Chapter 51 – The Person I Truly Like

Translator’s Note-Heyy guyss…!

Enjoy reading the chapter.Finally we found the lost phone.

Meng Ting was originally having dinner, but now she couldn’t eat anymore, and she didn’t know where this premonition came from. The child who usually had no interest in her father’s work asked, “What kind of phone is it?”

Her father looked puzzled and asked, “Why are you asking about this?”

Meng Ting also knew that her question was a bit nonsensical, but she insisted, saying, “I’m just curious.”

After a tiring day at work, her father still had patience for his only daughter. He walked over and said, “It’s not a big-name brand, but I’ve never seen this phone’s brand before. Later, when the customer saw that I couldn’t unlock it, they wanted to take it elsewhere.”

Meng Ting was anxious. “They took it away?”

“Yes,” her father said, surprised by her reaction. “What’s wrong? Do you know this phone?”

Meng Ting didn’t dare to say that she knew.

But she had a hunch that this phone was very likely Jian Mei’s. She asked, “Dad, do you know where it was taken?”

Seeing how serious she was, her father also took the matter seriously and said, “I don’t know about that, but I believe they still want to unlock it. As far as I know, there aren’t many shops in our area that can handle this kind of job. In our line of work, we all know each other. If you need information, I’m sure I can help you inquire.”

Meng Ting couldn’t afford to be too picky, so she quickly nodded and said, “Okay, thanks, Dad.”

Her mother, while scooping soup for her father and daughter, said, “You two, father and daughter, you’ve come home, and you can’t even have a proper meal. What’s all this fuss about? Eat your food. Also, Tingting, I saw the light in your room on all night. Why weren’t you sleeping?”

Meng Ting, feeling guilty, lowered her head. “I… I was just reading.”

She didn’t dare to say she was weaving a bracelet for her crush. This was her first time in a romantic relationship, and she was particularly excited and focused. She hadn’t dared to make a move before, nor had she had the opportunity. Now she really wanted to do something special, so she had woven a bracelet to give to Jian Mei. But then she encountered some troubling matters, and now the bracelet was still in her pocket.

Her mother, with a threatening look, said, “You’re about to start your senior year, and you’re thinking about those lovey-dovey things? Don’t you understand?”

Meng Ting responded casually, “Alright, alright, I know!”

If emotions could be controlled by reason, then it wouldn’t be called “emotions.” The greatest human advantage is having emotions, but it’s also our greatest flaw.

…….

Stan Star

At the military base, the training ground was brightly lit in the middle of the night, and many new recruits were groaning.

When Zuo Qingshan arrived, the scene was initially very lively. Many of the recruits who had just enlisted were overjoyed and excited upon learning that the Third Prince was coming to instruct them in mecha operation. However, at this moment, all the recruits had an expression of despair on their faces.

Zuo Qingshan grabbed the vice-squad leader of one battalion and asked, “What are you all doing?”

“The General has arrived,” the vice-squad leader came over and saluted before answering, “Your Highness is leading the new recruits in simulated mecha combat.”

Zuo Qingshan said, “It’s this late, and they haven’t rested?”

The vice-squad leader replied, “Yes General, His Highness said that war will never wait for you to wake up before it starts. A qualified soldier must always be prepared!”

“…”

Zuo Qingshan was actually left speechless.

In some ways, he thought that the title of “General” should be handed over to the His Highness.

A squad of soldiers came out from the virtual cockpit, looking as if their bodies had been drained of energy. Every one of them had a faint sheen of sweat on their foreheads, and if you looked closely, they even had a sense of having narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation.

Zuo Qingshan said, “It seems the training is quite challenging?”

The vice-squad leader truthfully replied, “To be honest, some of us began with the hope of taking advantage of the Third Prince’s lack of divine power. While His Highness doesn’t have divine power, his comprehensive mecha control abilities are extremely strong, as if he had received special training from a young age. If we fought using divine power, we might still have a fifty-fifty chance, but once we get into mechas, let alone one person, even an entire squad can be overwhelmed.”

