“Why do you wear glasses with plain lenses? To look cool?” Chen Qing Wu asked with a smile.

“Exactly.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Meng Fu Yuan then seriously explained, “Wearing glasses makes it easier for one to assume the role of an examiner.”

“Does it?” Chen Qing Wu, wearing his glasses that were a bit too large for her, pushed them up with her finger, grabbed the sides of the frame with both hands, and looked at Meng Fu Yuan.

Perhaps because of the lenses, she seemed indeed more daring in meeting his gaze.

“What are you examining?”

“…Everyone.” Meng Fu Yuan seemed a bit distracted, unsure if it was because she was wearing his glasses or because she looked more scholarly and austere with them, adding an air of restrained austerity to her usual cool demeanor.

“You don’t want others to see through you, but you want to see through others,” Chen Qing Wu said.

Meng Fu Yuan nodded.

Chen Qing Wu smiled, “Am I also one of the people you examine?”

“That’s a trap question. I choose not to answer.”

Talking with smart people had this disadvantage; she had never managed to throw him off balance.

Except for that unexpected time she asked if the person he liked was her.

Chen Qing Wu took off the glasses and handed them back to Meng Fu Yuan. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “I discovered one of your secrets. I want to confirm it with you.”

Meng Fu Yuan put on his glasses, pushed them up with his finger, and was about to look up when Chen Qing Wu spoke:

“François Truffaut’s film, ‘Jules and Jim.'”

Meng Fu Yuan froze.

Chen Qing Wu slightly tilted her head up as if trying to look directly into his eyes through the lenses. “Your WeChat avatar. Is it?”

Meng Fu Yuan’s expression barely changed. “Yes.”

“I remember, you changed it three or four years ago…”

“Five years. No, almost six.”

Hearing this, Chen Qing Wu felt a shock in her heart.

Her gaze, once steady, faltered and lowered involuntarily.

She suddenly wished she hadn’t sought confirmation from him.

Hearing his admission, she felt no triumphant satisfaction from catching him off guard, only a vague, swelling sadness.

Six years, such a long time.

She realized she no longer dared to face the truth behind that line of caution.

Meng Fu Yuan almost immediately sensed Chen Qing Wu’s emotional shift.

In reality, even from the examiner’s standpoint, one couldn’t always see through people’s hearts, like right now.

Why did her expression dim so suddenly?

After a long silence, just as Meng Fu Yuan was about to speak, there was a knock at the door.

Chen Qing Wu was startled and took two steps back, composedly saying, “Come in.”

It was Zhao Yingfei who entered.

Chen Qing Wu immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Meng Fu Yuan didn’t say a word, taking in all her reactions.

Zhao Yingfei looked inside, greeted Meng Fu Yuan, then said to Chen Qing Wu, “You left a book here, I came to get it.”

“Oh… it’s on the nightstand in the bedroom.”

Zhao Yingfei went straight in.

Chen Qing Wu felt a near escape; if it had been Meng Qi Ran who suddenly came…

Meng Fu Yuan was always considerate, giving advance notice before coming over, so the two brothers hadn’t accidentally run into each other yet.

But over time, the truth would inevitably come out.

“Qing Wu.” Meng Fu Yuan straightened his collar casually and said, “I’m heading back. You should rest early tonight.”

Chen Qing Wu nodded.

Meng Fu Yuan gave her one last look before turning to leave.

Chen Qing Wu watched him leave, then sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette.

When Zhao Yingfei came out, she saw Chen Qing Wu leaning on the armrest of the sofa, smoking and staring blankly.

“I’m leaving, Qing Wu.”

“…Mm.”

Zhao Yingfei noticed her absent-minded state and sat down beside her, turning to ask, “What’s wrong?”

Chen Qing Wu came back to her senses, took a drag of her cigarette, and asked in a muffled voice, “Are you busy right now?”

“Not really. What’s up?”

“Can you talk with me for a while?”

“Relationship issues?”

“Mm.”

“I’ll reluctantly listen.”

