Chapter 45.1

Fang Mingyang bought a few pieces of bird’s nest that could be cooked two or three times. Because the weather was hot and there was no refrigerator in the rented apartment, he didn’t dare to cook it the night before for fear it would spoil. Instead, he set an alarm for around four in the morning, cooked it, and then went back to bed for a couple of hours. Although it was quite tiring, he felt very satisfied for some reason.

In the morning, after finishing his washing up, he carefully placed the bird’s nest in a lunchbox and was about to head to work. However, just as he was about to leave, someone knocked on the door.

His younger brother Xiaowu worked hard too, leaving for the construction site before dawn. So, who could it be now?

It wasn’t time yet to pay the rent and utilities, so it probably wasn’t the landlord’s wife.

With his doubts, Fang Mingyang opened the door to find a girl with a ponytail, wearing a denim skirt. Though not particularly beautiful, she had a natural and delicate appearance.

“Liu Meng? What are you doing here?”

Seeing his ex-girlfriend again, Fang Mingyang no longer felt the same pain as when they first broke up.

During this period, he had accepted the fact and sincerely wished for Liu Meng to find new happiness.

Liu Meng’s eyes turned red as soon as she saw him. She stepped inside, glanced around, and said, “I came looking for you yesterday, but the landlord said you had already moved out. Why didn’t you let me know you were moving?”

Fang Mingyang checked the time; it was already almost 7:30. He had to leave before 7:45 or he might be late.

Being late would mean losing money, and more importantly, he was worried Xu Yuan wouldn’t get to have a sip of bird’s nest on time.

“I couldn’t afford to stay there anymore, and the lease was up anyway,” Fang Mingyang said briefly, hoping to end the conversation quickly.

Liu Meng sighed. “I knew it. Mingyang, if you were in trouble, you could have told me.”

Tell you what?

If she could have helped, she would have. Everyone is struggling for a living; no one is better off than anyone else. That’s why Fang Mingyang never borrowed money from friends or classmates, to avoid putting them in an awkward position.

“Liu Meng, I have to go to work now. Let’s talk another day,” Fang Mingyang said.

The money deducted for being late was already enough for his and his brother’s daily expenses, so he couldn’t afford to waste any.

Liu Meng, being understanding, nodded and walked up to him. “You’re heading to the bus station, right? I’ll go with you. I need to take a bus too.”

“Okay.”

Seeing Fang Mingyang carefully placing the lunchbox into a bag, Liu Meng asked, “You brought lunch?”

“Yes,” Fang Mingyang replied, not feeling like explaining much.

They descended from the attic and crossed the noisy street. The bus station was about six or seven minutes away.

“You’re working at Meng Corporation now, right?” Liu Meng asked casually.

Fang Mingyang responded, “Yes.”

“If you’re free this Saturday, come over to my house for a meal,” Liu Meng invited.

Hearing this, Fang Mingyang stopped in his tracks and looked at Liu Meng with deep confusion. “Come to your house for a meal?”

Hadn’t they already broken up?

What did it mean now to invite him to her house for a meal?

Liu Meng seemed a bit embarrassed and bit her lip. “My parents want to meet you and talk to you.”

Fang Mingyang couldn’t understand why there was still anything left to discuss at their current stage.

Having been with Liu Meng before, he had no reason to avoid mentioning their breakup. So he directly asked, “Liu Meng, haven’t we already broken up?”

At the mention of this, Liu Meng’s face turned pale. Without thinking, she clung to Fang Mingyang’s arm. “I didn’t want to break up with you. It’s just that your family situation wasn’t good, and my parents were unwilling. Now that they’ve heard you’re working at Meng Corporation, they want to reconsider. Mingyang, this is a rare opportunity. My parents have finally relented!”

Fang Mingyang knew he should be happy, but for some reason, he couldn’t muster any joy and felt utterly indifferent. He looked at Liu Meng and said calmly, “Forget it.”

Liu Meng couldn’t believe her ears. “What did you say?”

“Liu Meng, you know my family’s situation. My father is ill and needs a large sum of money for treatment. My younger sister is still in middle school, and my brother works on the construction site with no education. My family relies on my salary. Even if I work at Meng Corporation, we will be in debt for at least five years. I’ll have to cover my sister’s future school fees and my parents’ old age. Do you really want to be with me?”

Fang Mingyang was the typical “phoenix man” often seen on forums, where his family sacrificed everything to support his education. The moment he entered university, he became aware that he would have to take responsibility for his entire family’s livelihood.

If his father hadn’t fallen ill, he would only have had to worry about his sister’s school fees. But with his father’s illness, even if he recovered, he wouldn’t be able to do heavy work anymore, leaving the family burden even greater.

He had decided not to date anyone until his family’s situation improved, to avoid dragging another girl into his problems.

Liu Meng, hearing this, was at a loss.

“Marrying me might mean that even the basics of living will become a problem. I don’t want to hold you back.” This was Fang Mingyang’s true thought. He didn’t want to hold back such a good girl.

Liu Meng’s family wasn’t particularly well-off either, but they had no burdens. She had an education and good qualities, and could easily find a better man than him. Why should she take on this mess?

Seeing Liu Meng silent, Fang Mingyang took out a bottle of milk from his bag, which he had bought during a supermarket promotion, and handed it to her. “Say hi to your parents for me. Liu Meng, I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a future, but I don’t want to harm you.”

After saying this, Fang Mingyang turned and walked towards the bus station.

Liu Meng was left alone, staring at the milk in her hand, tears streaming down her face.

In student love, the saddest moments are like this.

Having endured so many difficulties and setbacks, she couldn’t bear the pressure of reality.

Fang Mingyang squeezed onto the bus. At this time, there were many people heading to work, and he was squeezed by the door with his arm pressed against it.

No matter how grand the words one might say, one cannot deceive oneself.

He hugged the lunchbox tightly.

It was true that he didn’t want Liu Meng to suffer alongside him. It was true that he didn’t want to delay her, but the most genuine reason he couldn’t even say to himself when he was alone.

That was, in just over a month, he no longer liked her.

Because he no longer liked her, hearing such words didn’t move or delight him but instead felt burdensome.

==

Xu Yuan sent that message around three or four in the morning and waited another half an hour without a reply, so she had to force herself to sleep.

At eight o’clock, the alarm rang. She felt groggy, went to the bathroom, and looked at the dark circles under her eyes in the mirror, suddenly feeling a bit sentimental.

At this moment, her phone had no calls or messages from Meng Zhengrong.

No matter how unwell she felt, she had to go to work. At least she could check if Meng Zhengrong was at the office and properly apologize to him.

Sitting at her vanity, Xu Yuan did her makeup. Modern cosmetics were amazing; after applying it, she looked less haggard.

She thought about the women in the palace from her previous life. Before she got close to the emperor, she had worked in a concubine’s palace and had seen many emotions from these women. For example, when the emperor arrived, they would be overjoyed, dressing up beautifully and looking lively and cute. When the emperor went elsewhere, they would be full of sorrow and lose their appetite, even dedicating their lives to the emperor. Seeing how these women were so engrossed in men that they neglected their own lives, she couldn’t allow herself to become that way.

Thinking about what she was like last night?

Xu Yuan looked at her reflection in the mirror and couldn’t help but smile. She never imagined she would wait for a man until dawn or become like this.

Who was she? She was someone whom high-ranking officials feared. How could she be someone who neglects everything for love? That was too weak.

Her world was broader and would not be confined to a small room. She still had much to learn, needed to start a company, earn a lot of money, and most importantly, live in this world without relying on anyone.

But she thought she was wrong.