Chapter 137 – Meeting

When Jian Mei saw the news, it was as if his blood began to boil with intensity, and he found himself staring at the screen, lost in thought.

Cheng Yu, noticing that something was off, asked, “Mei Mei? Is something wrong?”

“No…”

Jian Mei tried to force his attention back to the conversation, but Cheng Yu had already sensed that something was amiss and asked again, “Is there a problem?”

Jian Mei slowly shook his head.

Even though four or five years had passed, and he thought he had become calm and mature, he realized that even now, his heart was far from steady. The slightest possibility was enough to make his heart race uncontrollably, difficult to calm down.

Cheng Yu had a gut feeling that something was off but didn’t press further.

Although Jian Mei didn’t say anything, Cheng Yu could guess that the news was somehow related to that person.

Later that evening, when Cheng Yu was dropping Jian Mei off at home, Jian Mei stepped out of the car, turned back to look at Cheng Yu, and smiled, saying, “Thank you, Brother Yu.”

This was the first time he had addressed Cheng Yu with such a familiar term.

But instead of feeling happy, Cheng Yu felt a pang of sadness. He had a sense that whatever Jian Mei was about to say next wouldn’t be what he wanted to hear.

And he was right.

Jian Mei began, “I know you’re a wonderful person, very talented, and that many people like you. You really could have more and better options. I’m very grateful for how you’ve cared for me, including back in middle school.”

He brought up their time in middle school.

Cheng Yu recalled their years in middle school, and a complex mix of emotions surfaced within him.

He often wondered when he had started liking Jian Mei and why this boy was different from everyone else. Maybe it was a long time ago, when Jian Mei trusted him unconditionally. Or perhaps it was later, when he realized that in a world where everyone was focused on gains and losses, Jian Mei might be the only one, and maybe the last one, who had ever treated him with such sincerity.

It was like a person in the dark, instinctively drawn to a sudden, bright light. He was no exception.

Unfortunately, it was too late…

Despite the passage of time and the absence of anyone who could really compete with him, Cheng Yu realized that he had never truly won.

“Mei Mei…” Cheng Yu wanted to say something, but when he saw the look in Jian Mei’s eyes, he slowly and vaguely realized that nothing he said would make a difference.

But he still didn’t want to give up.

He managed a faint smile and said, “It’s getting a bit chilly. You should go inside.”

Jian Mei wasn’t sure if Cheng Yu understood what he meant, but he returned to the house anyway. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw his brother sitting on the sofa, glaring at him.

Jian Mei suddenly felt a pang of guilt and asked, “Brother, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Where were you?” Jian Changjia questioned him like a judge, “Out drinking with a man in the middle of the night?”

Jian Mei defended himself, “It was just a gathering with friends, and I didn’t drink much.”

“I’ve met that guy before, the second son of the Cheng family. At a young age, he’s already sidelined his older brother. Do you think he’s someone simple? He’s got a lot of tricks up his sleeve.” Jian Changjia warned him, “Stay away from him, you hear me?”

Jian Mei quietly responded, “He’s just an old classmate. It’s nothing like what you’re thinking.”

Jian Changjia pretended to raise his fist at him, “You better not be up to anything shady.”

Jian Mei covered his head, “I’m sorry, I won’t stay out drinking so late again.”

Only then did Jian Changjia let it go.

But his little brother had grown up, and as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t control everything. He might be able to keep Cheng Yu at bay, but there was no way to fend off Cai Zhenzhen or the doctors and nurses at the hospital who also liked Jian Mei, whether openly or secretly.

Every now and then, during holidays, their home would be filled with gifts and roses from various girls. Modern girls were especially bold, and with Jian Mei being both handsome and from a good family, he was an irresistible catch.

However, as time went on, Shen Meina started to worry. “What do you think? Why hasn’t our Mei Mei started dating anyone?”

Jian Mei’s father also realized the seriousness of the situation and hesitantly replied, “Maybe he just hasn’t met the right person yet.”

“How could there not be a good match? There are so many girls who like him,” Shen Meina said. “But look, it’s been nearly two years since he graduated from college, and there’s still no sign of anyone…”

Jian Mei’s father looked at his happily single son and sighed, “Our children will have their own blessings. Maybe one day, he’ll meet the right person and suddenly bring her home.”

Shen Meina wasn’t convinced. “Is that even possible…”

Jian Mei’s father smiled, “Anything is possible.”

