Ning Zhen cried her heart out at the hospital entrance. Everyone who passed by looked at Meng Jiaran as if he were some heartless scoundrel, which made him feel utterly wronged. After doing everything he could to calm this young lady down, he called for the driver and took her, still emotionally shattered, back to their hotel.
The hotel was very close to the hospital.
Meng Jiaran pushed open the door for her, swiped the key card, and entered the presidential suite. In a relaxed tone, he said, “Every time my brother comes to South City on business, he stays here. This is the room he booked. Mom and Dad aren’t staying this time, so it’s all yours.”
Ning Zhen walked in as if she had lost her soul.
She lifted her eyes and swept her gaze across the room, then drifted unsteadily into the living room and sat down on the curved sofa. Hugging her arms, she looked fragile, pitiful, and utterly helpless. “Has he really forgotten me?”
“Not forgotten!”
Meng Jiaran’s scalp tingled. With his back to her, he went to the bar counter, grabbed two drinks, twisted off the caps, and handed one to her. “How could he possibly forget you? That would be a major disaster.”
If the memory loss were truly that severe, it would be the highest-level crisis in the Meng family.
Mom and Dad wouldn’t just let him do whatever he wanted.
A team of experts would need to be called in wave after wave. The current situation is that it’s somewhat serious, but not that serious. Right now, my brother has forgotten some things, like a blackout after getting drunk. Besides, he had a full checkup today. His brain only has a mild concussion—no damage.
“Then what does he remember…?” As she spoke, Ning Zhen started sobbing again, her teary eyes fixed on Meng Jiaran.
Meng Jiaran took a few gulps of water to moisten his dry throat. “It seems like he doesn’t really remember much from the past year. Of course, it’s not that he forgot everything—it’s fragmented memory loss. Can you understand what I mean? He might remember where he was the day before yesterday, but not what he ate yesterday.”
Ning Zhen’s brow twitched. “Are you saying he’s forgotten the unimportant people and things?”
That would be wonderful!
Meng Jiaran didn’t dare to agree with that.
He was puzzled himself. As far as he knew, Zhenzhen was his brother’s first girlfriend, and their relationship was extraordinary. For someone as rational and composed as his brother to cause such a commotion at the old mansion late at night, it had to be real love.
Logically speaking, his brother should forget him, his own younger brother, before forgetting Zhenzhen.
Meng Jiaran met Ning Zhen’s tearful eyes, jolted, and quickly explained: “No, no, no! How could you say that? You know about my grandfather’s incident—that withdrawal slip was so crucial, it determined the fate of Hengxing Group, and he forgot about it back then, didn’t he?”
Ning Zhen thought for a moment, as if she accepted this explanation.
She quietly wiped her tears and stopped talking, but inside, she was overjoyed. It seemed that Meng Xianwen really had forgotten about that night three months ago. If he remembered even a hint of it, he wouldn’t have treated her like this today.
He had forgotten catching her in the act.
And he had forgotten their romantic agreement.
“My brother doesn’t want this made public,” Meng Jiaran said, noticing she had calmed down, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “Tomorrow, Mom, Dad, and I will go back to North City first. You stay here to take care of him; the outside world won’t be suspicious. Is that okay?”
Ning Zhen said faintly, “But hasn’t he already forgotten me?”
“So just because he forgot, he can deny everything?” Meng Jiaran’s words were entirely on Ning Zhen’s side, thinking of her and planning for her, genuinely so. In his view, his brother and Zhenzhen were truly in love—how could a memory loss lead to a breakup? What would that make of Zhenzhen?
“Who in North City doesn’t know you two are together?” Meng Jiaran leaned in, grabbed a few tissues, and handed them to her, continuing to console her. “Zhenzhen, listen to me. My brother didn’t forget on purpose. And both his parents and yours have approved of your relationship. It would be such a shame to call it off now, don’t you think?”
Even without Meng Jiaran saying these words, Ning Zhen understood them well.