This was even considering that Lu Xingwang, who didn’t have divine power, could still hold his ground evenly against the others.

It was hard to imagine how formidable the Third Prince was in his prime with the Five Elements divine power, not to mention his mastery of various combat mechas. He was truly terrifying.

Zuo Qingshan said, “Do you think His Majesty just casually sent the Third Prince over?”

The vice-squad leader hesitated and asked, “What do you mean, Major General?”

“Let me tell you this: the current classic, the most sought-after personal mecha in the market, the widely accepted 2.0 version iterative product is anonymously improved by the Third Prince,” Zuo Qingshan patted the shoulder of the pitiful vice-squad leader. “You all have no chance against him.”

The vice-squad leader fell into self-doubt.

…

On the other side, when another group was forced to begin practical simulated combat, Zuo Qingshan stopped them.

The young general went over and pulled Lu Xingwang, who was still in training, to the side. “Your Highness, it’s quite late now, nearly dawn, and aren’t we supposed to go on a business trip to the north tomorrow morning at 7? You haven’t rested, but you should let these new recruits rest. They’ve only been inducted for a short time. They can’t endure this level of training. Don’t push them so hard.”

Lu Xingwang had just come out of the virtual cockpit, wiped his face with a towel full of vigor, and said calmly, “Is this level considered tough?”

Zuo Qingshan choked.

Almost an adult himself, the Third Prince didn’t seem like a patient at all. He was very tall, almost as tall as the robust Zuo Qingshan. Dressed in a close-fitting military uniform, he looked quite handsome and had an air of sharpness like a finely carved blade. Half of his face still bore some ghastly scars, adding a bit of fierceness to his appearance.

Lu Xingwang said, “Once you enter the military camp, you need to have this determination and awareness.”

Zuo Qingshan couldn’t argue with him and directly said, “Come on, you didn’t come up with the idea of nurturing their determination when they joined the camp. Why suddenly remember it today? Did something unhappy happen to you, and you can’t sleep, or… is it because of someone?”

Recently, Zuo Qingshan had noticed that His Highness’s mood seemed not to be very good, but the specific reasons were unknown. But there were very few people and matters that could affect Lu Xingwang. On careful thought, the last possible reason was…

Lu Xingwang took the nutrition solution handed over by his adjutant and said in a low voice, “What could be bothering me?”

Zuo Qingshan shrugged, “Whatever is making you unhappy right now is exactly what’s bothering you.”

Lu Xingwang didn’t speak and didn’t respond.

In reality, he wasn’t feeling too great at the moment. The specific reason was that, all day today, he hadn’t received any messages from Jian Mei. He even used to send goodnight messages during his busiest times, but now, he didn’t even send a goodnight message. He had always believed that he didn’t care about these things, but when the messages on his information terminal stopped coming, he couldn’t help but feel anxious.

He couldn’t control his urge to check messages every half an hour, nor could he control his random thoughts. All he could do was attempt to forget about it through intense training, numb himself. He used to never let his emotions show on his face, but now he was letting even Zuo Qingshan see his unhappiness.

“Dong…”

At 3 AM, the great bell of the sacred mountain nearby was struck, symbolizing the beginning of a new day as the sun was about to rise.

Lu Xingwang got into the car to return to the palace and once again opened his information terminal. It remained as calm as a still sea, and the more serene it was, the more it agitated him. For some reason, he had been inexplicably irritable all day. At one point, he thought about reducing contact with Jian Mei to allow both of them to cool down, but he didn’t expect that there would be no contact at all. He couldn’t calm down at all, and his agitation only increased.

When A Ruo, who had been waiting for His Highness, saw him return with a surly expression, she was startled. “Your Highness?”

Lu Xingwang replied with a stern face, “Hmm.”