Chen Qing Wu smiled, lowered her gaze, and after a long silence, finally spoke, “Remember I told you about someone I respect who likes me?”

Zhao Yingfei nodded.

“Today, I just found out that person…”

“Can’t you just say who it is?”

Chen Qing Wu steeled herself, “Today, I just found out that person is Meng Fu Yuan…”

Zhao Yingfei exclaimed, “Who?”

“…You told me to say it directly.”

“You mean the person who likes you is Meng Qi Ran’s brother?”

“…I told you it would shock you, but you didn’t believe me.”

“I believe you.” Zhao Yingfei clutched her chest, “Let me process this, go on.”

“Just today before boarding the plane, I looked up Meng Fu Yuan’s avatar. It’s a screenshot from a movie called ‘Jules and Jim.'”

Zhao Yingfei said, “I’ve seen it. It’s about a love triangle. I don’t like art films, too boring, almost put me to sleep.”

Yes, the most superficial tag for “Jules and Jim” is a love triangle between two men and one woman.

Meng Fu Yuan’s avatar is a scene from the film where Jules draws his lover’s portrait on a table with chalk.

Chen Qing Wu said, “He’s had this avatar for almost six years.”

“You mean…”

“Mm.”

He had liked her for six long years, hiding it so perfectly.

If not for their frequent contact after coming to East City, it might never have been revealed.

Zhao Yingfei thought for a moment and asked, “Does he know that you and Meng Qi Ran were never actually a couple?”

“He didn’t know before. Everyone in the family assumed Qi Ran and I were together.”

“I could never handle a secret crush that long. I’d barely last six days without confessing. No wonder Mr. Meng succeeded in his business, clearly a man capable of great things.”

Chen Qing Wu chuckled.

Zhao Yingfei said, “So why the long face? If you don’t like him, just reject him. His crush is his business, nothing to do with you.”

“…I don’t dislike him.”

“Isn’t that better? Mutual affection.”

“…Dr. Zhao, are you a single-celled organism in matters of the heart? It’s not that simple. He’s Meng Qi Ran’s brother. People who know us know Qi Ran and I were never a couple, but outsiders don’t think that way.”

Sometimes at family gatherings or events, relatives from both sides would jokingly ask, “When are Qing Wu and Qi Ran getting married?”

Even she had firmly believed she would marry Meng Qi Ran, it was just a matter of time.

In such circumstances, how would outsiders see it?

No one would dig deep into the details; two brothers fighting over one woman would be the undeniable narrative, satisfying everyone’s voyeuristic desires.

In the future, the three of them would inevitably become a long-lasting topic of gossip.

After hearing this explanation, Zhao Yingfei nodded in understanding, “Indeed…”

“Actually, I feel quite despicable. When Meng Fu Yuan proposed pursuing me, I was clear that I didn’t dislike him, or rather, I quite liked him, so I tacitly allowed his actions. During this time together, I’ve enjoyed myself a lot. I’m not someone who strictly follows the rules; this sneaky feeling is actually very exciting…”

Zhao Yingfei was stunned, “Girl, you’re too honest.”

Chen Qing Wu lowered her eyes, “…Just these past few days, I realized I might like him a bit. But this bit of affection is nothing compared to his six years. I don’t have the resolve to face the gossip, not at all.”

She sighed, “…He can’t even openly pursue me. It’s too unfair to him.”

“So…”

Chen Qing Wu shook her head, “…I don’t know.”

“How much do you like him now?”

“It’s hard to say…”

Wanting to meet, wanting to chat endlessly, wanting to explore his past that she hadn’t paid much attention to.

Blushing and heart racing, probing and testing, feeling for his rare moments of vulnerability.

This kind of liking, how deep was it?

Compared to the nine years she followed Qi Ran, was it worth mentioning?

She didn’t dare to compare because she knew it would offend everyone involved.

Zhao Yingfei had only experienced straightforward, unambiguous relationships, none lasting long. She always found love affairs boring, less satisfying than making progress in her experiments.