When she first learned about Meng Xianwen’s memory loss, she had considered taking the chance to “break up,” but what benefit would that bring her? Meng Jiaran made it crystal clear that neither Meng Xianwen nor the Mengs wanted this news spreading. If she broke up with him at this critical moment, it would be like protesting her innocence too loudly.
She knew that Meng Xianwen had lost his memory, but he wasn’t dead or stupid.
Knowing him as she did, if she caused him trouble, he wouldn’t hesitate to teach her a lesson.
Ning Zhen’s mind shifted. Her gaze turned to Meng Jiaran, then she looked away with disdain. Whether she broke up with Meng Xianwen or not, she definitely wasn’t going to be with this guy.
Seeing that Ning Zhen was silent, Meng Jiaran knew she was listening and continued. “When my brother heard you were his girlfriend, he was indeed surprised. Mom and Dad are still trying to persuade him. You know what he’s like—he’s not someone who shirks responsibility. I think that if he liked you once, he’ll like you again, even with the memory loss. Feelings can be rebuilt slowly.”
Even Meng Jiaran held little hope that his brother would regain his memory.
There was a clear precedent: if not for that unexpected event, Grandfather Meng would never have remembered where he had put the withdrawal slip until his dying day.
Ning Zhen was caught in a fierce inner conflict.
She tried to view the whole situation from an outsider’s perspective and found it completely in her favor.
If he regained his memory, it didn’t matter—the outcome would still be her leaving, with no impact on her.
If he didn’t regain his memory…
The corners of Ning Zhen’s mouth curled up. That would be absolutely perfect.
It meant no one in the world would know about the things she had done, that she had been caught, and no one would have leverage over her. As for her and Meng Xianwen, since she could spin the story however she liked, who would dare to argue if she claimed she was truly in love?
“What do you think?” After his heartfelt speech, Meng Jiaran asked.
Ning Zhen used the tissues to wipe her tears and blow her nose, her voice muffled. “Of course I’m not breaking up with him. I was just saying that out of anger. Can’t I be mad?”
Meng Jiaran let out a sigh of relief and leaned back. Mission accomplished.
He finished the bottle of water, rested for a moment, then stood up. “You get some rest. If you’re hungry, remember to order room service. I’m heading back to the hospital. Call me if anything comes up.”
Ning Zhen spoke with a nasal tone. “Aren’t you going to rest?”
“I’ll sleep at the hospital,” Meng Jiaran said, stretching his neck. “This is a hassle, and I’ve got plenty of errands to run.”
“Oh.”
Ning Zhen was still lost in thought.
Seeing that she was in decent spirits, Meng Jiaran relaxed, grabbed his phone, and left.
After he left, Ning Zhen was alone in the vast presidential suite. She had slept curled up on the sofa until dawn, which was far from comfortable. Waking up with an aching back and neck was truly a misery.
Ring, ring.
The sound of her phone broke Ning Zhen’s thoughts. She fished it out of her bag—it was a call from her mom. She answered on speaker and said weakly, “Mom.”
“How come your friend feed shows you’re in South City?” Ye Junlan asked, puzzled, on the other end.
“Meng Xianwen got into a little accident yesterday and was hospitalized,” Ning Zhen replied briefly.
She didn’t want her parents to know too many details, nor did the Mengs, so she added, “Don’t worry, it’s just a bump or a scrape. He’ll be discharged tomorrow. I took some time off anyway, so I’ll stay a few more days in South City and head back later.”
“Is Xianwen all right?”
“What could happen to him?” Ning Zhen said impatiently. “Worrying about him isn’t worth it—care about me instead. I was up all night.”
Ye Junlan sighed helplessly. “You’ve been cranky since early morning? Have you eaten gunpowder?”
Ning Zhen had a bit of a temper, which was also a result of how her family spoiled her. Back in her school days, a few classmates had sourly remarked that she didn't have a princess's fate but had picked up a princess's disease—she would remember that comment for a lifetime. "Heart higher than the sky, fate thinner than paper"—let others say it as they pleased; she wasn't about to admit it applied to her.
"No!"
Ning Zhen climbed up from the sofa, took a stroll around the suite, and walked into the bathroom. "I'll take a bath and then get some sleep first."
