Chapter 48: Meeting 

As soon as Xiao Moyan finished speaking, a loud "bang" sounded. The bowl in Xia Lingying's hand fell heavily onto the marble table, and in an instant, rice grains splattered everywhere while the white porcelain bowl shattered all over the ground. Xiao Moyan and Mrs. Xu were startled and shivered, both looking up at the same time. They saw that Xia Lingying's face was pale, and her gaze was somewhat vacant as she stared ahead.  

"What's wrong?"  

Xiao Moyan looked at Xia Lingying in surprise.  

"It's nothing—"  

Xia Lingying shook her head in a pretensive manner, but her face became even worse. She lowered her head to explain,  

"It's nothing, just a bit tired."

Xiao Moyan looked at Xia Lingying with some heartache. She felt a bit regretful about her reckless behavior last night. She should have let her rest properly. The crash made her forget what she was about to say. She only focused on pulling Xia Lingying closer to her, afraid that the shards would cut her delicate skin. Meanwhile, Mrs. Xu wore a serious expression. She looked up at Xia Lingying, saw her evasive gaze, sighed, and stood up. She quickly cleaned up in silence and then sat down to eat.  

What was meant to come could never be avoided...  

After finishing their meal, the two said goodbye to Mrs. Xu and then went out. Inside the car, Xia Lingying continued to stare blankly out the window, not saying a word. Xiao Moyan occasionally glanced at her. For some reason, a sense of unease rose in her heart.  

When they arrived at Tianhuang and parked the car, Xiao Moyan did not hurry to get out. Instead, she turned around and stared at Xia Lingying without blinking.

As Xia Lingying unbuckled her seatbelt, she felt a bit flustered under Xiao Moyan's gaze. She lowered her head, not daring to look at her. To her surprise, in her panic, the seatbelt suddenly became stuck. Seeing Xia Lingying flailing around, Xiao Moyan sighed and leaned down to help her.  

In that instant, her breath stopped. Xia Lingying looked at Xiao Moyan, who willingly bent her noble figure for her, and a deeper bitterness filled her heart.  

Someone she thought she would never meet again appeared at this moment. The naive promises of youth and the first love that was stifled in its cradle due to Gu Yuan's going abroad surged toward her like waves.  

Xia Lingying had never loved Gu Yuan, but the careful nurturing from childhood had once shaken her resolve. It was only after she had Xiao Moyan that she realized what true love was. But... Xia Lingying gazed deeply at Xiao Moyan. How could she bring it up? If she knew that the two had once been betrothed... how would she react in a furious rage?  

Her slender fingers traced along the tips of her hair. Xiao Moyan straightened up and caressed Xia Lingying's pale face, gazing at her deeply.

"Xiaxia, if you are too tired, then don’t be an actress... Seeing you like this makes my heart ache..."  

"Xiao..."  

With her eyes glistening, Xia Lingying looked at Xiao Moyan, her heart twisting in pain as she hesitated to speak. Because she loved too much, she was afraid. She feared that once she spoke the truth, Xiao Moyan would leave her...  

Leaning against Xiao Moyan's familiar embrace, inhaling her fragrant scent, and listening to her delicate words of affection, Xia Lingying felt her heart grow dimmer.  

After the filming of “Inseparable” wrapped up, there was a flurry of intense promotional work. In the morning, Director Lin took the main cast of the crew to a well-known entertainment program. The host was witty and engaging, chatting away happily, but Xia Lingying remained silent. Due to her infamous indifference, the host felt somewhat intimidated by her. No matter the topic, her responses were always tepid, leaving the host, who hoped to dig up gossip from her, greatly disappointed. The host had no choice but to shift all the focus to the outspoken Lan Chen. Lan Chen welcomed the attention, answering every question, though the truthfulness of her words remained questionable.

All day long, Xia Lingying was absent-mindedly going through the motions. After work, she removed her makeup, changed her clothes, and walked out of the film set with her bag.  

“Beep—”  

As soon as she reached the door, a horn sounded. Inside a Ferrari, Xiao Moyan, wearing a large pair of black sunglasses, waved at her. Xia Lingying smiled faintly and quickly walked over.  

“Why are you so early today?”  

“Didn’t I say? I want to take you to meet someone.”  

Xia Lingying's smile froze on her face as she stared blankly at Xiao Moyan. Xiao Moyan was looking at her watch and did not notice Xia Lingying’s strange expression. She then looked up, gazing out the window, and mumbled softly,  

“With traffic like this, I wonder if we can arrive on time.”  

“Are we going to—”  

Xia Lingying asked quietly, unaware that her voice was trembling.  

Xiao Moyan smiled at her and shook her head.  

“That guy wasn’t shy at all, specifically asking to go for hot pot, saying he’s been abroad for too long and doesn’t want to eat Western food anymore.”

Xia Lingying pursed her lips, saying no more, though her heart was already in turmoil. Xiao Moyan was in a rush to get there and didn’t chatter like usual. They quickly arrived at the restaurant, and just as Xiao Moyan parked the car, a tall man slowly walked over.

Gu Yuan briefly greeted Xiao Moyan, but in the next second, his gaze fully shifted to Xia Lingying.  

He seemed captivated, tracing the outline of her face, the pale side of her features under the silver-white lights.  

Her velvet-black hair half-covered her starry eyes, and her flowing eyelashes seemed to whisper of sorrow. Her slightly rosy lips exuded a touch of autumn's coolness. Her cold cheeks, though seemingly distant, stirred a warm current in his heart as he looked at her.  

Beautiful as a fairy.

Memories rushed back in an instant—two young children, their innocent faces, their bold declarations, and her eternally calm and indifferent expression.  

