Chapter 3.1 Old Acquaintance

That night, for the first time, Jian Meng woke up earlier than Ji Jing’an, who surprisingly didn’t leave.

Jian Meng first leaned against the head of the bed, carefully observing the man’s features, thinking he still looked as handsome as ever. Shortly after, she got up and left Ji Jing’an.

When Ji Jing’an woke up, the house was filled with the aroma of millet porridge.

As he stepped out, Jian Meng was still busy in the kitchen, her figure blurred by the steam. The frail figure alternated between beating eggs and stirring the porridge. In that moment, Ji Jing’an had a fleeting sense of déjà vu, as if he had returned to the days when they lived together in a rented house.

“It’s been a long time since I had your cooking.” Ji Jing’an smiled as he held the bowl of porridge.

A bowl of hot porridge placed in the middle, steam swirling around, blurring Jian Meng’s vision. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held back from crying and nodded in a fluster.

“From now on, eat more.”

I hope for a longer future, Jian Meng thought.

The two of them tacitly avoided mentioning the events of the previous night.

“Ah Jing, can you accompany me on a trip? There are so many cities I want to visit.”

If I’m about to lose my life, I hope my remaining days will be spent with you.

That was their initial vow.

But Ji Jing’an hesitated for a moment. Jian Meng rarely made requests to him, so he should have agreed. However, he felt it could be postponed as there was too much going on in the company recently.

“Let’s see later. Once I’m done with this busy period, I will definitely accompany you.”

“Okay.” Jian Meng’s lips slowly drooped. She knew that Ji Jing’an’s “later” never materialized.

“I want to go abroad first. Do you remember when I just started working at the publishing house and bought a travel magazine? There was a place called Prague Castle in Czech Republic…”

“Jian Meng.” Ji Jing’an suddenly interrupted her, “You decide where you want to go. I have an early meeting, so I have to leave. Take care of yourself.”

The words Jian Meng didn’t say were swallowed back. She stiffly nodded.

That place, it was Ji Jing’an who saw it in the magazine and said he would take her there. He forgot again, his memory was really poor.

He was forgetting everything between them.

Ji Jing’an kissed Jian Meng’s cheek as he typically did, then left for work.

After that, Jian Meng stayed in the house alone as usual. She arranged the chemotherapy schedule with the hospital over the phone and searched online for treatment details, summed up in one word: pain.

Feeling drowsy, the phone suddenly rang.

It was an unknown caller. Jian Meng hesitated but answered. A male voice came from the other end, “Jian Meng, it’s Gu Chuan.”

“Gu Chuan, how did you…”

“I found your contact information. Have you told Ji Jing’an about your illness?”

Jian Meng’s thoughts gradually returned, her features soft and gentle, as she gently shook her head, “What does it matter whether he knows or not, we are no longer like we were in the beginning.”

Gu Chuan on the other end of the phone hesitated slightly before asking, “Do you regret being with him?”

Jian Meng smiled, “I don’t regret it, but it seems like he might have some regrets. Well, after being with someone as dull as me for ten years, it’s normal to get tired of it.”

As she spoke, Jian Meng couldn’t shake off Ji Jing’an’s words from the night before.

But what echoed louder in her mind was Ji Jing’an’s promise from ten years ago. However, promises like these are usually made without much thought by the speaker but deeply cherished by the listener, and Jian Meng took it to heart.

Gu Chuan felt a sharp pain in his heart. He thought he was feeling sorry for Jian Meng, but she actually knew everything already. She was so smart during her studies, how could she not have noticed…

The last thing Gu Chuan said before hanging up was, “What I regret the most is letting you be with him.”

Jian Meng understood that Ji Jing’an’s words were all true, and Gu Chuan returned to the country because of her.

But she no longer had the energy to love anyone.

Ten years of difficult love ultimately turned out to be just a bubble, especially now that she was alone with illness, no longer the romantic young girl she once was… All that remained was the mundane routine of daily life.

And no one would love her again.

Jian Meng remembered Ji Jing’an promising in the morning to eat the meals she cooked.

She went downstairs to buy groceries, and with her weakened body, she carefully prepared dinner.

She felt extremely tired, wondering if illness drains all one’s energy, as preparing a meal seemed to exhaust her completely.

After setting the table, she sat on the sofa for a few minutes and drifted off to sleep. In her dreams, she could see Ji Jing’an coming in to eat the meal she had prepared.

—

The rain outside was pouring heavily, the sound masking most of the city’s noise.

She slept until evening.

Jian Meng was awakened by a slight chill, crawling off the sofa, yawning. The living room was dark, with no lights on.

But she could clearly see the untouched feast on the dining table.

She turned on her phone, the backlight illuminating her face, revealing how pretty her delicate features were, though with a hint of coldness and indifference.

“You haven’t come back?” Jian Meng heard the noisy music from the other end, knowing it was from the bar he frequented.

“Yeah, working overtime.”

Jian Meng fiddled with the ring on her hand, not the one Ji Jing’an bought for her years ago.