Knowing that he was equally miserable, and that the recent days of hiding had pushed his emotions to their limit, Jing Meng remained silent, allowing him to vent all the resentment he had stored up.
Invisibly, their mother's death seemed to have pushed their relationship to its lowest point. Jing Hong even forbade Jing Meng from attending the funeral, and their relationship subsequently became as irreconcilable as fire and water.
Unable to attend the funeral, Jing Meng could only stand from a distance and watch every step of the ceremony. Only after the crowd had dispersed did she walk to the tombstone, dressed in black with a mourning band tied around her arm.
Her fingers traced the photo of her mother on the tombstone, her tears falling uncontrollably. "Mom, I will take good care of Jing Hong."
Even though Jing Hong treated her like an enemy, she was still full of concern for him, thinking of how to look after her only younger brother in the future.
Having made her final promise to her mother, Jing Meng walked out of the cemetery. From a distance, she saw Pei Shiyi in a black suit; she had no idea how long he had been waiting there.
"Let's go home," Pei Shiyi said, his voice flat, but his eyes held a tenderness she had never seen before.
Jing Meng didn't notice it. She nodded dully, like the walking dead, and bent down to sit in the car. Her expression was hollow, like a porcelain doll left at the mercy of others.
As soon as they returned to the Pei Family home, she locked herself in her room.
Sitting by the bed, Jing Meng stared blankly at the white clouds outside the window. Tears fell again as her mind remained filled with the image of her mother's smiling face.
However, even as she missed her dearly, she knew in her heart that those who have passed away live on in another world, while those still living must find the courage to forge ahead. Only then could the dead truly depart in peace.
The days of being shrouded in grief did not last long. Jing Meng made an effort to adjust her mindset. To stop herself from dwelling on the scene of her mother's departure, she immersed herself in heavy work.
But even so, she would still remember from time to time, often spacing out during her duties.
Every move she made was observed by Pei Shiyi. He knew her state was wrong, but he didn't know how to comfort her. With a helpless sigh, he turned and walked into his office. Looking at the photo of Pei Cheng on his desk, he came up with a plan.
Pei Cheng walked into the living room with a deliberately somber pace. "Meng Meng, did you miss me?!"
Jing Meng forced a smile. "Cheng Cheng, you're here?"
Pei Cheng immediately huddled close to her and smiled. "Meng Meng, you still have me and Papa. We will always be with you."
Pei Cheng had no concept of a mother. Since birth, he never knew who his mother was, let alone the biased warmth of maternal love. Consequently, he had no idea what it felt like for Jing Meng to lose the mother who had carefully raised her.
"You are still young. When you grow up, you will understand. While a mother is still alive, life still has a place to return to. But once a mother passes away, all that is left of our life is an expedition."
Looking only half-comprehending, Pei Cheng pulled a long face and said, "So the road of my life has always been an expedition!"
Hearing this, Jing Meng was momentarily stunned. Realizing she had unintentionally hurt the child's heart, she immediately pulled him into her arms. The two of them were truly fellow sufferers.
With Pei Cheng's company, a ray of sunlight seemed to shine into Jing Meng's bleak life. The corners of her lips gained a more positive curve, and the days became less agonizing as she slowly emerged from her grief.
Just as everything was gradually returning to peace, Bai Xi, acting like someone who couldn't stand to see Jing Meng doing well, constantly tried to drive a wedge between the two siblings.
On this day, Bai Xi used the excuse of comforting Jing Hong to mock how comfortably Jing Meng was living.
"You and your aunt believed in her so much and used to pamper her in every way, but she's nothing but an ingrate. Your aunt's body is barely cold, yet she's already climbed the high branch of the Pei Family.
She's flaunting herself at the Pei Corporation now; why would she bother coming to see someone who's already dead? If she can treat the woman who gave birth to her and raised her like this, what about you, considering the conflict between you? You'd better be careful in the future, lest she uses Pei Shiyi to deal with you."
The mention of using Pei Shiyi against him was undoubtedly a knife to Jing Hong's heart.
"Are you saying Jing Meng is working at the Pei Corporation?"
Seeing that the conflict was about to reach a breaking point, Bai Xi naturally didn't miss the key point. She put on an innocent look and said, "Yes, and Pei Shiyi is a ruthless and overbearing man. The two of them hooking up is simply a case of villains colluding."
Jing Hong's face turned livid. He clenched his fists so tightly that the veins on his forehead bulged.
At that moment, he couldn't wait a second longer. Ignoring Bai Xi's presence in the house, he stood up in a rage and headed straight for the Pei Corporation.
He chose the most conspicuous spot to wait and dialed Jing Meng's number. When he heard a child's laughter over the phone, his expression darkened instantly. "Get down to the lobby of the Pei Corporation immediately," he said coldly. "I'm waiting for you."
Jing Meng's fingers tightened around her phone. She gave a faint response, said goodbye to Pei Shiyi, and left.
"Xiao Hong." It was the same old nickname, but the person was no longer the same.
Jing Hong subconsciously took two steps back, maintaining a proper distance from her. "Are you working at the Pei Corporation?"
"Yes!" Jing Meng didn't understand why Jing Hong was suddenly asking about this.
"Resign!" Jing Hong had come all this way just to make her leave the Pei Corporation?
His behavior was too abnormal. After a moment's thought, Jing Meng realized where the problem lay. Her expression turned serious. "Did Bai Xi say something to you?"
Bai Xi had been using every possible method to sabotage all the relationships around Jing Meng. She wouldn't even let go of the brother Jing Meng cared about most. This only made Jing Meng loathe everything about that woman more.
"I know that no matter what I say right now, you won't believe me, but there is one thing I must make clear: Bai Xi is not as simple as you think." Jing Meng said sternly, "And no matter what you think, I will not resign from the Pei Corporation."
Jing Hong glared at her, wishing he could just drag her away regardless of any resignation procedures.
A weird silence lasted for about two or three minutes before Jing Meng was the first to break it. "Jing Hong, Bai Xi is not as simple as you think. Her words cannot be trusted!"
She was worried that if Jing Hong spent too much time with Bai Xi, his mind would become dark and twisted.
However, her kindness was rejected outright. "I'm fine on my own. Don't worry yourself over me anymore."
Both refused to listen to the other's suggestions, and they could only part on bad terms.
Jing Hong sat at the bar of a pub. He tilted his head back and drained the strong liquor in his glass, trying to drown his sorrows in drink.
Seeing this, the bartender hurried over to stop him. "You've had enough for today. Stop while you're ahead. Life must move forward."
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