After the Early-Deceased White Moonlight of a Wealthy Family Returns (GL) - Chapter 50

After messaging Meng Xi, Meng Dongdong tossed her phone onto the pillow and buried her head irritably into the blankets. After only a few moments of shut-eye, her phone rang. Her nerves began to throb, and a wave of “waking-up rage” surged in her temples, making her extremely displeased.

This single phone call had interrupted all the “pre-sleep rituals” she needed to drift back off.

“Hello,” Meng Dongdong said impatiently without even opening her eyes. “Who is it? It’s early morning—what do you want?”

“Didn’t sleep well last night?”

The voice sounded very familiar. Meng Dongdong paused, asking half a beat late, “Ji Lan?”

“Mhm, it’s me.”

Meng Dongdong picked up the phone and rolled over, pulling the quilt tighter around her. “What.”

She indeed hadn’t slept well last night; she had stayed up until dawn just thinking about Ji Lan. Once the sun rose, her body finally gave out, and she had instinctively passed out.

Talk about a narrow road for enemies.

It was bad enough that the woman had been crashing through her mind all night without regard for the law, making it impossible to sleep, but now she was coming for her soul in broad daylight? Plus, considering Ji Lan’s reaction yesterday and her attitude toward Shen You’an, Meng Dongdong felt annoyed no matter how she looked at it.

“Calling so early… anyone would think you’re calling to report a funeral.”

Ji Lan didn’t get angry, laughing on the other end of the line. “It sounds like you really didn’t sleep well.”

“Should you go back to sleep? I can call back later?”

Meng Dongdong rolled her eyes hard, making no effort to hide her irritation. “Are you crazy, Ji Lan? You’ve already woken me up—how am I supposed to ‘go back to sleep’? If you have something to say, say it. Don’t beat around the bush.”

“Alright,” Ji Lan said. “Haven’t you been pestering me to go racing at Hejia Mountain? I’m free today, so I wanted to ask if you want to go. If so, I’ll give the racetrack a heads-up so they can get things ready.”

Meng Dongdong: “Hejia Mountain!”

Her sleep-deprived brain, which previously felt like it weighed fifty pounds, suddenly felt light. “Truly?”

“Mhm.”

“I—” Meng Dongdong stopped the “yes” that was about to slip out and let out a huff, putting on an air of temper. “A weasel doesn’t visit a chicken with good intentions. Ji Lan, what are you up to?”

Ji Lan: “I’ve been wanting to ask since just now—since when did you stop being willing to call me ‘Auntie’?”

Meng Dongdong: “…No aunt would do the things you do!”

Ji Lan: “What things?”

Meng Dongdong: “Stop playing dumb with me. Why were you losing your temper at An-jie last night? Do you have any idea how embarrassed you made me feel?”

“…” Ji Lan’s voice paused on the other end. “I actually called today because I wanted to apologize to you for that.”

“Oh…”

O.o

Meng Dongdong’s anger dissipated by half at those words, but her reason told her she couldn’t let it go that easily.

“The person you should apologize to isn’t me,” Meng Dongdong said.

“I understand,” Ji Lan spoke. “So, I’ve already spoken to Su Wu and your friend.”

“That’s more like it.” Meng Dongdong was somewhat satisfied, but then it hit her. “Wait a second, I’m the last one? Ji Lan! I’m your little niece!”

“So you’re willing to claim me as your aunt now?”

“…” Meng Dongdong knew she couldn’t win an argument with this woman and dryly squeezed out a “Goodbye” before hanging up the phone with a thud.

Ji Lan wasn’t annoyed, sending a message to ask: So, are you going to Hejia Mountain or not?

King Dongdong: What time are you picking me up?

He & Mountain Wind: Send me a message after lunch, and I’ll head out.

King Dongdong: ok

After a while, she asked again.

King Dongdong: My mom asked if you want to come over for lunch? She prepared a lot of dishes today.

He & Mountain Wind: No need, but thank my Sister Meng for me.

