Chapter Fifty-Three: Fate's Separation

  Dream, discharged from hospital, back home.

  Zhang sister trembled with her hands, a tear and a snot said: "Our family's young lady is what happened, how all the disasters follow you!"

  "Zhang Jie, I'm fine, I'm fine!" Meng'er pulled out her hand and gave Zhang Jie a big hug, patting her hand to comfort her. "Zhang Jie, Meng'er is fine! Be good, don't cry!"

  Zhang Jie heard Meng Er coaxing her like a child and burst out laughing. "Miss has grown up, she knows how to coax Zhang Jie now!"

  "Of course! Sister Zhang was sad for me, so I must be responsible to make her happy!" Then, the empty and spacious mansion was filled with joyful voices and laughter...

  At night, on the bustling Central Avenue, with red lanterns and green wine, neon lights flashing. Inside a private room in a bar called 'Story'...

  In the dim light, Jing Tianyou held a high-footed cup in one hand and leaned against the armrest of the sofa with the other hand supporting his head. His shallow brown eyes seemed to be staring at the wine glass in a daze, then, without blinking, he poured the contents of the cup into his mouth.

  Next to him, Geng Yan was about to speak but hesitated, looking at the increasing number of empty bottles on the table. He finally couldn't help it. "Yu Ge, why is this?"

  Qingtianyu raised his eyes slightly, put down the wine glass, and withdrew the hand that had been supporting his head for a long time. His entire body merged into the black sofa. All that could be heard was the sound coming from that vague place: "Xiaoyan, have you ever liked someone? Tell me, what does it feel like to like someone?"

  "When you see him sad, you'll feel sad too; when you see him unhappy, your heart will tighten; he's good at something, you'll try to learn it too; in short, you'll pay attention to his every move, love, worry and joy."

  "Wow, I didn't expect that our Xiao Yan has never been in love before, yet he has such a deep understanding of love!" Those eyes that seemed to be drunk but not quite, made one fall into them instantly, but it was impossible to discern what emotions they held.

  "Haha, where did you learn that from? Online!" Gang Yan scratched his head in embarrassment, "Why didn't you call Jun Ge and Yan Ge to come together too?"

  Qing Tianyou didn't respond to Geng Yan's words, and instead said to himself: "People all say that the happiest thing is a loving couple who are mutually infatuated. If not, then find someone who loves you. Now I understand my own heart, but I've lost her. What if I had discovered it earlier? Wouldn't things be different?"

  Although the voice was low, it still allowed Geng Yan to hear every word clearly. The hand holding the wine glass was clenched tightly, with white knuckles showing, as if he was trying his best to suppress his emotions, but couldn't stop shaking, revealing his agitation.

  "Is what Brother You said a dream?"

  “……”

  It's been a long time since I've seen an answer, looking back, the person is already lying on the sofa.

  The next day, Meng'er went downstairs to have breakfast and was surprised to find that Geng Yan, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, was sitting in her living room. "My brother is out, what about you?" Meng'er wanted to say, had he come looking for me?

  "What's next?" Geng Yan's words confirmed what Xing Zhong was thinking: "I'm here to find you, I know Jun Ge isn't around!"

  Meng'er raised an eyebrow and asked noncommittally, "Want to have breakfast together?"

  Meng'er finished asking and walked towards the dining hall, actually not ignoring whether Geng Yan had followed up. She was just guessing why Geng Yan came to find her, and suddenly forgot.

  Then, she finished her meal and still saw him sitting there, slowly savoring his tea. Meng'er couldn't help but sigh in admiration, it turned out that Xiao Zhengtai also had such a serious and dedicated side. But, she thought, did their family's tea need to be savored so seriously?

  "Cough...cough...cough..."

  "Are you full? Got energy? Let's go upstairs!" Meng Er heard this, looked at him with a terrified face, as if she had heard something terrifying, and saw an incredible event! "The training room, where did you think it was?" Then he looked up and down at Meng Er disdainfully, turned around, and went upstairs.