Thus, she found it difficult to offer constructive advice, “From a rational observer’s perspective, if you don’t like him that much yet, I suggest you let it go. People care about others’ opinions; once your relationship is exposed, it will face severe criticism. Not to mention, they are brothers; brotherly conflict is inevitable.”

Chen Qing Wu fell silent.

“Of course, I’m practical and hate trouble. If it were me, I’d definitely let it go. But my opinion isn’t the best reference. You have to decide for yourself.”

Chen Qing Wu fell into deep thought, with only a wisp of blue smoke curling around her fingers.

Since Zhao Yingfei needed to return to the lab, she left after a while.

Chen Qing Wu, not feeling sleepy, lay on her bed for a long time before getting up.

She put on a coat, intending to get some clay from the freezer, but suddenly thought of something.

She turned and walked toward the display shelf.

The third row on the left-hand shelf.

After it had dried, she wrapped it in plastic wrap, so it was still perfectly dry.

Although a novice piece, once glazed and fired, it would have a unique, rustic charm.

Chen Qing Wu took it down and placed it aside, then started looking for the most suitable glaze from the test samples on the shelf.

The new generation of robotic arms was entering the testing phase, and the company’s executives were preparing for a new round of financing.

Meng Fu Yuan was so busy that day and night blurred. Whenever he found a moment to visit Chen Qing Wu, he was told it was inconvenient because Meng Qi Ran was there.

Unless necessary, he didn’t want to escalate conflicts early, as it would put Qing Wu in a difficult position.

So he gave up.

He went on a business trip to North City, returning just in time for Meng Qi Ran’s birthday.

Meng Qi Ran’s birthday was October 20th, and Chen Qing Wu’s was October 27th.

Since they were close in date and the two families had good relations, the parents decided to celebrate both birthdays together. To be fair, they alternated each year—this year for Qing Wu, next year for Qi Ran, and so on.

It had been this way for over twenty years, and this year would be no different.

He didn’t want to meet her in South City with so many eyes watching, making it overly restrictive.

So, the first thing he did after landing was contact Chen Qing Wu.

Unexpectedly, it was still inconvenient.

Meng Qi Ran was at Chen Qing Wu’s studio, helping assemble shelves.

His studio was only three kilometers away, and he didn’t need to be hands-on for his specific tasks, so whenever he had free time, he’d go see Chen Qing Wu.

She had recently been working on many projects, and the old shelves were almost full.

She ordered several sets of supermarket shelves, and when Meng Qi Ran arrived, she was struggling to assemble them herself.

She disliked troubling others, always doing what she could herself, only seeking help when necessary.

With an extra pair of hands, the work went much faster.

Several large shelves were neatly set up, and the next step was to reorganize the items on the old shelves.

It took a long time to finish everything.

Chen Qing Wu did a quick clean-up with a broom and dustpan, washed her hands, and picked up her phone to order two late-night snacks.

Unexpectedly, there was a new message on WeChat.

Her last conversation with Meng Fu Yuan was two hours ago.

Meng Fu Yuan had asked if it was convenient for him to come over, and she replied that Meng Qi Ran was there.

Meng Fu Yuan had replied, “Got it.”

The latest message, sent half an hour ago, read: “Let me know when Qi Ran leaves.”

Chen Qing Wu felt a pang in her heart, an unbearable ache.

She took a deep breath, turned to Meng Qi Ran, and said, “Can I order you a late-night snack to be delivered to your studio? I need to go out and meet a friend.”

Meng Qi Ran glanced at the wall clock, “Now?”

“Yes.”

Meng Qi Ran laughed, “Do you think I lack a late-night snack? I wanted to eat with you.”

“You owe me one, put it on the tab.” Meng Qi Ran grabbed his backpack from the sofa and left.

Watching his figure disappear, Chen Qing Wu picked up her phone and sent a message to Meng Fu Yuan: “Are you at the office? I’m coming over.”

Meng Fu Yuan: At home. I’ll come to you.

Chen Qing Wu: No. Send me the address, I’ll come. Wait for me.

