"Regarding this matter, I…" Jing Meng hesitated, unsure of how to even begin explaining.
However, her half-finished sentence reached Jing Hong's ears as a silent admission of guilt, including the intentions behind her request to meet.
With a heart turned cold, Jing Hong shouted a warning: "Jing Meng, from now on, you are you and I am me. You take your wide road, and I'll cross my single-plank bridge. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Mother and I are doing just fine, so don't come looking for her again!"
Leaving her with those harsh words, Jing Hong refused to listen to any explanation and hung up immediately.
The hurried busy tone drifted from the phone once more. Jing Meng stood frozen in place, dazed for several minutes before finally reacting. Jing Hong had likely misunderstood her yet again.
Tired of being misunderstood time and time again, Jing Meng gripped the armrest of the sofa and slowly stood up. No matter how anxious she felt, the injuries on her body prevented her from moving quickly; she could only take deep breaths as she shuffled toward the door.
Jing Hong's whereabouts were always mysterious and unpredictable. Calling him to ask would only make him angrier, so her only option was to investigate secretly on her own. Having been separated from her brother for so long, the first place Jing Meng thought to look was the orphanage they had once lived in.
When she arrived at the orphanage, the sounds of children playing and crying drifted out. The atmosphere was familiar, yet it stirred memories she was loath to recall.
However, the great hope she had brought with her was met only with disappointment. Jing Hong had not returned to the orphanage; her only lead had vanished completely.
Powerless, she sat in the orphanage corridor, her gaze following a child with eyes full of gloom. For a moment, she seemed to see scenes of their own time in the orphanage the laughter, the anger, the scolding they had fought, but they had always stayed together.
But what had happened? How had they reached this point of being as incompatible as fire and water?
She couldn't help but sigh. The light in her eyes faded further until she looked like little more than a walking corpse.
Jing Meng walked aimlessly around the orphanage all afternoon. As the evening lights flickered on, the streets became a never-ending flow of traffic. The sky gradually darkened, and the nightlife began to stir.
She walked along the sidewalk with nothing to do. The people passing by wore various expressions, but hers was a mask of unchanging sorrow.
Her bored gaze swept over her surroundings. Inside a bar that was just starting to see customers, a familiar figure flashed by. Jing Meng stood rooted to the center of the path as if her acupoints had been struck.
Jing Hong?
Just as she was starting to doubt herself, Jing Hong appeared in her field of vision again.
Without time to worry about the chaotic environment of the bar, Jing Meng took a deep breath, endured her pain, and walked inside. Deafening music immediately erupted from all sides, making her head spin and her vision blur.
In the dim environment, people twisted their bodies to the raucous music. Jing Meng's eyes went wide as she searched the crowd, but as if she had hallucinated, she couldn't see a trace of Jing Hong.
"Little sister, since you're here alone, why not have a drink with us?" A man with a smirk approached, stepping forward to block her path.
Unable to move forward, Jing Meng instinctively turned around, only to find another man blocking her exit. She was suddenly trapped between them.
"Excuse me, I'm not here to drink. I'm looking for someone." Jing Meng knit her brows in displeasure, trying to push past the men.
She hadn't taken two steps before the smirking man chased after her, pestering her and refusing to let her leave. "You're looking for someone, and we're waiting for someone to find us. Who knows? Maybe we're the ones you're looking for."
The two men laughed boisterously, spreading their arms to keep her from leaving.
With a man watching her from the front and back, Jing Meng was in a dilemma. Her bright eyes scanned the room. Under the restless music, people shook their bodies wantonly, and not a single soul noticed her plight.
Seeing the two men gradually closing in, she could only retreat step by step until she hit a wall. Just as she tried to raise her arms, a piercing pain shot through her ribs. Jing Meng gritted her teeth and was forced to drop her guard.
In the eyes of the two men, her action looked like a sign of fear. Their gazes became even more playful.
"I thought you were fearless, but it turns out you're just a paper tiger." The man in front laughed loudly, reaching out a hand to vulgarly tilt her chin up. "Don't worry, I can be very gentle."
He and his friend burst into another fit of laughter.
Disgusting!
That was Jing Meng's first reaction to his crude taunts. She rolled her eyes in revulsion.
"Little thing, nobody is going to save you here"
Before he could finish, he let out a muffled groan. He was sent flying to the side by a powerful kick, wailing in agony.
Jing Meng looked in the direction of the kick. A man over 1.8 meters tall stood there. Under the flickering lights, his face was contorted with obvious rage.
Jing Hong!
The person she had been searching for so desperately was standing right there. Ignoring the two leering men, Jing Meng ran over with a face full of joy and naturally took hold of his arm.
"Oh, so you were looking for your little lover? He's nothing compared to us brothers. Why don't you reconsider? We can definitely make you"
The rogue's words were cut short. Jing Hong threw a punch that knocked a tooth right out of the man's mouth, sending blood streaming down his chin.
"Do you have any idea who we are? You actually dared to hit me?" Wiping the blood from his lips, the thug glared with a ferocious light in his eyes. The two thugs stood side by side, their veins bulging as they balled their fists, exerting an intimidating pressure.
Jing Meng instinctively tried to pull Jing Hong behind her, but he didn't budge. Only then did she truly realize that her brother had grown up. He was no longer the little boy who needed to hide behind her for protection.
Pulling his hand free from her grasp, Jing Hong adjusted his cuffs and said coldly, "Stay back."
"Let's just go." Jing Meng could tell these people were trouble. Since she had already found him, she wanted to avoid further conflict and pull Jing Hong away immediately.
However, she was only halfway through her sentence when Jing Hong lunged forward, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks on the two men. By the time she finished speaking, he had already turned around and was walking toward her.
"Are you a three-year-old? Don't you know how dangerous bars are?" Jing Hong knit his brows, his grip on her wrist tightening as if he were suppressing a massive amount of anger.
Despite his harsh scolding, Jing Meng didn't get angry. Instead, she smiled. At the very least, she could tell he still cared about the bond between them.
Jing Hong was still that same brother who had told her that when he grew up, he would protect his sister.
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