They surrounded me right after the breakup.

Liu Meng sat down next to her mother.

She picked up the tissue box from the floor and gently placed it on the corner of the table.

"Mom, did you already know Jiang Han's identity?"

"I had my suspicions, but I only confirmed them after Yutong told me."

Zhao Xiulan's gaze fell on the photo frame.

"He's so much like his dad, in the way he speaks and the way he looks at people."

Liu Meng's voice was very soft: "Mom, why didn't you mention it to me?"

"I don't know how to bring it up..."

Zhao Xiulan held her daughter's hand in her palm.

"Mengmeng, you've mentioned Jianghan to me many times at home."

"Praise him for being reliable and for knowing his limits."

"You can't help but smile when you talk about him."

"You probably don't even know it yourself."

Liu Meng lowered her head.

"Mom can tell!"

Zhao Xiulan gently patted the back of her daughter's hand.

"You like Jianghan!"

"Mom isn't stupid; I've been through this before."

"I was like this when your dad was pursuing me."

"He says he's honest, but his eyes are always full of smiles."

"mom!"

Liu Meng gave a reproachful look, saying that now was not the time to talk about romantic love.

"Mom just feels sorry for you!"

"The person you like, Mom owes him an explanation."

"When his father fell on hard times, I didn't stand up for him."

As she spoke, Zhao Xiulan choked up again without realizing it.

"The closer you get to him now, the more upset I feel."

Liu Meng's eyes reddened.

"Mom, you didn't do anything wrong back then."

Liu Meng held her mother's hand tightly.

"You just did what most people would do."

"Life isn't a movie; ordinary people just want to live a peaceful and quiet life."

"You raised me, provided for my education, and taught me how to be a person."

"These are more important than anything else!"

Zhao Xiulan looked at her daughter: "Mengmeng, but you are not the majority of people."

"You've always been this way since you were little. You won't run away from things that your mother avoided."

She reached out and tucked the stray hairs that had fallen beside her daughter's ear behind her head, just like she did when she was a child.

"Mengmeng, this is the thing Mom is most proud of in her life."

"It's because I raised you to be a braver person than me."

……

The mother and daughter chatted for a long time in the living room.

As far as I can remember, it's been several years since we had a heart-to-heart talk like this.

As night fell, Liu Meng returned to her bedroom.

This is the room she has lived in since she was a child.

Her college textbooks are still on the bookshelf.

The bed sheets were newly changed and still smelled of laundry detergent.

Liu Meng changed into her pajamas, leaving only the small nightlight on her bedside table.

Lie down and stare at the ceiling.

The ceiling is covered with glow-in-the-dark stars that she stuck there in middle school.

It's long since stopped lighting up, but the outline is still there.

When she pasted those stars together, she was probably waiting for a wish that would never come true.

Jiang Han was squatting in the hospital corridor at that time...

Liu Meng closed her eyes and turned over.

The hands of the alarm clock on the bedside table ticked away.

11 points.

Her mind was filled with what her mother had just said.

Liu Meng buried her face in the pillow, her shoulders trembling slightly.

She suddenly felt something blocking her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Liu Meng suddenly opened her eyes and picked up her phone.

Select Jianghan's WeChat profile picture.

The chat history is still stuck on that line from tonight: "Waiting for you."

Looking back at the previous conversations, I realized that I was always the one talking about important matters, while the other person gave brief replies.

Looking back now, Jiang Han never showed the slightest sign of distress in front of her.

Even though he already knew about his father's old case at the time.

Liu Meng's finger hovered over the screen for a long time before she finally put the phone down.

She propped herself up on the edge of the bed, changed her clothes, and picked up her car keys.

When I passed by Zhao Xiulan's bedroom door, the lights inside were already off.

Liu Meng gently opened the door and stepped into the late autumn night of Jingzhou.

It was nearly midnight when the car entered the Bicester Manor.

Liu Meng parked her car on the road between the two villas.

The lights were off in Shen Qingning's building, and the curtains were tightly drawn.

The lights were still on in the living room on the first floor of Lin Yaoyao's house.

Warm yellow light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting rectangular shadows on the lawn.

Liu Meng got out of the car and stood at the entrance of the villa.

A night breeze blew in from afar, carrying the scent of freshly mowed grass.

She could faintly hear voices coming from inside the house.

Lin Yaoyao's tone was clear and upturned, with her own unique characteristics.

Shen Qingning's voice was softer and slower.

Liu Meng stood there for quite a while.

The last time she stood hesitating at someone's door was many years ago, right after graduating from university.

I stood at the bottom of the office building for ages before my first job interview, trying to calm myself down.

She later passed the interview and joined that company.

He worked his way up from intern to department manager, and then started his own business.

Over the years, Liu Meng thought she had long forgotten what nervousness was.

The clock in the living room struck midnight.

Liu Meng looked down at Jiang Han's profile picture on her phone screen.

I typed a line of text.

"I can't sleep, I'm at your door."

Her finger hovered over the send button for several seconds.

I pressed it anyway.

In the living room.

Jiang Han leaned back on the sofa when his phone vibrated.

A message from Liu Meng popped up.

He got up and walked towards the door: "Liu Meng is here."

Shen Qingning and Lin Yaoyao looked at each other.

After Jiang Han finished his phone call, he told them that Liu Meng had learned the truth.

"The hurdle in Sister Meng's heart is deeper than any of ours."

Shen Qingning placed the cup on the coffee table.

"She likes Jiang Han."

Lin Yaoyao looked surprised: "No way, even Sister Meng?"

"Didn't you notice?"

"Throughout all these gatherings, Liu Meng has never eaten alone with any other man."

"Her mother has turned down countless blind dates she's been set up with."

"Every time we have a fight, she's the last one to leave."

"Liu Meng is used to being the one who has to cover for you."

"But this time she collapsed on her own, and no one was there to support her."

Shen Qingning stood up: "I'm going to rest in the guest room."

Lin Yaoyao also stood up and walked to Jiang Han's side.

"Honey, you should spend some quality time with Meng-jie. Don't worry about us tonight."

She tiptoed and kissed Jiang Han on the cheek.

Then he turned around and went up the stairs.

Shen Qingning had already reached the corner on the second floor.

She glanced back at Lin Yaoyao, and waited for her to come over before taking her arm.

The two didn't speak, but simply nodded to each other.

Then they each went into their own room and gently closed the door.

Jiang Han stood in the entryway, his hand already gripping the doorknob.

He glanced back at the direction of the stairs.

Women! When they're sensible, they really make things easier for us.

She actually let her boyfriend and her best friend spend time alone together late at night...

Jiang Han opened the door, and a cool breeze rushed into the room.

Liu Meng stood at the bottom of the steps, wearing a camel coat, her hair casually draped over her shoulders, and her makeup removed.

The light from the streetlamp fell on her profile, casting a soft shadow between her brow bone and the bridge of her nose.

The two people looked at each other across a few steps.

Neither of them spoke first.

……