Mengmeng-jie Is Very Fair There

Huo Yi couldn't help but sneer. “What do you mean, ‘poaching’? That makes it sound so ugly. Does she have a girlfriend? Is she married? No. If I like her and pursue her, how is that immoral?”

From that look, Tan Xiangwei could tell she was serious this time. Just then, the mahjong table was cleared and tea was served.

Tan Xiangwei poured herself a cup. “She really is quite cute, and she's very guarded. Today I only suggested doing yoga together, and she politely turned me down. If she knew who I was, she probably wouldn't dare refuse me like that, would she?”

Huo Yi wanted to laugh at her cousin's self-important comment. “She turned Su Yutang down without a second thought. You wouldn't even make the list.”

Tan Xiangwei was so startled she set down her teacup. “No way. She won't even give Su Yutang the time of day? Last time I got there late. I saw her drunk the moment I walked in, so I didn't get to talk to her. She and Su Yutang seemed very intimate—I thought they were already together.”

Huo Yi shook her head helplessly. “Getting her to make the first move is harder than ascending to heaven. And didn't you notice last time? Su Yutang was the one clinging to her. Even this time, when Yun Huaizhu drove her to work, Yun Huaizhu was the one throwing herself at her.”

Tan Xiangwei's interest was piqued. “Wow. The two most powerful people in Jing City's elite circles are both throwing themselves at her, and this Miss Lin remains unmoved. She really doesn't care about money. She doesn't want your money, and she doesn't seem to have much feeling for either of you. She's quite an interesting person—even I'm a little tempted.”

Huo Yi had meant to let her ramble before asking about today's situation, but then she heard that. Her hand trembled as she poured; tea splashed over the rim. She set the pot down on the table with a heavy thud.

Any more force, and the pot would have shattered.

She slowly raised her head and looked at Tan Xiangwei. “I asked you to help me keep an eye on her, not to come here and annoy me.”

Tan Xiangwei waved a hand dismissively. “You just said it yourself—single, unmarried people are fair game for anyone to pursue. So I have the right to pursue her too. Besides, you're all either alphas or omegas. Haven't you considered that she can't even smell your pheromones? If you ask me, two betas are the best match. Neither can smell the other—isn't that fair?”

Huo Yi's eyes narrowed. A dangerous smile curved her lips. “Go ahead and try.”

The moment Tan Xiangwei saw that narrowed-eyed smile, goosebumps rose on her skin. Huo Yi was a smiling tiger; the kinder she smiled, the crueler her methods of getting back at people behind the scenes.

Everyone in Jing City's elite circles who did business with her knew only that she was cheerful and gentle. What they didn't know was that everyone who had ever opposed Huo Yi had exited high society by various means.

Although Tan Xiangwei hadn't grown up in the same place as Huo Yi, their family gathered for holidays and New Year, and over time she had come to understand what kind of person her cousin was.

She took a sip of Longjing tea to steady her nerves. “I know I can't compete with you. But everyone has the right to their own feelings, don't they? I like her the way I like cake.”

Huo Yi's heart didn't ease much at those words. She knew Lin Meng was popular, but she hadn't expected her to be this popular. Her cousin's favorite pastime was traveling to dessert shops across the country to check in. To think she'd be interested in someone other than desserts.

It seemed she needed to speed things up and make things irreversible. If Su Yutang were “released from prison,” her odds would drop drastically.

Huo Yi knew Lin Meng was a little cake everyone coveted, and because everyone wanted a taste but couldn't have one, she was all the more precious. Lin Meng's popularity was actually something she had anticipated. She permitted Tan Xiangwei the right to like Lin Meng because she knew Lin Meng would never respond to her—would even keep her distance.

In the months she had spent with Lin Meng, she'd discovered that Lin Meng was a very traditional woman. Lin Meng absolutely could not accept an office romance.

Which was precisely why she had arranged for Tan Xiangwei to be Lin Meng's superior.

Although that small company had been acquired by Su Yutang, the entire board had to remain in her hands.