“Your Highness, did you encounter something distressing outside?” A Ruo tentatively asked.

Lu Xingwang responded, “No.”

No? Really?

Your Highness, you’re practically wearing your unhappiness on your forehead!

Thinking about what could have upset Lu Xingwang over the years, there were only a few possibilities: either the Crown Prince had done something vexing again, or it was something related to the Emperor, or a major event had occurred in the military. However, the palace had been relatively quiet recently.

Lu Xingwang said, “No need to wait. It’s getting late. You should rest early.”

A Ruo came to her senses and said, “Alright, Your Highness, don’t worry too much. No matter how difficult something is, after a good night’s sleep, everything will be better tomorrow.”

Lu Xingwang thought to himself, even if it’s a difficult situation, a good night’s sleep won’t change the fact that Jian Mei didn’t send me a message all day today. However, he couldn’t say this out loud, so he just nodded and returned to his sleeping chamber. In a hidden compartment beside the bed, he had many of his personal belongings. He sat by the bed, opened the compartment, and inside, he found a variety of gifts that Jian Mei had given him over the years.

From the distant blue teddy bear he received on his 14th birthday to the recent keychain, they were all there. Lu Xingwang picked up the keychain, its crystalline texture sparkling beautifully under the lamp. In his mind, he remembered the owner of this keychain.

Could something have happened?

Or perhaps there’s an emergency.

Lu Xingwang held the teddy bear in his palm, telling himself that it wasn’t because he lacked self-control or couldn’t be without Jian Mei. It was because he was worried about Jian Mei’s safety that he made this decision. He opened his contact list and sent a message to Jian Mei:

“Have you returned home?”

“Rest early after going back.”

“Is everything okay?”

Then, in front of everyone, the seemingly cold-hearted His Highness added another message: “Good night.”

…

The next day

Early in the morning, Meng Ting arrived at her father’s shop. After a thorough search, she found no trace of the person who took the phone. Rather than sending the phone to another shop, the person had disappeared.

Her father reassured her, “Ting Ting, don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out for it.”

Meng Ting said, “Thank you, Dad.”

She wanted to try calling Jian Mei, but she realized that Jian Mei’s phone was missing, so she couldn’t reach him at all. After a day of worry, she returned to school and learned that Jian Mei had taken a sick leave.

She said to Xiao Pang, “Let’s go visit Mei Mei after school.”

Xiao Pang didn’t think there was anything wrong with it; it was normal for the class monitor to visit Jian Mei. He replied, “Sure, I can’t believe that losing his phone had such a big impact on Mei Mei. He’s even fallen sick.”

Meng Ting sighed as well. She asked, “Is the phone really that important to him?”

“I don’t know, maybe it’s not just the phone that’s important, but the people he contacts?”Xiao Pang thought that his logic made sense. “Anyway, I don’t think Meimei is a particularly materialistic kind of person.”

Meng Ting asked, “Important person to contact?”

“I mean, isn’t it because of DaZhuang ge the guy we talked about at the class monitor’s birthday party? He’s really important to Mei Mei, and I heard they’ve known each other for a long time.”

For some reason, Meng Ting’s intuition told her that this DaZhuang ge guy wasn’t just a simple friend.

They arrived at the hospital, expecting to visit a fever clinic, but surprisingly, they went to the hematology department. On the way up the stairs, they saw signs mentioning terms like “tumor,” and some doctors were dressed very seriously. People walking by had serious and solemn expressions. The entire floor had a heavy atmosphere, which weighed on the hearts of the two children.

When they reached the ward,they didn’t find Jian Mei.

A nurse came over and said, “You’ve come at an inconvenient time. The patient in this room has elevated lymphocyte levels and has gone for further tests. It might take a while, and he won’t be able to receive visitors. Please come back tomorrow.”

Xiao Pang and Meng Ting exchanged uncertain glances. They nodded reluctantly and left. They had come with a light-hearted mood, but their return was somber, and neither of them spoke on the way back.

