That night, Mengying called Auntie Mei on her phone. There were certain truths she had to verify with her.
The voice on the other end was Auntie Mei's, gentle yet somewhat anxious. "My dear, how was your journey? We've all been so worried about you."
"Auntie Mei, was it you who notified Sima Chen about my flight schedule?" Mengying got straight to the point.
Auntie Mei hesitated before answering, "Yes, otherwise how could I let you go so far alone? Your mother arranged it." Auntie Mei then said with some displeasure, "Letting such a young child travel alone—your mother really is careless. She didn't raise you herself, so she doesn't know how to cherish you."
So her suspicions were confirmed. Sima Chen had indeed been maintaining contact with Auntie Mei and the others all along.
"Again, my mother? Why wouldn't Mother tell me these things directly?" Mengying asked in a dissatisfied tone.
"I'm not sure about that. Your mother probably had her own considerations."
"How much did you all know when you were in Yunxi back then? Why did you call Sima Chen 'Young Master Yuwen'?"
"You can't blame us for that. Your mother said the homeowner was Old Madam Yuwen, so we assumed he was surnamed Yuwen as well. It wasn't until after we arrived in Anya that your mother told us that Young Master Sima wasn't surnamed Yuwen."
"So you also knew about the betrothal?" Mengying asked in a suspicious tone.
"The betrothal? Wasn't that something you agreed to yourself? We all thought it was children's play."
It seemed Auntie Mei was planning to brush her off. But Mengying wasn't willing to give up. "The betrothal that Old Madam Yuwen and my grandmother arranged—you didn't know about it?"
"Your mother did mention it, but she said it didn't have to be taken seriously. I don't know the specific details."
So Auntie Mei had known about it at the time. Now she was trying to evade the issue.
Mengying continued pressing. "If it wasn't to be taken seriously, why did you have Uncle Qiang notify Sima Chen about my flight schedule?"
"It was your mother who had Uncle Qiang notify him. How could we have made that decision?" It seemed Auntie Mei didn't want to answer directly.
Mengying said nothing.
Then Auntie Mei continued worriedly, "Actually, wealthy families like the Simas are all messy. I think you should avoid getting involved with them. We originally thought you had forgotten about childhood matters, so we didn't mention it again. We hoped you wouldn't get tangled up with them. But you went back on your own. Still, I think you'd better not have any contact with that family. The boys from these wealthy families can't be trusted. Listen to me. I'm only thinking of you. You should come home right away."
As Mengying listened to Auntie Mei ramble on over the phone, her heart sank bit by bit.
Auntie Mei had clearly known all along that this betrothal was arranged by Old Madam Yuwen. Yet she had been keeping it from her. Mother knew, Sima Chen knew, even Auntie Mei knew. Everyone knew the truth, and she, the person most concerned, was the last to know.
But now was not the time to dwell on these past details. Now she had to decide what to do next. From this moment on, she must take control of her own fate and stop being a pawn in someone else's game.
Based on the information she had, continuing to stay in Anya was no longer safe.
If everything Sima Chen said was true and the person following her wasn't sent by him, then cooperating with Sima Chen would be the wisest choice, maximizing the safety of herself and Auntie Mei and the others. It would also allow her parents to move forward without worry.
If the person following her and Sima Jing were both sent by Sima Chen, then staying in Anya was also unsafe. And she couldn't hide forever. It was better to get close to Sima Chen and see his true motives.
So should she continue with the betrothal? Although according to Sima Chen, even if she didn't continue, her entire family could still be protected, the only consequence being that Sima Chen would marry someone else. What if Sima Chen's intentions were genuine? Mengying had no intention of missing out on Sima Chen because of uncertain doubts.
But what were Sima Chen's true motives for wanting to maintain this betrothal? Mengying also didn't want to marry someone who wasn't genuinely devoted to her. So what should she do?
After much deliberation, Mengying made her decision. To catch a tiger, one must enter its den. She would give Sima Chen a chance, and give herself a chance, to verify his motives and sincerity.
Early the next morning, after washing up, Mengying took a drafted document and went directly to Sima Chen's study. The study door was open, and Sima Chen was working at his desk, leaning over his laptop.
Mengying knocked on the door. Sima Chen looked up and smiled. "Xiaomeng, did you sleep well last night? Please come in and have a seat." He then stood up and gestured for her to enter.
After they were seated facing each other on the sofa, Mengying got straight to the point. "Sima... I mean, A'Chen, I'm here today to give you my answer."
"Oh? You've decided?" A look of surprise appeared on Sima Chen's face. He then gently suggested, "You don't need to make a decision so quickly."
"There's no need to wait. I agree to your proposal. However, I have several conditions." Without waiting for Sima Chen to respond, Mengying picked up the draft in her hand and began reading:
"The male party must agree to the following conditions proposed by the female party:
First, Identity Confidentiality: During her time in Dacheng, the male party shall not publicly reveal the female party's true identity and shall protect the safety of the female party and her parents.
Second, School Transfer: The female party shall immediately transfer to school in Dacheng. Her butler Uncle Qiang and nanny Auntie Mei shall accompany her.
Third, Investigation Cooperation: The female party shall cooperate with the male party's investigation activities.
Fourth, Betrothal Limitation: The female party shall not marry until after completing university."