Huo Yi calmed down and picked up the teapot again to pour. But before the tea touched her lips, she remembered what the other woman had said earlier. “You mentioned the two most powerful people in Jing City's elite circles throwing themselves at her. Those two wouldn't include me, would they?”

Tan Xiangwei frowned. “In Jing City, besides you and Su Yutang, who else has that kind of power? Don't tell me you mean Yun Huaizhu, who's nothing but a pretty face?”

Huo Yi's expression darkened instantly. She slammed the teacup onto the table and said through gritted teeth, “This may be rude, but could you please get lost now? It's urgent.”

Tan Xiangwei rolled her eyes dramatically. “Fine. As long as you transfer the money, that's all that matters. After all, I'm working for you now, Miss Huo.”

Huo Yi's tone was far less amiable than before. “You won't be shortchanged. Just put those other thoughts out of your head.”

Tan Xiangwei picked up her bag briskly. “Then see you around.” She left the pavilion without looking back.

When Huo Yi had first come to ask for her help, Tan Xiangwei had actually been quite surprised. Across all of Jing City, Huo Yi was the youngest family head. She could make money and was popular with omegas; her life had almost no weaknesses.

But she was a shrewd opportunist who would unhesitatingly ignore anything that couldn't turn a profit. Yet this Miss Huo, who never let outsiders get the slightest advantage, had actually offered to open a nationwide chain for her and had even given her the sports car she'd always wanted.

Faced with such enormous benefits, Tan Xiangwei had no reason to refuse.

She'd thought Huo Yi was giving her all this to plant her as a corporate spy in some conglomerate. Instead, she was only being asked to be a director at some tiny, run-down company. All to keep an eye on the person Huo Yi liked.

So liking someone really could make a person lose their mind—even the bottom line of “money” could be abandoned.

And she'd only said a word or two of truth just now, and this pretentious young lady had already lost her composure. If Huo Yi didn't drop her missy act, no one would ever take a fancy to her, the Huo family's only daughter.

...

Xia Island was located in the northern part of the East Atlantic. It was an uninhabited island belonging exclusively to the Su family. The island had originally been purchased by the old Madam Su to handle certain unsavory matters. Later, as the Su family gradually became the foremost power in Jing City, the island had gone unvisited for a long time—until Madam Su built a villa here and stationed a crowd of people to guard it.

Su Yutang had wanted to ask Su Yurong countless times: had this woman planned to lock her up here from the very beginning? Otherwise, why would she have thought to build a villa in this place ahead of time?

The island was surrounded by sea on all sides. Even food and supplies had to be airlifted in by helicopter. It truly was a deserted, isolated island.

Su Yurong was her mother. How could she lock her up in a place like this?

And from the very day she'd been locked in, her phone had been confiscated. Her only connection to the outside world had been completely severed.

She used to think Su Yurong was her mother—how could a mother not cherish her own child? So she had believed in Su Yurong unconditionally. She believed that everyone in this world might betray her, but her mother never would.

But what had Su Yurong done to her now?

She had been locked on this deserted island for nearly two months. Apart from the servants who cleaned the villa, she hadn't seen another soul.

And those servants had been ordered by Su Yurong not to speak a single word to her.

Although she had fiercely threatened Lin Meng before leaving—told her not to get a girlfriend—Lin Meng might not be so obedient.

She had to find a way out... If she couldn't get out, would she never have a chance to be with Lin Meng in this lifetime?

At that thought, Su Yutang seemed to sink into a self-isolated trance, staring blankly into space. In the past three days, she had consumed nothing but a little water.

The servants watching her reported this to Su Yurong. Helpless, Su Yurong could only board a flight to Xia Island herself.

Her rebellious daughter, aside from her violent temper, was stubborn to the bone. In this world, others could only coax her—she would absolutely never bow her head to anyone.

In fact, when Su Yutang had first been locked on this island, she had begun a hunger strike. Now she had stopped eating again.

When Su Yurong opened that door after two months and saw her again, she had lost a great deal of weight, with dark shadows under her eyes.