When they reached the hospital’s entrance, in the evening light, Meng Ting hesitantly asked, “Do you think Mei Mei will be okay?”

Xiao Pang said, his voice low, “I think he should be fine. They’ve been treating his leukemia for so many years, how could he suddenly relapse? and he’s about to enter the third year of high school. He’s been working really hard in his studies, and he even talked about wanting to study medicine at a university. We’ve planned where to go for summer camp after graduation. How could something like this happen…”

As he spoke, his voice grew softer, and he turned his head, sniffing back tears.

Meng Ting was also very upset. She felt responsible for calling them out, thinking that her actions had led to all of this. If something happened to Mei Mei, she might be to blame. This thought weighed heavily on her mind. Lost in thought, she returned home, still in a daze. Just as she was daydreaming, she heard her mother say, “Ting Ting, your dad is calling you from outside. Why aren’t you moving?”

Meng Ting snapped out of her daydream and rushed out of her room, asking, “Dad?”

Her father entered the house and took off his shoes. “Ting Ting, there’s been some news about the phone you were looking for. It’s with a friend of mine who lives nearby, not far from our house. I’ll go get it tomorrow.”

“Really?” Meng Ting was overjoyed and didn’t know what to do. “How close is it? Can we go get it now?”

Her father looked at her with a puzzled expression and hesitated. “Now? Ting Ting, are you in a hurry? At least have dinner first.”

Meng Ting didn’t know why, but she was in a rush. She was feeling anxious and couldn’t wait any longer. She insisted, “Dad, I’m not hungry. Could you just tell me the address, and I’ll go get it myself?”

Her father couldn’t understand her urgency, but he agreed, “You’re such an impatient child.”

He had always been busy with his business, and his daughter was so self-reliant that she hardly asked for anything. As she grew up, they felt a growing distance between them. There were times when he wanted to do something to bridge that gap, but he didn’t know where to start. Now, finally, his daughter had made a request, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit happy. He said, “Alright, I’ll take you.”

Meng Ting was grateful, saying, “Thank you, Dad.”

They went to the uncle’s house, and luckily, the phone was indeed Mei Mei’s!

Surprisingly, the phone had noticeable scratches and even some damage. It had been well taken care of before, but now it looked a bit pitiful.

The uncle said, “I couldn’t figure out how to turn that phone on. I even tried physical methods, but nothing worked. I’ve been in this business for twenty years, and honestly, I’ve never seen a phone like this. If it weren’t for your father, I would have definitely kept it to study.”

Meng Ting smiled and said, “Thank you, Uncle.”

Her father took her back home. Meng Ting held the phone and examined it for a while. Lost in thought, she suddenly remembered a time when she helped Mei Mei retrieve something. Mei Mei had entered a password next to her. Her memory was quite sharp, and even though she hadn’t deliberately paid attention at the time, she still remembered it. She hesitantly entered the password, and the phone unlocked successfully.

She was surprised; it actually worked. This was the first time she had seen the phone’s interface. To her amazement, the phone’s system was unexpectedly simple, and many of the app names were unfamiliar to her, such as All Kinds of Medicine and All Kinds of Books. All of these were very unpopular apps. The others were more common.

WeChat

There were unread messages.

Meng Ting thought about Xiao Pang’s words, hesitated for a moment, and considered opening it. She was genuinely curious about Da Zhuang Ge, the person who was most important to Mei Mei. However, after much internal debate, she decided not to open it. Instead, she said to her father, “Dad, I’d like to go to the hospital.”

Her father asked, “At this late hour, what are you going to do?”

Meng Ting replied, “I want to visit a classmate. This is my classmate’s phone, and I want to return it to him.”

Her father looked at his daughter, as if he understood what had been bothering her lately. He eventually nodded and said, “Alright.”