While his family was worried, Jian Mei himself wasn’t in a rush. Recently, the hospital offered a chance to participate in an external training program, which he valued greatly. This time, it involved a health check-up campaign in a poor mountainous area, helping the elderly and children with medical examinations—a very meaningful activity.

The weather was clear when they started up the mountain, but halfway through, a sudden heavy rainstorm hit, completely unexpected and not predicted by any weather forecast. The rugged mountain paths made the situation even more challenging. The group was walking along a narrow mountain trail when the storm struck, catching everyone off guard. Especially concerning was that one of their colleagues, a young girl, had left the group to use the restroom and hadn’t returned.

The others began to worry:

“Could something have happened?”

“Why hasn’t she come back yet?”

“Should we go look for her?”

“But it’s raining so hard.”

Jian Mei, who had a good relationship with the girl was particularly concerned because they had started their hospital internships together. She was timid, and the storm likely scared her.

“I’ll go look for her,” Jian Mei offered softly.

Everyone agreed, as no one else was willing to go search for her in such conditions.

Jian Mei quickly put on a plastic raincoat and headed out. The restroom wasn’t far from where they were, but the girl was nowhere to be found. Growing anxious, Jian Mei ventured farther, following the stone path. He thought he heard faint cries for help, and just as he was hurrying toward the sound, he slipped and fell.

The rain poured down, soaking him completely.

Water streamed down his face, blurring his vision. As he tried to get up, he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. It seemed he had twisted it in the fall. It truly felt like everything was going wrong at once, as if he couldn’t catch a break.

Boom!

A flash of lightning lit up the sky. The rain showed no sign of stopping; in fact, it was getting heavier.

Jian Mei tried to stand up, but his ankle hurt so much that he couldn’t put any weight on it. Frustrated and anxious, he found himself in a situation where calling for help seemed useless. Desperately, he reached into his pocket to get his phone, but the screen quickly got wet, and the touch function became unresponsive. He struggled for a while but couldn’t unlock it.

Just when he was starting to panic, suddenly, the rain within three feet around him stopped.

The rain continued to pour all around, but in the small space surrounding him, everything seemed to freeze. Not a single drop of water fell, and even the sound of the rain became much quieter.

Jian Mei looked up in confusion, and a warm cloak fell from above, as if it had just come from someone’s body—it even carried a familiar scent, the scent he missed so much. He turned to look and saw the face he had longed to see, the face he could only see in his dreams at midnight.

Lu Xingwang stood in the rain, but not a single drop touched him. His divine power could control the wind and rain, keeping him dry while the rain continued to fall around them. Only the space where they stood remained untouched.

Jian Mei stared at him in a daze for a long moment.

Lu Xingwang slowly walked toward him, his steps slow but steady. When he reached Jian Mei, he knelt down in front of him and gently wiped the rain off Jian Mei’s face. In a low voice, he said, “How did you end up in such a mess?”

Jian Mei’s breath hitched. He wasn’t sure if this was a dream, but the pain in his ankle told him it wasn’t.

“Does it hurt?” Lu Xingwang asked, frowning as he looked at Jian Mei’s injured ankle. “How could you be so careless…”

When their eyes met, Jian Mei’s eyes were already red.

Then, Jian Mei threw himself into Lu Xingwang’s arms, hugging him tightly. He whispered, “This isn’t a dream, right?”

Lu Xingwang’s body stiffened for a moment, then he smiled slightly and said softly, “No, it’s not.”

After so many years apart, there was so much to say, so much to catch up on, but neither of them knew where to begin. Jian Mei had so many questions, but for now, all he wanted was to hold onto him.

The rain continued to fall around them as they held each other tightly.

At that moment, Jian Mei’s phone rang, breaking the silence. He was startled and quickly said, “It’s probably my colleagues calling.”

The phone, wet from the rain, had a malfunctioning screen and unexpectedly answered the call on its own.

Lu Xingwang, being closest to the phone, picked it up, unaware that the call had already connected. He simply handed it to Jian Mei, asking, “Are your colleagues nearby?”

Jian Mei quickly answered, “Yes, there’s a young girl and a few others.”

On the other end of the line, Jian Changjia, who had called because he was concerned about the sudden weather change, was alarmed to hear a strange man’s voice. He immediately grew suspicious and said, “Hello? Who are you?”

Lu Xingwang looked down at the phone, raised an eyebrow, but didn’t respond.

Different times, different places, but the same two people were once again connected through a phone call.

It seemed these two were always bound by a special kind of fate.

Jian Changjia demanded, “Why do you have my brother’s phone? I’m his brother. Who are you?”