Chapter Fifteen: Unspoken Feelings

  Meng'er walked to the dressing room entrance, just as she saw the sign on the door indicating that it was for girls, and was about to walk in, when Jing Tianyou came out after changing his clothes. She thought of ignoring him and going straight in to change her own clothes, but he called out to her: "Little girl, don't you think you're being too ignorant of me?"

  Meng'er stopped in her tracks, slightly bowing to Qiang Tian: "Hello, Big Brother Qiang Tian! I was rushing to change my clothes and didn't notice you coming out."

  "Is that so?" Jing Tianyou took a few steps forward, looking down at Meng Er from a high position.

  Meng'er took a small step back and replied: "Yes, yes."

  "Are you afraid of me?" Jing Tianyou asked with a frown.

  "No, nothing."

  "No, then why did you get involved? No, then why did you intervene?"

  "Try being stared down at and see how you like it, try being oppressed by someone's low self-esteem and see how you feel?" Meng'er muttered to herself, her head hung low.

  "But, it seems like you've been ignoring my existence since you woke up?" Er Tianyu didn't care what Meng'er was muttering to herself and continued to push her against the wall, with one hand propped on the wall and her small body enclosed in front of his chest. "Er Tian big brother? Although this title isn't wrong, don't you think it's a bit awkward?"

  "Is there? Haha, what is there?" I was originally not familiar with you, but Meng Er couldn't say it to him, and I'm not the former Cang Hai Meng Er anymore. Why should I revolve around you? I still want to make my own way in the world and fulfill Grandfather's expectations. But what exactly is a contribution? Meng Er thought about it and furrowed her brow tightly.

  "Lost in thought again?" Jing Tianyou saw Canghai Meng furrowing her small face and knew she had drifted off somewhere once more.

  Meng'er looked at the increasingly larger handsome face in front of her and involuntarily turned her head away. Just as she didn't know what excuse to use to escape, a voice behind Jing Tianyou rang out - it was Geng Yan's.

  "Yu Ge, you guys?"

  Qing Tianyou heard the voice and withdrew his previous sulky attitude, standing up straight. Just at this moment, Meng Er slipped into the dressing room. Qing Tianyou watched as Meng Er scurried away like a little squirrel, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  "Brother Yu, do you like her?" Gang Yan looked at the usually stern Jingtian Yu, who had repeatedly done things he normally wouldn't do in front of Canghai Meng'er, and couldn't help but want to confirm an answer.

  "What did you say?"

  "You haven't held a sword in a long time, but you competed with me just to teach her; You haven't smiled with your eyes shining for a long time, but you just did; You used to say she was just a nuisance, but now your gaze is always on her." Er Tianyou heard Geng Yan's words and was stunned for a few seconds. Then, he crossed his arms, leaned against the wall, lowered his head, and didn't know what he was thinking about. "Brother You, is it just because she blocked that one bullet for you? That's just gratitude, not love."

  "Xiao Yan, you're worrying too much!" Jing Tianyou stood up straight and said this to Geng Yan, then walked out. Geng Yan looked at his tall back and replied in a low voice: "Worrying too much, isn't it because of that person being you?"

  "Ha, Master, why are you still standing here!" Meng'er walked out of the dressing room and saw Geng Yan staring blankly at the passageway. She couldn't help but have a mischievous thought. With a slap on his back, she successfully scared him.

  "You crazy girl, don't you know that scaring people can kill them?" Gang Yan patted his chest, looking at the mischievous and triumphant Meng Er, gritting his teeth again.

  "Master, how can you be so timid? Are you a woman disguised as a man? Haha."

  "You're the one who's cross-dressing!" Gang Yan gave Meng Er a cold glance and left.

  "Master, master, wait for me!" Meng'er watched as Geng Yan walked away with a huff, and she chased after him, shouting loudly.

  "Meng'er, what have you done? Look at Xiao Yan's angry face!" Cang Hai stroked Meng'er's hair with a pampering tone and glanced at Geng Yan's unyielding expression.

  "There's nothing, he was just scared by me."

  "Naughty again!" Cang Hai Jun patted her head.

  "No, it's because he himself has done too many wrong things and his conscience is getting the better of him. That's why he got scared by me!" Meng Er said coquettishly to her brother, while also giving a "I have my brother protecting me, dare you bully me" look to Geng Yan.

  Geng Yan grunted and walked away with his hands behind his back.

  "Xiao Yan, aren't you going to eat with us?" Cang Hai Jun shouted at Geng Yan.

  "I've had enough, I'm fed up!" He then added another sentence. "Tell that crazy girl to get ready for training next week, and we'll have two days over the weekend!"

  "Master, slow down! See you next week!" Meng'er waved goodbye at Geng Yan's back.

  "Sister, didn't you say you wanted to change coaches? Are you going to change again now?" Cang Hai Jun teased, looking at his sister who was still making funny faces behind Geng Yan's back.

  "No!"

  "Oh, tell me the reason!" Han Ye, who had been silent all along, heard Meng Er's decisive words and became interested.

  "Writing reveals the mind, martial arts reveal virtue!" Meng'er recalled what her master had said to her before, searching for suitable words and slowly spoke out her reasons for acknowledging Yan as her master.

  "Are you saying that Xiaoyan has martial virtue?" Han Ye asked. "Then does that mean Ah You doesn't have martial virtue?" Han Ye's eyes darted back and forth between Meng Er and Jing Tianyou a few times, before asking in a low voice.

  Meng'er glanced at everyone staring at her, especially Jing Tianyou, whose gaze seemed to say "You dare to try?" Meng'er wasn't intimidated by that intimidating gaze at all. Instead, she straightened up and said with a serious expression: "Yes, it was the last time. Someone was showing off, but Gang Yan left only after saluting!"

  "Haha."

  "Haha."

  Cang Hai Jun and Han Ye saw Qing Tian You staring at Meng Er, who was about to spill the truth, but Meng Er just gave him a look as if she didn't care. Seeing their friend being played, they burst out laughing shamelessly.

  "Alright, alright, let's go!" Cang Hai Jun said as he walked out with Meng Er, while Qing Tian You and Han Ye followed behind them.

  The lanterns had just been lit, and after dinner, Meng Er and the others went their separate ways. Now Meng Er was lying on her own big bed, tossing and turning. Who was that man who looked so much like Wang that she met that day?

  Meng'er gets out of bed, pulls open the curtains and looks at the starry sky outside. How should she walk her path? But isn't it much better now than before? She can act like a little girl and pout to her loved ones and friends, she can laugh heartily when she's happy, and she can try many things she hasn't done before! No need to always follow the rules and miss out on many opportunities to interact with people; no need to be constrained by her status and make everyone respect her; nor does she need to confine herself in a framework and ultimately lose herself.

  Stretch out your hand, facing the brightest star, and whisper to yourself: "Can you tell me the answer? What is contribution? What is a meaningful life? What will happen in my future? Since the omnipotent god can send me here, can't he give me the ability to predict the future?"

  The stars in the sky twinkled, and all around was quiet. Meng'er let out a sigh and burrowed back into her blanket. Sleep, she comforted herself, and when you wake up, you'll naturally know.