Su Yutang sat on the bed as if she had no reaction at all. Seeing this, Su Yurong walked over, slowly crouched down before her, and tilted her head up to look at her. “Tangtang, I heard from the staff that you haven't had much appetite lately. Tell Mama what you want to eat—I'll cook it for you myself.”

Only when Su Yutang heard that voice did a flicker of response show in her dull eyes. She lowered her lashes to look at Su Yurong. “Mom, how long do you plan to keep me locked up? Are you going to strip away my entire personality, turn me into an obedient puppet, and only then let me out?”

Su Yurong's heart ached at the sight of Su Yutang's thin, wasted appearance. She reached out and grasped Su Yutang's cold hand. “It's not that Mama wants to restrict your freedom. It's just that you've been far too willful lately. Not only were you with a low-quality omega like Bai Li, you even went and fooled around with an ordinary beta. You are the Su family's only daughter—we have only you as our heir. The Su family has held the top position in Jing City for twenty years. Are you really going to destroy your grandmother's and my life's work?”

Su Yutang lowered her eyelids, looking at Su Yurong coldly. “So you gave birth to me to have an heir. Did you ever actually love me?”

Su Yurong was instantly rendered speechless by that question.

If she told Su Yutang the real answer, Su Yutang would surely be disappointed. Su Yutang's mental state was already poor; she didn't want to wound her further.

Seeing that reaction, Su Yutang let out a cold laugh. “You don't have to tell me—I already know. You told me before that my other mother died, but she never died at all, did she? The two of you had an open marriage. After the child was born, you each went your own way. You never even registered your marriage.”

Su Yurong shot to her feet as if struck to the core. Her face contorted. “Who told you that?”

Seeing that reaction, Su Yutang knew what she had just said was true. She shook her head with a mocking smile. “You can't hide fire with paper. Did I need to hear it from someone else? If you did it, no matter how well you concealed it, someone will always find out... Actually, I heard about this a long time ago. But because I thought Mom loved me, I felt that not having that other person was the same. Now I think I'm the most pitiful person in the world.”

Su Yurong stood frozen in shock for a long while. She gradually came back to herself. “Tangtang, Mama alone loves you too. I just want you not to be so willful. You have to at least consider everyone in our family.”

Su Yutang remained unmoved.

Their mother-daughter relationship had actually been very good before. When Su Yutang was a little girl, every day after school she would come bouncing over with her backpack, hug her, kiss her cheek, and call her “Mama” in a sweet, well-behaved voice.

But now, the two of them in the same room were like strangers.

Her heart still softened. As if compromising, she crouched down again, lowering herself as much as possible to look at Su Yutang. “Tangtang, how about this? Mama agrees to let you date that omega and that beta. You can play with them. But your marriage partner must be someone of equal standing. Don't worry—you can have an open marriage too. It doesn't matter how many people you're with. Even if you have a wife, it won't affect you being with the people you like.”

She was over forty now, her mindset far from what it had been in her youth.

If she had been younger and her child had threatened her like this, she would have unhesitatingly discarded this child and cultivated a new, obedient heir.

Su Yutang had been obedient when she was little, and the child had shared the warmest, happiest mother-daughter moments with her. She truly couldn't bear to see Su Yutang like this.

Su Yurong had already offered Su Yutang a way out. Even if Su Yutang had only pretended to agree, she would have released her.

But her softened concession did not make Su Yutang recognize her own fault.

Hearing those words, the mockery on Su Yutang's face was almost impossible to hide. Her cold voice echoed in the bedroom where only the two of them stood. “Then what's the difference between me and you?”

Su Yurong's expression changed drastically. “What did you say?”

Su Yutang continued, “You want me to become as cold and heartless as you, to never be able to obtain true love... But Mom, you don't understand what it feels like to love someone. I can tell you right now: I will absolutely never accept your way of thinking, and I will never marry someone I don't like. You'd better be prepared to lock me up until I die, because otherwise I will find a way out!”