King Dongdong: Fine.

King Dongdong: Are you eating alone?

He & Mountain Wind: There’s a family gathering at the Ji house.

King Dongdong: 1

“Mom, Auntie said she isn’t coming,” Meng Dongdong said, standing by the kitchen and calling out to her mother busy inside.

Meng Jiaxin finished slicing the vegetables and picked up a cucumber slice; Meng Dongdong cooperatively opened her mouth, and the refreshing cucumber fell in. Her mom had learned a new dish online: Sprite-marinated cucumbers. When she first heard the name, she thought it was a “dark” dish, but surprisingly, she was won over by the strange texture from the first bite.

“More,” she said, clutching her phone to reply to the messages she didn’t have time for yesterday.

Meng Jiaxin chided her: “Staring at that phone all day long, be careful of ‘tech neck.’ Don’t take it lightly; I saw on a health channel that a forward neck posture affects the whole body. Neck and shoulder pain, upper back pain, and what was it… oh, a dowager’s hump, double chin, spinal deformation, and dizziness.”

Despite the lecturing, Meng Jiaxin’s hands didn’t stop. Anything that could be tasted immediately, she fed to Meng Dongdong.

Meng Dongdong chewed the tender roasted goose, swallowed, straightened her chest, and raised her hands so her line of sight was parallel to the screen. “Mom, is this enough to stop the forward neck?”

Meng Xi came downstairs to scavenge for food. Seeing her sister’s clown-like posture, she mocked: “Meng Dongdong, that’s not something you need to worry about.”

“Oh really? My posture is pretty good, right? After all, I studied dance when I was little.”

“You did—two lessons of folk dance, one of Latin, and the moment the ballet teacher told you to point your toes, you threw a fit and quit.” Meng Xi exposed her without mercy.

Meng Dongdong: “…”

Meng Xi: “You don’t even have a neck, Meng Yuanyuan. Don’t worry about it.”

Meng Dongdong screamed: “Shut up!”

Meng Xi made a face at her.

Meng Dongdong stamped her feet in rage and turned to act spoiled to Meng Jiaxin to complain: “Mom, look at her! She’s bullying me again!”

Meng Xi self-defended: “Ms. Meng Jiaxin, you must distinguish right from wrong, be fair and just. Tell me, which part of what I said isn’t the truth?”

Meng Jiaxin put on her oven mitts and chased the bickering sisters out of the kitchen together: “Go, go, go! I’m baking pizza. If you stay any longer, I’ll bake you two along with it!”

The kitchen door slammed shut.

Meng Dongdong: “…”

Meng Xi: “…”

Shen Huaijin finished packing her things and came downstairs, planning to say goodbye to her aunt before leaving, but was pressed to stay and eat before going.

“It’s just some casual home cooking. Xiao Shen, try some later and see if it suits your taste.” Meng Jiaxin smiled very gently at Shen Huaijin.

Meng Dongdong looked at her as if she’d seen a ghost: “Mom, you know her?”

“This is your Sister Huaijin,” Meng Jiaxin said. “Your sister’s old friend. They’ve been in the same schools since kindergarten.”

Meng Dongdong had no impression: “How come I don’t remember?”

“You spent your childhood chasing after Ji Lan; what could you possibly remember?” Meng Xi insulted. “Besides, I studied away from home after elementary school, so you didn’t see her much.”

“Yes, even I only saw her a few times, mostly when I went to your school to find you,” Meng Jiaxin said. “Huaijin, it’s been a long time. How are your mom and sister? Speaking of which, your sister should be about the same age as our Dongdong.”

“Mom.” Meng Xi shook her head at Meng Jiaxin.

Meng Jiaxin went quiet. But her mouth clearly couldn’t stay idle. Since she couldn’t gossip about Shen Huaijin, she brought up something else: “Xixi, Dongdong, let me tell you—your Auntie Lan has been dealing with some things lately. If she needs help with anything, give her a hand. That child has never liked telling me about these things since she was little, and you guys are closer in age, especially you, Xixi.”