"Alright, as long as you're fine. When are you coming back?"
"Not sure. It depends on Meng Xianwen's schedule."
"Let me know in advance when you're coming back, and bring Xianwen home for a meal too," Ye Junlan started nagging again. "You never listen to your father and me..."
In fact, from the beginning, it wasn't just Meng Jingshan and Xiao Xuezhen who disapproved of this relationship—Ning Zhen's parents weren't happy about it either.
Each family cherishes their own child. In Ye Junlan's eyes, Meng Xianwen was unfathomable. He was now in a high position and several years older than her daughter; no matter how she looked at it, it seemed like he had tricked her daughter into this. The fact that she hadn't gone to the Meng family to demand an explanation already showed that their family was very reasonable and well-mannered.
Ye Junlan had opposed it, but she couldn't stop the two from already being together in secret.
Meng Xianwen had humbly promised, "I will definitely give Zhenzhen an explanation."
Zhenzhen exchanged a glance with him, then looked down and said, "I trust him."
Things had come to this point, so all the parents could do was agree. After agreeing, of course, they hoped the relationship would go smoothly.
Ning Zhen placed her phone on the sink, opened her toiletries, and washed her face again. She had simply freshened up at the hospital in the morning and felt grubby. As she lathered the soap in her hands, she listened to her mother ramble on in circles.
"Okay, okay, I'll definitely come home for a meal!" she called out, brushing it off.
Just before hanging up, Ye Junlan raised her voice: "Remember to bring him along!"
The call ended.
The bathtub was full of water. Ning Zhen tossed her dirty clothes into the laundry basket, set them outside, and requested the laundry service.
She settled comfortably into the tub, wrapped in the warmth of the water, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Being Meng Xianwen's girlfriend was way too enjoyable.
Although he was both dangerous and cunning... there was no denying that these past three months had been the most luxurious period of her twenty-three years of life. It made her hesitate when she was cursing him day and night, not daring to curse too harshly.
If the fake version was this happy—what if it were real?
Ning Zhen drifted off into fantasies, letting out a chuckle.
After soaking and rinsing, she put on a bathrobe and went back to bed to catch up on sleep. The presidential suite was on the top floor, and the howling wind outside became mere white noise. She slept deeply and didn't wake until afternoon, when she got a call from Meng Jiaran.
It seemed Meng Xianwen didn't want to make a big fuss about things, so he took the initiative to suggest dining out that evening.
The four of them—his family—were heading over from the hospital to pick her up at the hotel, and after everyone was together, they'd go to the restaurant.
Ning Zhen agreed.
But as she rode the elevator downstairs, looking at her reflection in the mirrored walls, she couldn’t help feeling uneasy. Meng Xianwen really was a bit sinister; scheming against him was like pulling a tiger's whiskers. She could only psych herself up silently: the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.
Fortune favors the bold—if you dare to fight, you win!
Ning Zhen took a deep breath, then exhaled, and finally felt a little calmer. The elevator reached the first floor. She crossed the hotel lobby, and a stretched Bentley was parked by the porte-cochère. Before she even got close, the door opened and Meng Jiaran stepped out, smiling at her.
She walked over and quickly glanced inside the car.
The injured and hospitalized Meng Xianwen, like a protected animal, was seated safely between Meng Jingshan and Xiao Xuezhen.
He looked over casually, his eyes meeting hers.
His gaze was calm, without a single ripple—neither strange nor distant, neither warm nor close, and not carrying the faint, knowing smiles he’d occasionally worn over these past three months.
Had he really forgotten?
Ning Zhen stared at him, on the verge of saying something, then bent down to get into the car. Today, she had her jet-black hair pinned up, revealing her slender, pale neck. She also deliberately exposed a faint mark behind her ear and on the side of her neck—its color shifting from red to a light purple. It wasn't obvious unless you looked closely.
Yet she acted as if she hadn't noticed.
Sitting in the backseat, Meng Jingshan and Xiao Xuezhen caught sight of it, their eyes darting away as if stung. They exchanged a look, at a loss for words, and turned to glance at their son beside them.