“Do you know what you're saying?! You are the Su family's heir—how can you be so selfish? You've enjoyed the Su family's wealth and privilege for over twenty years, and you don't want to take responsibility?”

Hearing Su Yurong's hysterical scolding, Su Yutang nodded with a smile. “That's right. I'm selfish. I don't want to take responsibility! If you think I'm disobedient and want to punish me or take everything back, go ahead. My life was given by you—you can choose to kill me too! But as long as I live in this world, I will absolutely never follow your wishes. You are a pitiful person who has never experienced love!”

Smack—

As if blinded by a surge of fury, Su Yurong only came back to herself when her palm stung and burned. A vivid red finger-mark had appeared on Su Yutang's fair cheek.

Ever since she'd learned her daughter might differentiate into an S-rank alpha, she had doted on this child.

Su Yutang had never suffered any hardship since birth. As her mother, she had spoiled her, sheltering her from every hardship, and devoted herself to raising this precious only daughter day after day.

This was the first time in over twenty years she had hit Su Yutang.

Perhaps the slap had come too suddenly. Su Yutang remained frozen, her head turned, for a long time. After the fury and heartbreak passed, her nerves slowly recovered, and only then did she feel the burning sting on her face.

A hint of guilt surfaced on Su Yurong's face. She wanted to step forward and comfort Su Yutang, but Su Yutang's expression seemed even more distant.

She now began to wonder if something had gone wrong in her parenting, or... if she had spoiled this child too much, which was why the child thought she could say anything without restraint.

Su Yurong lowered her head. “Your temper is still too stubborn. Stay here for a full year. After a year, I'll let you out.”

With that, Su Yurong left the room.

Their mother-daughter relationship had completely frozen over. Su Yurong didn't even know if locking Su Yutang up for a year would change her temper.

Now she grew more and more worried about the Su family's future.

...

After Su Yurong left, Su Yutang was alone again in the vast room. She suddenly curled into a ball, burying her head between her knees.

It was clearly summer, yet she still felt a bone-piercing cold—so cold that even the tip of her heart trembled.

She suddenly missed the days she had spent with Lin Meng in that rented apartment. Although the bedroom was less than ten square meters, she had felt especially safe holding Lin Meng as she fell asleep.

She knew Lin Meng didn't have so many schemes, and she knew Lin Meng's feelings for her hadn't reached the level of a lover. But she was deeply attached to that rare trace of warmth.

She had to get out. She absolutely had to get out.

She knew her temper could be irritable and explosive at times. In fact, before she had entered the psychiatric hospital for treatment, this had never happened. But afterward, the slightest provocation made her lose control.

She clearly knew that obeying Su Yurong now would get her out, but she had still acted on impulse.

No, she had to get out. If she got out too late, Lin Meng might already be sleeping with someone else...

She might even be married to someone else.

No—even if she was married, that was fine. Married just meant she could get divorced.

She didn't care if Lin Meng had been married. As long as she got out, she would clear away every obstacle around Lin Meng, one by one. She would become strong enough that even Su Yurong wouldn't dare lock her up so easily.

At that thought, Su Yutang suddenly laughed for no apparent reason. The laughter seemed pathological, yet tinged with a trace of sorrow.

...

Saturday was bright and clear. By eight in the morning, the sun was already beginning to scorch the earth. When Lin Meng stepped outside, the temperature was already as high as 33 degrees.

According to the forecast, the high would reach 38 degrees. It really would melt a person.

Today she wore a blue floral slip dress paired with a white sun-protection cardigan. The dress fell above her knees—the shortest one in her wardrobe.

Even so, the moment she stepped out of the building, the muggy heat hit her full in the face.

Just as she was about to knock on her neighbor Tang Xiaoman's door, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Yun Huaizhu: “Mengmeng-jie, I'm already waiting downstairs. Have you finished getting ready?”

Lin Meng had originally planned to take a taxi to the restaurant with Tang Xiaoman, but she hadn't expected Yun Huaizhu to arrive so early.

She stood at Tang Xiaoman's door, about to reply to Yun Huaizhu first, when the door suddenly opened.