Chen Qing Wu changed her clothes and checked her phone again. There was the address of an apartment sent by Meng Fu Yuan.

The apartment was past their office, about a forty-minute drive from her studio, much farther than she had expected.

Before starting the car, Chen Qing Wu sent a message to Meng Fu Yuan, letting him know she was on her way.

Meng Fu Yuan told her to be safe.

Just past nine, East City was at its most bustling and vibrant.

But she felt only a sense of desolation.

Finally arriving at the apartment complex, she found a parking spot on the street, parked, and messaged Meng Fu Yuan to come down for a chat.

Meng Fu Yuan: I’m cooking noodles, can’t leave the stove. Can you come up?

Meng Fu Yuan: Pei Shao is also here.

The second message seemed intended to dispel any of her doubts.

After some hesitation, Chen Qing Wu replied that she could come up, and Meng Fu Yuan sent the building number.

A high-end complex, with one apartment per floor.

As soon as she exited the elevator, she saw the door open.

Chen Qing Wu walked over, peeked inside, and knocked on the door.

“Coming, coming!”

Pei Shao’s voice.

Pei Shao walked to the door, opened the shoe cabinet, and found disposable slippers for Chen Qing Wu.

His familiarity made her wonder, “Do you live together?”

“No, I live upstairs, often come here for food.”

Chen Qing Wu chuckled.

After changing into the slippers, she followed Pei Shao into the living room.

The apartment seemed rented, with a modern style and the tidy look of a model home.

The kitchen and dining room were separated by a sliding door, and when Chen Qing Wu looked inside, she only saw Meng Fu Yuan’s back as he stood at the stove.

She looked away, put the bag she was carrying on the coffee table, and sat on the black leather sofa.

“You guys just got off work?” Chen Qing Wu asked.

Pei Shao replied, “No, Lao Meng just got back from a business trip to North City.”

“Why does it seem he’s always the one traveling?”

Pei Shao laughed, “I’m no good at pitching for funding. When I speak, people don’t trust me.”

Chen Qing Wu agreed. Pei Shao had a straightforwardness that didn’t suit business negotiations.

After a short while, she saw Meng Fu Yuan come out of the kitchen with a hot pot.

Meng Fu Yuan placed a heat-resistant mat on the table, set the pot down, then returned to the kitchen to fetch three bowls and chopsticks.

He glanced towards the living room, “Come and eat noodles.”

Pei Shao quickly stood up.

Meng Fu Yuan’s gaze fell on Chen Qing Wu, “You too, Qing Wu.”

The parental tone made Chen Qing Wu stand up involuntarily.

The pot was full of rich ingredients—noodles, tomatoes, shrimp, eggs, and greens, looking extremely appetizing under the warm light.

Meng Fu Yuan served a bowl of noodles and handed it to Pei Shao.

The second bowl was for Chen Qing Wu.

“…I’m not very hungry, just a little,” Chen Qing Wu said quickly.

“Mm.”

Taking the bowl, she sat down next to Meng Fu Yuan.

Across from her, Pei Shao was already wolfing down his food.

Chen Qing Wu remembered a summer vacation in her second year of high school.

She had gone to America with Meng Qi Ran for a trip and to visit Meng Fu Yuan, who was studying in California.

At that time, Meng Fu Yuan lived in a small apartment, shared with another student.

Meng Qi Ran had grown tired of Western food after a few days and craved some tomato and egg stir-fry.

Meng Fu Yuan coldly told him to go to a Chinese restaurant across the street if he wanted something specific.

However, after a day out with Qi Ran, they returned to find Meng Fu Yuan had silently prepared a meal with three dishes and a soup, including the much-desired tomato and egg stir-fry.

Back then, she envied Qi Ran for having such a perfect brother.

Sneaking a glance at Meng Fu Yuan now, she saw him in casual home clothes, freshly showered, with a faint clean scent.

She looked away, focusing on her noodles.

Pei Shao laughed, “Miss Chen, what have you been busy with lately? Lots of orders?”