As Mengying read through her conditions in a flat tone, she noticed Sima Chen listening solemnly. However, Mengying sensed a barely perceptible flash of amusement in his eyes.
Were my conditions somehow amusing?
Looking at Sima Chen's calm expression, Mengying recalled Sima Jing's earlier comments about his older brother. Now that she thought about it, Brother White back then also always seemed to be perfectly composed and courteous. She had never seen him lose his temper.
After finishing, Mengying looked up at Sima Chen and asked in a businesslike tone, "A'Chen, do you have any objections? Do I need to explain each point?"
"Your conditions are very clear. I agree to all of them. I'm very pleased that you're willing to continue our betrothal," Sima Chen answered with a smile. But to Mengying's eyes, that smile was unfathomable. He then continued, "However, you can call me A'Chen. The way you're addressing me now makes it seem like I'm your secretary, not your fiancée."
Mengying found Sima Chen's voice unexpectedly gentle and felt her heart skip a beat. Could it be that Sima Chen had really been thinking of her all these years, as his younger brother said, rather than just pursuing family interests?
Then she heard Sima Chen continue, "I have some additional conditions as well."
As expected, it wasn't this simple. There were still conditions. So Mengying looked at Sima Chen warily.
Sima Chen said gently, "I have several commitments to add on the male party's side. First, regarding safety, I will provide you with an encrypted phone, covert guards, and personal protection."
"Personal protection?" Mengying was somewhat confused about what that entailed.
"If you don't mind, I'll arrange a personal bodyguard for you, who will pose as your private assistant," Sima Chen explained with a smile. He continued, "Second, I will help you rent a standalone house near my residence in Dacheng for you to live in."
"Actually, A'Chen, I can rent my own housing. You don't need to provide financial assistance."
"I know you have money. But it's only right for me, as your fiancé, to provide you with housing."
Mengying thought about it and supposed it was fine. Right now she didn't have much money to rent a house. She could repay him later when she had more.
"If you put it that way, then all right."
"If you have no objections, shall we conclude our agreement?" Sima Chen looked at Mengying with an inquiring gaze.
Mengying thought for a moment and felt that Sima Chen's additional conditions were all in her favor. "Yes, we can."
"Then it's a deal?" Sima Chen asked, probing further.
"Yes, it's a deal."
"Since you're unwilling to officially reveal your identity, I won't accompany you in public. If you want to go sightseeing nearby these next few days, I'll have Shiwei accompany you. You don't need to worry—the people nearby don't know Shiwei."
When Mengying left Sima Chen's study, she glanced at the laptop on his desk and asked suspiciously, "You weren't here working before I arrived in Yunxi, were you?" She saw Sima Chen shake his head, so she continued asking, "Then you came here specifically to wait for me after learning I was coming to Yunxi."
"Yes, I came here specifically to wait for you," Sima Chen answered with a smile.
After breakfast, Shiwei brought Mengying a new encrypted phone. Shiwei asked for Mengying's original phone. After some technical processing by Shiwei, Mengying's previous phone number could be used on the new phone. When Mengying looked at the new phone, she saw that Sima Chen's and Chen Shiwei's numbers were already saved. All her previous contact information was also on the new phone.
Subsequently, with Shiwei accompanying her, Mengying revisited the old neighborhood where she had lived as a child.
But it was now occupied by a strange family. She went to check on a few of the neighboring families and found that they too had been replaced by strangers. Little Yan and Little He had also moved away, and the current residents didn't know where they had gone.
Shiwei also accompanied Mengying to Yunxi city. The street scenery of the city was reflected in dappled light under the winter sun, and the bare trees on both sides of the street swayed gently in the wind. Everything before her gave her a sense of how much things had changed and people had moved on. Mengying silently lamented that her childhood was gone forever.
That night, Mengying had a dream in which she became the six-year-old Nannan again, sitting beside the railing in the pavilion in the middle of the lake with both arms hugging her knees, staring intently at Brother White fishing by the lake.
Brother White sat in the corner of the pavilion, the bamboo rod held in his hand, his eyes fixed on the water surface, silent and focused. The lake water shimmered with light like fragments of silver. The sparkling lake light reflected on Brother White's face, making it exceptionally beautiful.
Nannan watched for a long time and found that no fish were biting. She couldn't help but lean forward and take the fishing rod to check the bait, only to discover that the hook was a straight hook.
"Brother White, why are you fishing with a straight hook?"
Brother White slowly turned his head. His face was as pure and innocent as the lake water, yet without a hint of a smile. His voice was very calm: "Because I am fishing with Grand Duke Jiang's hook, waiting for those who wish to take the bait willingly."
Mengying suddenly awoke. Moonlight from the window spilled into the room, casting a silvery and cold glow over everything.
Outside the window, a bright full moon hung quietly in the night sky.
Mengying suddenly recalled an ancient poem: "I once entrusted my heart to the bright moon; yet to no avail, the bright moon only shines on the ditch."
Where was her moon shining on?
The next day, when Mengying went to Sima Chen's study again, she found it empty. Turning around, she discovered Chen Shiwei standing not far away, as if he had been waiting for her.
"The young master had an urgent matter come up last night and rushed back to Dacheng overnight. He instructed me to look after and escort Miss Zhuang. He will be waiting for you in Dacheng."