Tang Xiaoman was slightly shorter than Lin Meng. Today she wore a sun hat and sun-protection ice sleeves covering both arms. When she saw Lin Meng standing at her door, a flicker of surprise crossed her face. “Mengmeng, how long have you been standing there? Why didn't you knock?”

Lin Meng quickly said, “I just got here. I was about to knock when you opened the door.”

Hearing that, Tang Xiaoman's face broke into a sweet smile. “That means we're on the same wavelength, right? By the way, are we taking a taxi when we get outside?”

At that, Lin Meng seemed to lower her head guiltily. She still hadn't told Tang Xiaoman that someone else was joining them for this meal. “Um... actually, no need. Someone's already coming to pick us up.”

Tang Xiaoman immediately stepped forward and linked her arm. “That's great—we even save on taxi fare. Who is it?”

Lin Meng grew even more guilt-ridden. She muttered under her breath, “Um... you'll find out when we get downstairs.”

The oblivious Tang Xiaoman didn't notice anything off about Lin Meng. At that moment, as if drawn by the faint fragrance on Lin Meng, she leaned toward her neck and sniffed. “Mengmeng, did you put on perfume today? You smell so good.”

Lin Meng wasn't used to such intimate contact, especially in this heat. She dodged to the side and said with some embarrassment, “Mm... it's so hot today, I was worried about sweating too much and smelling, so I put on a little perfume.”

The perfume had been a gift from Yun Huaizhu the last time they'd gone shopping together.

After saying that, she gently pulled her arm free. “Um... it's a bit hot.”

A flicker of hurt crossed Tang Xiaoman's eyes, but she quickly recovered. “Mengmeng, we're still friends, right?”

Lin Meng met Tang Xiaoman's expectant gaze and nodded. “Mm, we're still friends.”

Tang Xiaoman smiled as if relieved. “So you don't need to be so nervous, Mengmeng. This is just normal contact between friends.”

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Lin Meng's nose. She lowered her head and said quickly, “Mm, I know.”

...

The two of them went downstairs together.

Downstairs, Yun Huaizhu, who had been waiting for Lin Meng, couldn't help but smile the moment she saw Lin Meng emerge from the building. But when she saw Tang Xiaoman following behind her, her face darkened instantly, like the weather turning unpredictable.

She knew this meal was Lin Meng's way of thanking Tang Xiaoman specifically, and that she herself was just an afterthought Lin Meng had tacked on.

But she simply didn't feel at ease letting Lin Meng go out with another woman—especially a meal like this, which had the feel of a date.

So even if she had to swallow her pride, she was going with Lin Meng. She absolutely would not let anyone take Lin Meng away.

Yun Huaizhu quickly composed her expression and rolled down the window, waving at Lin Meng. “Mengmeng-jie, I'm here!”

Lin Meng was briefly startled, then turned to Tang Xiaoman behind her. “Um... this is the car picking us up today.”

When Tang Xiaoman saw the friend who had never once shown her a pleasant expression, her own expression was actually quite sour. But the next moment, she noticed the white car that person was driving.

This... wasn't this a Bentley Bentayga?

If she wasn't mistaken, this was this year's latest model. Latest models usually sold at inflated prices—this car was going for four million now.

As she walked to the car with Lin Meng, she still couldn't quite believe it. As if to confirm, she deliberately walked to the front and checked the emblem, then the headlights.

It really was a Bentley, and the color was a low-key luxury white.

Could she really ride in a four-million-yuan car?

Yun Huaizhu saw Lin Meng approach and unlocked the doors. When she noticed Lin Meng's slip dress, which barely covered her thighs and exposed her fair knees, her eyes lit up.

This was the first time Lin Meng had dressed so openly in front of her.

Was she wearing a strapless bra or padded inserts?

In this heat, she probably wasn't wearing anything underneath.

A suggestive smile appeared on Yun Huaizhu's face. “Mengmeng-jie, you look beautiful in that.”

Lin Meng nodded shyly. “Thank you, Zhuzhu.”