Chen Qing Wu put down her chopsticks, swallowed her food, and replied, “A bit busy. Many clients were referred by Sister An.”

“Last time I visited Sister An for tea, everyone loved the tea set you made and asked where it was from.”

Chen Qing Wu smiled, “I should distribute flyers at Sister An’s place next time.”

Seeing that she was mostly talking and barely eating, Meng Fu Yuan couldn’t help but remind her, “Finish eating before chatting.”

The pot of noodles was just enough, with Pei Shao taking an extra half-bowl, leaving none wasted.

Chen Qing Wu automatically helped with clearing the dishes to the kitchen.

Afraid he’d be left to wash the dishes, Pei Shao quickly made his escape.

Placing the dishes in the sink and rolling up her sleeves to turn on the faucet, Meng Fu Yuan said, “I’ll do it.”

His tone and actions left no room for refusal.

Chen Qing Wu had no choice but to step aside.

Meng Fu Yuan rinsed the dishes and cookware and placed them in the dishwasher.

After cleaning the countertop and stove, he dispensed some hand soap.

As he washed his hands, he asked, “What did you want to tell me?”

The words she had been rehearsing for days suddenly made her nervous.

Chen Qing Wu stayed silent, turned, and went to the living room, picking up the paper bag she had brought.

Meng Fu Yuan walked out of the kitchen, got a glass of water from the island, and approached her.

Taking the glass, she set it on the coffee table, feeling a bit uneasy as she handed him the paper bag.

Meng Fu Yuan took it, opened it, and found a cup inside.

Black glazed with a matte finish, it felt solid and well-balanced in hand. It didn’t seem up to her usual standard, as the cup wall was slightly uneven.

Turning it around, he realized it was the cup he had made.

He didn’t expect her to keep it, let alone repair the rim he had accidentally damaged.

Meng Fu Yuan held the cup, looking at her, waiting for an explanation.

“You told me to get rid of it, but you know I never break anything on purpose. So… I fired it.”

Meng Fu Yuan’s gaze grew calm, “What does this mean, Qing Wu?”

Her expression was so complex it couldn’t be just a simple gift.

A thought suddenly struck him.

Before she could speak, he asked, “Are you here to draw a line with me, Qing Wu?”

Chen Qing Wu looked up abruptly.

“Are you with Qi Ran?” Meng Fu Yuan’s voice was deliberately calm.

“No!” she quickly said.

“Then why? What did I do wrong?”

“…Nothing.” She took a deep breath, unintentionally grasping his sleeve, “Can you let me explain slowly?”

“Go ahead.”

“…You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all my problem. You’re wonderful, your feelings deserve to be open and honest, but… I don’t have the ability or determination to make that happen.”

Her voice was strained.

Meng Fu Yuan sighed in relief, “Is that all?”

She looked up at him, surprised, “…You don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind.”

She found it unbelievable, “Sneaking around when Qi Ran isn’t around. Even though he and I have no relationship anymore, you still can’t be open about it… it’s too unfair to you.”

Meng Fu Yuan slightly bent over, set the cup on the table, and grasped her wrist.

She seemed about to pull away but then gave up.

Meng Fu Yuan lowered his head, looking at her deeply, “Let me tell you, Qing Wu. For the past six years, my feelings for you have been far more vile and despicable than you can imagine, but I’m good at hiding it, so it never showed.”

His honesty made her chest tighten, making it hard to breathe.

“…In the past, it couldn’t see the light of day, but now I can openly tell you. What more could I want?”

“But…”

“You said you don’t dislike me.”

“…Yes.”

“Then why push me away?” He stared at her intently, “My avatar hasn’t changed for almost six years. The answer has always been there. Why did you suddenly look it up?”

“I…”

“Why?” Meng Fu Yuan’s head lowered further, his voice and breath heavy.

Holding her breath, she closed her eyes and admitted, “Out of curiosity.”

“Only with a preference will one seek justice for another.” His fingers tightened around her wrist, feeling her pulse, “…You’ve already given yourself away, Qing Wu.”