Xiaxia, I’m back, for you...  

They locked eyes for a moment before Xia Lingying quickly lowered her head to hide her emotions. Xiao Moyan, with a cheerful smile, glanced at Gu Yuan, and then playfully nudged him,  

“Hey, hey! No matter how much you stare, it won’t make a difference. This is my, Xiao Moyan’s woman.”

Gu Yuan snapped out of his daze and, with a slight cough to cover his moment of lost composure, returned to his aloof demeanor. He smiled faintly at Xia Lingying and softly said,  

“Hello, I’m Gu Yuan.”

"Who has time to be polite with you—"  

Xiao Moyan proudly smiled as she pulled Xia Lingying into her arms, completely unsurprised by Gu Yuan's reaction. After all, this was her woman—Xiao Moyan's—and she had that kind of charm.  

With his hands in his pockets, Gu Yuan silently watched their backs as they embraced. The smile on his face vanished, and his right hand clenched tightly.  

The red spicy broth bubbled with heat, accompanied by fresh vegetables that whetted their appetites. Without much small talk, Xiao Moyan and Gu Yuan exchanged a few casual words before starting the meal.  

Out of habit, Xiao Moyan picked up some food for Xia Lingying, gently reminding her,  

"Eat more, you've lost so much weight recently."

A burning gaze fell upon her at the same time, and Xia Lingying’s body stiffened. She nodded lightly, but it felt like something was stuck in her throat, making her unable to speak. She silently ate the food Xiao Moyan had picked for her, but it was as tasteless as chewing wax.

Seeing her finally eating properly, Xiao Moyan smiled happily, then looked at Gu Yuan,  

"So, how is it? Not a bit worse than your little childhood friend, right?"

Gu Yuan smiled indifferently, not taking it to heart. He gazed thoughtfully at Xiao Moyan, seeing the satisfied smile on her face, and sighed softly. However, for Xia Lingying beside her, the food was hard to swallow. She lifted her head, nervously looking at Gu Yuan. Gu Yuan met her gaze, and in that brief exchange, the deep longing between them became clear.

Xiao Moyan and Gu Yuan continued chatting intermittently, with the conversation mostly revolving around Xia Lingying. The unhidden pride and satisfaction in Xiao Moyan’s tone made Xia Lingying's eyes redden, her heart filled with shame, too embarrassed to lift her head.

Halfway through the meal, Xiao Moyan's expression changed. She glanced at the two of them before stepping out to take a call. In an instant, the private room, filled with the steamy heat of hotpot, was left with just Xia Lingying and Gu Yuan.

Xia Lingying still kept her head down. Gu Yuan remained silent, quietly watching her. After a while, he softly murmured,  

"Xiaxia..."

Xia Lingying slowly raised her head, looking at Gu Yuan, her gaze somewhat evasive. Yet, Gu Yuan remained stubbornly fixed on her, the deep affection in his eyes scorching her heart.

If she didn’t want Xiao Moyan to be hurt, it had to end soon. Xia Lingying took a deep breath, mustering the courage to meet Gu Yuan’s gaze.  

“I’m sorry.”

Gu Yuan shook his head, staring deeply at Xia Lingying, at the woman who had always been in his thoughts, his eyes filled with sorrow.  

“It’s not your fault. I already heard about it. It was Uncle Xia who was framed by Xiao Nian, and that's why things turned out this way. Xiaxia, it’s my fault. I should have come back to protect you earlier. If I had returned sooner, Xiao Moyan wouldn’t have taken advantage of the situation—”

“I chose this willingly!”

Xia Lingying hurriedly interrupted Gu Yuan, her pale face tinged with a faint red. She didn’t want anyone to misunderstand Xiao Moyan, not even the slightest bit.  

"What did you say?!"  

Gu Yuan looked at Xia Lingying in disbelief, staring directly at her.

“What are you talking about?”  

Xiao Moyan entered while holding her phone, plopping herself onto the chair, and leaning her whole body toward Xia Lingying. She lazily glanced at the two with strange expressions, narrowing her eyes. Seeing that neither of them responded, she coldly said,  

“I’m tired. Gu Yuan, let’s talk next time.”

“Alright.”  

Gu Yuan calmly nodded and stood up, ready to send them off. Xiao Moyan, however, suddenly changed her demeanor, her face turning cold as she stayed silent. Xia Lingying looked at her nervously, her face pale as if she knew something, anxiously watching Xiao Moyan.

Wearing high heels, Xiao Moyan quickly walked outside, with Xia Lingying following closely behind, constantly glancing at Xiao Moyan's profile. Because of the expression on her face, Xia Lingying felt increasingly afraid. 

Xiao Moyan opened the car door, inserted the key, and started the car. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel, took a deep breath to calm her emotions, and then turned her head to look at the uneasy Xia Lingying beside her.

"Xia Lingying, don't you think there's something you should be telling me?"

Xiao Moyan spoke softly. Xia Lingying kept her head down, her hands clenched tightly by her legs, unsure of how to begin.

Not waiting for her response, as if confirming something, Xiao Moyan's fingers gripping the steering wheel gradually turned white from the force. She stared at Xia Lingying and coldly whispered, 

“Xia Lingying, I, Xiao Moyan, can accept your indifference, but I will never forgive your deception.” 

A voice devoid of any emotion slowly flowed from Xiao Moyan's lips, like a ghost. The coldness, like that of a stranger, severed her heart. Xia Lingying raised her head in fear and looked at Xiao Moyan. In those familiar amber eyes, she saw only disappointment and anger.

Author's Note: 

I somewhat miss the time of being a pure reader...