  Meng'er followed behind and entered the training room. Seeing that Geng Ye was about to throw his sword over, Meng'er quickly raised her right hand, "Master, you didn't see that my hand is injured, how can I practice sword?"

  "Can't practice? Can't practice at all? Then be a sword target!" He said, throwing a sword to her.

  Meng'er endured the pain in her hand and took it over. She hated herself for being unlucky this year, even more so for not being left-handed, and wondered which tendon was acting up!

  Geng Yan's left hand formed a sword gesture, and his right hand thrust the sword tip at Meng Er, who was caught off guard. The attack came too quickly for Meng Er to dodge, leaving him no choice but to hold up his sword horizontally to block it. The training room echoed with the sound of their swords clashing.

  Geng Yan's mind was set on teaching Meng Er a lesson, not giving her any chance to catch her breath. He withdrew his sword and struck at her right arm. Meng Er secretly cursed in her heart, what was going on? Why did Geng Yan always target the spot where she was injured? It seemed like they didn't have any grudges against each other. To avoid further injury to her right hand, Meng Er quickly moved it away.

  "Master, what's the big idea of coming so early? I haven't even digested my breakfast yet!" Meng Er said with a hint of anger.

  "Master taught apprentices still not good, you yourself are not skilled, and you deserve to be beaten by me!" Then there was another attack, but fortunately, Geng Yan's swordsmanship was mostly for show, and he didn't use his full strength to attack Meng Er. So, as he attacked all the way, Meng Er defended all the way, and it was actually a wonderful martial arts scene.

  "You're not my master anymore, that's what Tian Ge said, and my brother also said it! You don't have the right to scold me, besides I didn't do anything wrong!" Yesterday she was still lying in the hospital, today she's being forced again, Meng Er feels like she's going to faint.

  "It's strange that you're so suspicious and have second thoughts, making it hard for those who care about you!"

  "Speak clearly, why are you being ambiguous? Why did I end up worrying about the people I care about? Geng Yan, are you a man? Why do your words sound like those of a jealous little girl?"

  Upon hearing Meng Er's words, Geng Yan was as if struck by a secret in his heart, and with his sword no longer following the rules, he hacked and slashed at Meng Er: "What business is it of yours? You still won't admit it, do you know how much red wine Yu Ge drank because of you? He drank so much that he passed out!"

  Meng'er finally couldn't hold on anymore, and her sword was shaken out of her hand by Gang Yan's forceful move. Her wound also burst open from the shock. However, all these were nothing compared to the astonishment on Meng'er's face. "Master, you can't be thinking that Brother Qian Tian is..." Meng'er didn't dare to say her guess out loud, fearing that if it was a misunderstanding, it would be a huge joke.

  Geng Yan threw away the sword in his hand, lay down on the ground, propped up his head with both hands, and gazed at the ceiling. His voice was faint as he said: "You guessed right, I don't even admit it to myself. I always thought my feelings for him were just respect for an older brother, but when I realized I didn't react to other girls at all, and when you kept appearing in his words and eyes... I only then knew... something I dare not admit is true..."

  Meng'er couldn't accept it, but she still treated Geng Ye as her master. She sat beside him with her hands around her knees: "Perhaps that's just your attachment to your brother. Soon, when you meet a girl you like, everything will be fine!"

  "I hope so! But, Meng Er, don't you really like Yu Ge anymore? You used to pursue him with such dedication!"

  "You also know that it's all in the past!" Meng'er gazed out of the window, and the morning sky seemed especially clean, with white clouds scattered about, a brilliant blue.

  "Geng Yan turned his head to look at the girl sitting with her knees together, not forgetting that he had just been too rough and had struck her hand despite knowing it was injured. He shouted: 'Hey, do you want to re-bandage your hand?'"

  "Nonsense, if I'm left with a scar, I'll definitely tell my brother. One morning you went crazy and came to my house, re-injuring my hand! Let's see if my brother will let you off!" Meng'er turned her head, smiling menacingly at him.

  "You little girl, can't you be more careful with your words? You look like a lady from a good family! After a long while, he added another sentence, "Women are always like this, they can never get rid of their natural tendency to tell on others!"

  “……”