When they arrived at the hospital, it was well past 10 PM. Returning to the hematology department, the lights were still on in the ward. Inside, everyone was still there.Jian Mei was sitting on the hospital bed with an IV drip, and there was a very beautiful woman standing next to him. When she raised her head, Meng Ting was stunned. She knew that Jian Mei’s mother was very beautiful, but she always wore a mask, making it hard to tell. But this woman, wasn’t she… Shen Meina?

Shen Meina also seemed surprised and said, “You…”

Mei Mei spoke, “Class Monitor.”

Meng Ting regained her composure and looked at Jian Mei somewhat shyly. “Mei Mei, I’ve come to see you.”

“It’s quite late, thank you for coming, Class Monitor.” Jian Mei’s face was a bit pale, and he looked a bit frail in his patient’s gown. He had undergone a painful examination that evening, but he still had a faint smile on his face. “I heard you and Xiao Pang came to visit. I was thinking of sending you a message later, didn’t expect you to come.”

Meng Ting said softly, “I found your phone.”

“Really?!” There was obvious delight in Jian Mei’s eyes.

Even Shen Meina didn’t expect that the phone could really be retrieved. Meng Ting handed the phone to Jian Mei, who took it and saw the scratches. His heart ached as he couldn’t help but caress and inspect the phone. But he didn’t forget about Meng Ting and looked at the girl without reservation, praising her, “Class Monitor, how did you find it? You’re amazing!”

Meng Ting felt joy welling up in her heart. She smiled and said, “It wasn’t me who found it; it was my father.”

As she looked at Jian Mei’s smiling face, she was reminded of the reason she liked this boy so much. She was introverted and quiet by nature, and to get noticed, she had to put in a lot of effort, like becoming the class monitor or having the best academic performance. That’s when she would be praised and seen, becoming her parents’ pride.

She often heard:

“Meng Ting seems to only care about studying.”

“The class monitor is too strict with us.”

“But she’s just good at studying.”

Compared to many others’ harsh judgments, Jian Mei was the best person she had met.

This boy seemed to be able to find the brilliance in ordinary people. He could see through their masks and discover their vulnerable hearts.

Jian Mei was never stingy with his appreciation for others. He would generously praise:

“You can do crafts, that’s amazing.”

“This is already great.”

“Class Monitor arranged this for us; she’s very skilled.”

It was like walking alone in a rainforest, holding an umbrella. Others only saw the umbrella, but he saw the person beneath, who had weathered the wind and rain.

Jian Mei held the phone and said to her, “In any case, thank you so much, Class Monitor. When I get discharged, I’ll definitely treat you to a meal and make up for the mall.”

Meng Ting nodded. She hesitated for a moment and then said, “Um, Mei Mei…”

Shen Meina was a perceptive person and knew that the two kids had something to talk about. So, she left the room, closing the door behind her, giving the two kids some privacy. They faced each other in the room.

Jian Mei asked, “What’s wrong?”

Meng Ting finally managed to speak up, “Well, actually, you don’t have to be so polite with me. After all, we… aren’t we in not kind of relationship?”

Jian Mei didn’t realize at first, his fever had subsided, but his voice was still hoarse. He couldn’t help but cough a few times, and then looked at her in confusion, “What relationship?”

Meng Ting couldn’t believe her ears.

“Aren’t we friends… Oh, right,” Jian Mei seemed to realize suddenly. He smiled at Meng Ting and said earnestly, “We’re friends from now on!”

…

The room fell into silence.

It felt like a heavy blow, causing the girl great discomfort. She should have understood it long ago. That night was just a misunderstanding, perhaps because she was too nervous, she couldn’t explain herself properly. Maybe she also didn’t dare to clarify, fearing a clear rejection. In a way, she was quite cunning, almost like she intentionally wanted to let the misunderstanding persist. She wanted to live in her own woven dream, and if possible, never wake up for the rest of her life.

