Chapter 69

Chapter 69

◎ He was leaving, so he had to leave a memento behind. ◎

After finishing the stomach-soothing soup, Meng Qi proposed to leave. Ding Yi didn't push him to stay; instead, she told the servants to pack up the leftover soup for him to take home. She even went upstairs to get Ren Suiyi to come down and see Meng Qi off, but Ren Suiyi had locked his bedroom door from the inside. Ding Yi knocked for ages but got no answer.

"Qiqi, let Gangzi take you home. I've already sent for him. You... well, your Yiyi Ge might've dozed off with his headphones on. Just let him sleep, okay?" Ding Yi said with an awkward smile, trying to save face for Ren Suiyi.

Meng Qi was totally fine with that!

Holding back a grin, he quickly answered, "Alright, Aunt Ding, no problem. Anyone can drive me."

It had only been a few minutes—no way Ren Suiyi was asleep. Of course, on a normal day, he might have, but today the chances were about as good as the sun rising in the west. No one who's just gotten pissed off, and is still pissed, hides in a corner without replaying the fight in their head. At least, that's what Meng Qi would do—not just replay it, but write it all down.

But knowing Ren Suiyi wasn't asleep was one thing; Meng Qi wasn't about to call him out on it. He was actually psyched to have Gangzi drive him. If Ren Suiyi insisted on taking him, he might stubbornly haul him off to the hospital.

Even if he didn't take him to the hospital, the ride would just mean more arguing about the same thing.

He was already annoyed enough and didn't want to ask for more trouble.

Gangzi showed up, standing at the door and calling out, "Young Master Meng." Meng Qi shot up from the couch like he had a spring in his butt. As he backed toward the door, he said to Ding Yi, "Aunt Ding, I'm leaving. I'll come see you another day. Just stay put, no need to see me out."

Ding Yi, of course, didn't just stay put. Seeing Meng Qi heading out, she stood up and acted like she was going to follow, making Meng Qi stop and wait for her.

He was anxious, worried that Ren Suiyi might pop up at the top of the stairs any second.

Just then, a servant came in from outside and said to Ding Yi, "Ma'am, Mrs. Zhong is here to see you."

At the mention of "Mrs. Zhong," Ding Yi's grip on Meng Qi's hand tightened instantly. She also shot Meng Qi a cautious look, like she was checking his reaction.

Meng Qi didn't react—he had no clue who this Mrs. Zhong was. The novel never mentioned her, and no one had brought her up since he got here.

Seeing no change in Meng Qi's face, Ding Yi raised a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and asked the servant, "Where is she now?"

The servant replied respectfully, "Ma'am, Mrs. Zhong's car just pulled in. She'll be here in about three minutes."

"Oh, okay. Go get the desserts Qing'er likes ready. I'll call you if I need anything else."

The servant said "Yes, ma'am" and quietly left.

After giving the orders, Ding Yi took Meng Qi's hand and kept walking out. When they were almost at Gangzi, she asked Meng Qi, "Qiqi, since you've run into her, do you want to stay a bit longer and chat with her?"

Chat with whom? Mrs. Zhong?

Meng Qi looked at Ding Yi, confused, wondering why she'd suggest that. Just as he was about to ask, the name "Qing'er" popped into his head. Qing'er, Qing...

Jia Qing! The real mom of "the Meng Qi from the book"!!!

This was like a total case of mistaken identity—family not knowing family.

Meng Qi was almost scared to death by this bombshell. He steadied himself by rubbing the back of his neck, quickly fixed his expression, and then, with a face full of forced pain and disappointment, shook his head at Ding Yi. "I don't want to see her, Aunt Ding. There's nothing to talk about, really."

Talk? He wished he could grow wings and fly away!

He couldn't figure out why every time he came to the Ren house, he felt like flying away...

Hearing this, Ding Yi didn't push it. She just said regretfully, "If you don't want to see her, then don't. You can always see her another time." Then she let Meng Qi go.

Even after getting in the car, Meng Qi's heart was still pounding, like he'd just dodged a bullet.

There's probably no one who knows a kid better than their mom. The old saying goes, "A mother and child are connected at heart." Even after being apart for so long, Meng Qi felt that Jia Qing just needed one look at him to know something was off.

But this fear might just be him overthinking. It was also possible Jia Qing wouldn't notice at all. After all, "the Meng Qi from the book" was the same age he was now when Jia Qing left him. That woman probably knew less about "the Meng Qi from the book" than he, the fake, did.

But regardless of the truth, Meng Qi didn't dare risk it.

As the car drove out of the Ren estate, Meng Qi looked back through the tinted rear window and saw a graceful woman standing there, looking back at him with a sad expression. If he were closer, he might've seen tears streaming down her face.

But whether it was him or the real "Meng Qi from the book," they'd both been abandoned kids. Trying to guilt-trip them was like giving a comb to a bald guy—totally useless.

Meng Qi looked away and said calmly to Gangzi, "Step on it. I'm in a hurry."

Gangzi yelled, "You got it!" and floored it. With a roar, the high-performance Maybach shot forward like a rocket.

After sending Gangzi off, Meng Qi didn't rush upstairs. Instead, he stood in a slightly hidden spot downstairs and called Liang Wenkai to see how things were going.

Liang Wenkai was delighted to hear from Meng Qi and replied with a hint of pride, "Young Master Meng, I've already contacted the person in charge over there. They're thrilled that the donor wants to visit the site in person. It's a great opportunity for them to prove they can secure the donation. They're practically begging us to come right away."

