motion sickness spray. I'm so sorry I didn't notice your condition while driving and only remembered now. Are you still uncomfortable? Want me to book you a room in the scenic area so you can rest?'

Lin Meng stared at that face—so like the calamitous, nation-toppling Daji of novels—and blanked out.

She had to admit, Huo Yi's face was genuinely stunning, especially those eyes that constantly hinted at bewitching schemes. But people like Lin Meng, who had no cunning, were most afraid of being tricked by that type.

Huo Yi had a face like that, yet all she did was stir up trouble.

Really—if this Crown Princess wanted to watch drama so badly, she should just hire some actors and film eight hundred episodes of dog-blood angst. Why torment a young couple?

Coming back to her senses, Lin Meng thanked Huo Yi with mixed feelings. 'Thanks, I'm feeling much better now. But I'd like to find a place to sit down first.'

Huo Yi immediately stepped forward to support her. 'Then I'll come with you.'

Because of Huo Yi's earlier gesture—not entirely ill-intentioned—Lin Meng didn't dislike her as much anymore. So when Huo Yi wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her, Lin Meng didn't resist much.

...

The old town had many teahouses. Huo Yi picked one near the central section of the street.

As she settled Lin Meng on the open-air balcony of the small building, Huo Yi asked, 'Do you prefer tea, coffee, or a glass of wine?'

Lin Meng shook her head quickly. 'No, no. Anything but alcohol.'

Huo Yi had witnessed Lin Meng get knocked out by a single glass of wine that day. If one glass could make someone lose all sense, wouldn't that be more effective than some drugs?

Su Yutang really was foolish—wanting someone so badly and still playing the pure innocent.

A faint, ambiguous smile flickered at the corner of Huo Yi's lips. She ordered a pot of Biluochun, and the shopkeeper quickly brought the tea leaves and a kettle of boiling water.

As Lin Meng recovered, she caught a light, delicate tea fragrance. She opened her eyes and looked across to see Huo Yi seriously brewing tea.

Watching this, she propped her chin on her hand and quietly studied Huo Yi's face. Actually... when this person wasn't causing trouble or stirring the pot, she was quite a pleasant sight.

After rinsing the tea leaves once, Huo Yi poured more water and continued brewing. Once the first cup was ready, she carefully brought it to Lin Meng. 'Drink some water.'

Lin Meng nodded, snapping out of it. The tea was still hot, but it had been brewed expertly—fragrant and rich without any bitterness.

Huo Yi watched Lin Meng take small sips and smiled. 'Miss Lin, I remember at Grace last time—that was our first meeting, right?'

Lin Meng nodded.

Huo Yi continued, 'Since it was our first meeting, why did you seem to dislike me so much?'

Lin Meng almost spat out her tea. She coughed twice and set the cup aside. 'N-no... not at all. You're so beautiful—how could I dislike you?'

So cute. A grown woman, and she still can't hide her emotions.

Huo Yi smiled again. 'So you don't dislike me. Then you like me?'

Lin Meng: '?'

Lin Meng realized that ever since she'd walked into Su Yutang's villa, her worldview had been shattered over and over, her old logic reshaped along with it.

She couldn't be bothered to explain to Su Yutang's friend anymore. Anyway, Huo Yi's role in Su Yutang and Yun Huaizhu's relationship was to stir things up. Whether she was here or not made no difference.

As if humoring her, Lin Meng nodded. 'Mmhm. If Miss Huo really thinks so, there's nothing I can do. As long as you're happy.'

Huo Yi covered her mouth as if wounded. 'Oh dear, I've been brushed off.'

Lin Meng didn't care what she said, as long as she stayed here with her today.

Seeing Lin Meng's bright eyes peering curiously at the tourists below through her glasses, Huo Yi couldn't help but feel a wicked interest. 'If we follow your logic from earlier, Tangtang and that Yun Huaizhu are beautiful too. Do you like them as well?'

Lin Meng's expression turned urgent, as if a vital artery had been struck. 'What kind of question is that? Isn't it normal to like beautiful people?'

Huo Yi nodded thoughtfully, as if she'd understood something. 'Oh, I see. So your so-called liking is just liking their faces. Which means you don't actually like them as people, right?'

Lin Meng: '?'

Lin Meng seemed to get caught up in Huo Yi's logic and actually started thinking about Su Yutang and Yun Huaizhu...

Yun Huaizhu was beautiful, professionally accomplished, and very gentle. When she'd been an idol, she'd had a mountain of fangirls. Lin Meng being Yun Huaizhu's fan was just for fun—what she really wanted was for Yun Huaizhu to find sweet, loving romance.

She liked Yun Huaizhu's face and her personality, the way one might like a novel character from another dimension.

As for Su Yutang—Lin Meng had had a fixed impression of her before and, aside from fear, genuinely couldn't bring herself to like her. But after getting to know her during this time, she found the Eldest Miss wasn't actually that bad.

And she had successfully prevented the original novel's dog-blood, heart-wrenching plot. She'd upset Su Yutang several times, but aside from scaring her, Su Yutang really hadn't done anything to her.

Setting aside all the plot points from the novel, Lin Meng actually had a fairly good impression of the current Su Yutang.

A vicious person gradually transforming into a gentle one, learning to love others—that was a pretty wonderful process.

Lin Meng looked forward to the day Su Yutang completed that transformation. Maybe by then she could even officiate her wedding.

As she thought this, a smile unconsciously spread across Lin Meng's face.

Seeing Lin Meng's expression, Huo Yi seemed to understand—so this person really didn't like them after all.