Meng Ting didn’t want to cry at first, but when she lowered her head, tears uncontrollably rolled down her cheeks.

Jian Mei, sitting on the bed, was bewildered. He was connected to an IV, but he still got up, opened a drawer, and took out a tissue. When he leaned in, the IV trembled, yet he extended the tissue to her. “Class Monitor, did I say something wrong?”

Meng Ting shook her head wildly. She stepped forward and held him. “Don’t move. Please, don’t move.”

Jian Mei was pushed back to the head of the bed by her. The young man’s eyes were filled with worry and confusion. He looked at the girl, not knowing what to do, and hesitated to say comforting words. He finally spoke awkwardly, “I won’t move. Class Monitor, why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?”

Meng Ting’s tears flowed even more intensely.

She lost her face, and she didn’t care anymore. She decided to be honest, so she directly said, “Because I like you.”

The room suddenly fell into silence.

Jian Mei felt somewhat stiff. Or rather, he was a bit dazed and didn’t know how to respond immediately. Meng Ting waited for his answer, hoping for a result.

After a moment…

Jian Mei reacted and handed her a few tissues, saying softly, “Don’t cry.”

Meng Ting didn’t take them. She was still sitting by the bedside, crying as if she wanted to release all her grievances. Finally, she choked out, “Do you like me?”

This question, of course, didn’t require an answer. But her back was gently patted as if comforting a child. Jian Mei didn’t mind her somewhat absurd and unreasonable crying. He spoke softly, asking, “Class Monitor, what do you like about me?”

Meng Ting was taken aback by the question. She stuttered and finally replied, “Because you’re a good person.”

Jian Mei smiled gently.

Meng Ting suddenly felt a little angry. “Why are you laughing?”

“I’m not good at all.” Jian Mei’s face showed seriousness. “Really.”

Meng Ting countered, “Nonsense. You have a good personality, you’re good at studying, you never lose your temper, and you’re good at taking care of people.”

After hearing her description, Jian Mei didn’t show the expected happiness from being praised. Instead, he shook his head gently. “That’s not true.”

Meng Ting looked at him puzzled.

“I’m not that kind of person.” Jian Mei sat back against the bed and patiently explained, “I also get angry and act childish quite often. I’m bad at studying, often need help with questions, and I’m not good at taking care of people. Look, I’m still in a hospital bed, and I can’t even take care of myself. How can I take care of others?”

Meng Ting choked up and mumbled, “But…”

Jian Mei continued, “Class Monitor, imagine this: if I spend most of my time in a hospital bed, if I’m a poor student, and if I have a strange temper, would you still like me?”

Meng Ting was lost for words. She hadn’t considered these possibilities at all. Jian Mei had always been almost perfect in her heart.

Seeing her hesitation, Jian Mei’s face didn’t show any sign of being hurt. He just concluded, “So, Class Monitor, I don’t think you like me. You like the image of me you’ve seen.”

“In the future, Class Monitor, you’ll meet a boy who’s truly as good as you described. Everyone has their good side, but true liking comes when you accept all their flaws.”

Meng Ting felt that the current Jian Mei seemed somewhat unfamiliar. She always thought of this boy as simple, but now he appeared unexpectedly insightful. This made her suddenly question, “But, Mei Mei, if we’ve been classmates for so long and only seen one side of you, have you met someone who accepts all your flaws?”

The room fell into silence.

“Ding dong.”

The vibration of WeChat interrupted the silence.

Jian Mei picked up his phone and opened WeChat. In the past, he was the one sending messages to Lu Xingwang, and DaZhuang ge always responded calmly, without any special reactions. They hadn’t been in contact for two days this time, and he thought DaZhuang ge wouldn’t feel much about it. However, when he opened WeChat, he saw more than a dozen unread messages. It turned out that when they lost contact, he wasn’t the only one feeling sad.

Translator’s Note-Guys don’t forget to support and comment your views(^-^)