"Is transportation convenient there?" Meng Qi asked.

Before coming here, Meng Qi had lived in a poor area. Though his city had consistently ranked last in economic development, transportation was still decent—there was a bus station that could take you anywhere in the province.

If the remote mountainous area Liang Wenkai mentioned had similar transportation, Meng Qi would have to reconsider whether to flee there.

This time, he needed to ensure he couldn't be easily found by the Meng family, or perhaps the Ren family, for at least a year. To achieve that, the place had to be remote enough—preferably without even cell phone signal.

Meng Qi waited anxiously for Liang Wenkai's answer, but Liang Wenkai misunderstood his intentions. Although the place he had found perfectly matched Meng Qi's expectations, he hesitated to reveal the harsh reality, fearing that the pampered young master would back out once he learned the truth.

"What? You don't even know that much?"

Meng Qi, growing impatient, spoke more harshly than intended. He didn't want to talk like that, but he couldn't help it. He even suspected Liang Wenkai was dishonest—that he hadn't actually investigated the area and was just trying to scam him for money! How else could he not know about the transportation?

Liang Wenkai's breathing quickened as he hurriedly explained, "Young Master Meng, I do know. I... to be honest, the transportation there is terrible. It's extremely underdeveloped. You have to walk over ten miles of mountain roads on foot. It's so remote that not even a four-wheeled car, let alone a two-wheeled motorcycle, can get in."

Perfect! This place was tailor-made for him! Meng Qi was very satisfied.

"And it's not just transportation. All the facilities are outdated. The inns in the town don't even have water heaters. The deeper you go into the mountains, the poorer it gets. Some farmhouses don't even have electric lights."

No electricity meant no signal. Meng Qi's eyes lit up as he said directly to Liang Wenkai, "Plan a route for me in the next couple of days. Once it's done, hand it over immediately. I need it."

"You're really going, Young Master Meng? It's tough out there. Maybe you should reconsider?" Liang Wenkai hesitated again at the critical moment.

Meng Qi said firmly, "No need to reconsider. I'm going. I'm not afraid of hardship. I just want to experience what real hardship is like. Just arrange it. And remember, keep your mouth shut. Don't tell anyone, or I won't let you off."

Liang Wenkai once again promised to keep it a secret.

"Oh, and find someone for me. I want to sell my car, but for certain reasons, I can't transfer the ownership for a year. The buyer can drive it first, and we'll handle the transfer after a year. Keep an eye out for a suitable buyer. And avoid anyone connected to the Ren or Jiang families."

Liang Wenkai agreed readily.

After settling these matters, Meng Qi stood downstairs for a few more minutes to compose himself before heading home. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Qi Yun waiting for him at the entrance.

Familiar faces, warm lights—they illuminated each other, instantly brightening Meng Qi's cold heart. At that moment, he believed that his family and friends in his original world were waiting for him just as eagerly as Qi Yun was now.

"Are you waiting for me, friend?" Meng Qi greeted Qi Yun while bending down to change his shoes, hiding the tear that almost escaped his eye.

Qi Yun smiled and replied, "Yes, friend. I heard the noise and came to check. Didn't expect it to be you."

"Not going back to sleep? It seems like you still have," Meng Qi glanced at the clock on the wall and continued, "an hour and a half before work. Plenty of time for another nap."

"I just had a dream and couldn't fall back asleep, so I figured I'd stay up and watched a couple of online lessons." Qi Yun said, shaking his phone as he spoke, then added with a bitter smile, "Exams are coming up soon, I need to step it up and try to win this year's scholarship too."

Three thousand—not a small chunk of change, worth Qi Yun's effort. Meng Qi nodded, approving of Qi Yun's approach.

He suddenly remembered what he'd asked Qi Yun to do before he left and quickly asked, "Did you reply to Brother Wu's message?"

Qi Yun paused for a moment, then shook his head. "Not yet. I'll talk it out with him face-to-face when he comes to me."

Meng Qi sighed, figuring Qi Yun still hadn't made up his mind.

But he was leaving soon. Although he planned to leave some money for Qi Yun before he went—his Maybach supercar should fetch a good price, and he'd set aside a portion for Qi Yun—he wasn't a god, after all. He couldn't control what Qi Yun's dad thought. If he paid off this debt for Qi Yun, what if his dad saddled him with a whole new pile of debt after he left? Who would help Qi Yun then?

Thinking it over, Meng Qi wasn't sure if he should try to persuade Qi Yun again.

Maybe he should just tell Qi Yun his plan to leave and have him come along.

No, no. A degree might not be that big a deal for who he is right now, but for Qi Yun, it could be the key to success. He couldn't ruin Qi Yun's future.

"Why the long face? Don't worry, I'll seriously think about the path I want to take. I won't box myself in." Qi Yun comforted Meng Qi.

Hearing this, Meng Qi felt even sadder. Everyone was seriously thinking about their future, but who could guarantee what the future would hold?

Catching a glimpse of Meng Lingzhi peeking her head out, he quickly walked over, picked her up from the turtle tank, and handed her to Qi Yun. Then he opened his phone camera and said with a smile, "Come on, smile."

At that, Qi Yun indeed lifted the corners of his mouth and curved his eyes into a smile.

With a click, a photo of Meng Lingzhi and Qi Yun appeared on Meng Qi's phone.

He was leaving soon, and he needed to leave behind something to remember them by.