“Mom, what things?” Meng Dongdong was peeling a shrimp, but hearing this, her index finger (with a fresh manicure) snapped the shrimp’s head right off.

“What else could it be? It’s the Ji family,” Meng Xi interjected. “Old Su and I both heard that the old geezer of the Ji family suddenly brought back a son from outside and wants Auntie Lan to enter a political marriage—”

The shrimp in Meng Dongdong’s hand fell into the vinegar dish.

“Look at you, spacing out?” Meng Jiaxin gave her a look of mock disgust, helped her pick up the shrimp, put it in her bowl, and wiped her vinegar-stained hand with a tissue.

“Doesn’t the Ji family have a grandchild? Still at our school?” Meng Dongdong asked.

Meng Jiaxin was dismissive: “Who knows? Anyway, that one is troubled. Back then, the Ji family offended so many people, and it was Lan who worked herself to the bone to pivot them into legitimate business. Now that they’re finally on the right track, the old man wants to ‘kill the donkey after the harvest’.”

“I thought about inviting Auntie to dinner yesterday because I felt she hadn’t been living peacefully lately and wanted her to relax. She did drink a lot last night.” Meng Xi recalled, “It seems things are quite troublesome.”

As Meng Xi and Meng Jiaxin talked about the Ji family’s industrial transformation, Meng Dongdong couldn’t understand any of it. She peeled the shrimp numbly, ruthlessly processing the “corpses,” thinking: How did I not know anything?

Shen Huaijin didn’t know much about these things either; she had been away from this circle for too long. To be precise, she had never integrated into the Chens City circle. After the accident, the Shen family moved from their previous residence to Chens City, which was Meng Xi’s hometown.

She listened quietly, occasionally joining the discussion. Meng Xi was right about one thing: she should think about what she could do in the future. In these ten years, she had let Shen family affairs slide and focused on travel, opening a small extreme sports company centered abroad. Now that she was back, many things needed a new plan. Actually, if Xiao An were willing to go abroad with her, things would be much easier. But clearly, Xiao An had no such intention for now, and the things Su Wu mentioned on the ship that day truly made her suspicious.

“Xiao Shen, why are you spacing out too?” Meng Jiaxin greeted her warmly. “Eat, eat. If the food isn’t to your taste, tell me; there are other chefs at home who can make something else.”

“No, no, Auntie. Your cooking is delicious; it tastes like home!” Shen Huaijin was being serious. From before she even came downstairs, hearing Meng Xi and Meng Dongdong bickering and Meng Jiaxin teasing them, she felt a bit of bittersweet envy. This “taste of home” was something she hadn’t seen, tasted, or felt in many years.

“If you like it, come often.” Meng Jiaxin laughed generously. “It’s been a long time since we had news of you, and she didn’t mention it either. She’s still close with the Su girl; when I went to see her at school, you three were always together. I didn’t dare ask Xixi what happened between you, but I know she was very depressed for a while, and the Su girl was too.”

“I might sound like a nagging elder, but I still want to say it. Xiao Shen, and you, Xixi. When you reach my age, you’ll realize that friends become fewer and fewer.”

“There aren’t many who can walk such a long way together like you; you must cherish it. Regardless of what you encounter later—whether you marry, have children, or what choices you make—you must always have friends by your side.”

Shen Huaijin hadn’t heard an elder speak from the heart like this in a long time. She lowered her head and gave an “mhm”: “Auntie, thank you. I understand.”

Meng Xi huffed: “Hear that? Shen Huaijin, you’d better cherish a friend like me!”

Shen Huaijin put a slice of pizza onto Meng Xi’s plate.

Meng Xi smiled triumphantly and added: “Old Su is handling business this afternoon. Shall I take you to find her? It was the three of us back then; shouldn’t it be the same now?”

Shen Huaijin smiled: “Just eat. Can’t the food even plug your mouth?”