Every time Yun Huaizhu came to see her, she dressed very plainly. It seemed she only wore dresses or gowns on formal occasions. If Yun Huaizhu had worn a dress today, Lin Meng would have exhausted her entire vocabulary praising her.

After all, Yun Huaizhu was someone who looked like a fairy even in a white dress.

Yun Huaizhu had originally wanted Lin Meng to sit in the front passenger seat, but Lin Meng had already opened the rear door and waved to Tang Xiaoman. “Xiaoman, hurry up and get in. We're leaving.”

Tang Xiaoman only came back to herself at that. The sun beat down on the ground, the temperature rising steadily. She quickly followed Lin Meng into the car.

The moment she sat down, a cool, fragrant breeze washed over her—refreshing to the core.

When Yun Huaizhu saw Lin Meng sitting with Tang Xiaoman, her expression almost cracked, but for Lin Meng's sake she held it in. She narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Mengmeng-jie, then I'll get going.”

Lin Meng nodded. “Okay.”

Tang Xiaoman was already a bit dazed. Lin Meng's friend was this wealthy? She could actually afford a luxury car like this!

She was dying to know the identity of the woman in the front seat, but with that woman right there, she was too embarrassed to ask Lin Meng directly. Just as her thoughts raced and her imagination ran wild, she caught sight of Lin Meng's thigh, faintly visible at the hem of her dress.

As if finding common ground, she said, “Mengmeng, you're wearing such a short dress today—be careful of sunburn.”

Lin Meng smiled sheepishly. “I put on sunscreen several times. It's so hot today, that's why I picked this one. I also brought a sun umbrella in my bag. We won't be outside too long, so I shouldn't get sunburned.”

Tang Xiaoman continued, “You still need to be careful. The UV rays are so strong now—stay outside a bit and your skin turns red. It won't be good if you get tanned.”

Listening to all that nonsense from the front seat, Yun Huaizhu spoke up with a hint of sarcasm. “It's fine. Even if Mengmeng-jie gets tanned, I still like her. Isn't that right, Mengmeng-jie?”

Lin Meng blanked for a moment. Yun Huaizhu was already giving off such a strong scent of gunpowder toward Tang Xiaoman before they'd even reached the table.

She suddenly felt like going home.

Tang Xiaoman frowned at those words. Why did this person's tone sound so hostile?

To keep the atmosphere from freezing over, Lin Meng quickly said, “If I get tanned, I'll just bundle up when winter comes and I'll be fair again. It's no big deal.”

Hearing that, Yun Huaizhu's eyes narrowed and the corners of her lips curled upward involuntarily. Then, as if speaking in riddles, she said, “It's fine. Mengmeng is very fair. She won't get tanned.”

Although the car's air conditioning was running at full blast, Lin Meng's face suddenly flushed bright red at those words.

Tang Xiaoman had no idea what the two of them were talking about. She only saw Lin Meng's cheeks redden visibly, like a ripe apple.

She spoke with concern, “Mengmeng, what's wrong? Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?”

Lin Meng quickly shook her head. “No, no, I don't... um, I'm just a little dizzy. Maybe I stood outside too long earlier. I'll rest a bit first...”

Tang Xiaoman quickly said, “Then rest. If you get heatstroke, that would be terrible.”

Hearing that, Lin Meng quickly leaned back and closed her eyes.

Wonderful. Finally, she didn't have to weather the crossfire from both sides.

Meanwhile, Yun Huaizhu, driving in front, looked as if she'd thought of something happy. The corners of her lips hadn't come down since.

Lin Meng still remembered. She could still get this shy over that vague remark.

It seemed the experience she had given Lin Meng was quite good.

This time Lin Meng was repaying someone's favor; she couldn't stop it. After this meal, she would spend a memorable night with Lin Meng.

Just as Yun Huaizhu was happily thinking this, she suddenly realized the restaurant address Lin Meng had sent her was the Huo family's Fenghe Xuan.

Yun Huaizhu frowned again. This damn fox-spirit really was everywhere.