An Earlier Meeting - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The two of them played and chatted for a while.

Wei Qingwen, who had been out and about, finally returned.

She was carrying a large, heavy bag of food, and her face was flushed with excitement.

Huang Xiaozhi had sent her a WeChat message earlier saying that Yu Wen was coming over.

She had been leisurely drinking tea, but she suddenly decided to buy some good ingredients to show off her skills at home—it had been a long time since she had showcased her cooking.

Since Yu Wen was coming over, she had to make a signature dish.

Coincidentally, she also made a detour to buy some nougat crackers.

Ahem, it was just a coincidence that she was passing by, so she bought some on the way.

Wei Qingwen was carrying so many things that she couldn’t open the door. She had to gently kick the door with her foot.

Inside the door, Huang Xiaozhi heard the sound and knew her mother was back. She bounced up and rushed to the door.

When the door opened, she saw Wei Qingwen was slightly out of breath and had a little sweat on her forehead. She quickly and affectionately took some of the bags and nimbly poured a cup of warm water on the table.

Yu Wen also stood up from the sofa and politely greeted, “Hello, Auntie Wei.” Her voice was a little reserved.

“Hello, Wen. Come on in and sit down. Don’t be shy. Auntie will cook something delicious for you two later!” Wei Qingwen showed no sign of fatigue, only an eager passion for cooking. Her eyes were sparkling.

Yu Wen nodded obediently. Her docile demeanor was as if she had instantly switched back to her top-student mode from school.

Huang Xiaozhi, who was standing by, curled her lips in disdain. This girl is using her “good girl” persona again. It’s too cunning!

Yu Wen, who was looking at Wei Qingwen, caught a glimpse of Huang Xiaozhi’s “I’m just going to watch you put on a show” expression out of the corner of her eye. She found it both adorable and funny.

She tried hard to hold back her laughter and turned around, her shoulders suspiciously twitching slightly.

Hmph! Huang Xiaozhi thought. I’ll see what you’re up to.

She put her things down and walked straight to Yu Wen, determined to stare at her face.

As soon as she did, she was hit by a close-up beauty attack. Her mind went blank, and she blurted out, “You’re so pretty.”

The moment the words left her mouth, both of them froze.

Yu Wen, who had been looking down and holding back her laughter, looked up. The somewhat aggressive look in her eyes made Huang Xiaozhi’s cheeks instantly flush red. Awkwardness swept over her body.

Yu Wen crossed her arms, tilted her head, and a mischievous smile played on her lips. “Besides my face, I have a lot of other good qualities. Don’t you like my other qualities?” She deliberately drew out her words. Her beautiful face looked even more striking in the light.

She’s even prettier! But I can’t ignore her face.

Huang Xiaozhi was so mesmerized that she foolishly shook her head.

To Yu Wen, the head shake looked especially silly and cute.

Huang Xiaozhi finally realized what she had done and flusteredly explained, “I know you have a lot of good qualities, and I like them too! Of course, your face… I can’t ignore it!” Her tone was exceptionally firm. How could she ignore such unique beauty? It was impossible!

Yu Wen was so amused by her that she burst out laughing. She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands casually on Huang Xiaozhi’s shoulders, her wrists naturally hanging.

Huang Xiaozhi’s body stiffened from the sudden gesture. She watched with wide eyes as that striking face moved closer. The impact was doubled.

“Then look closely. Take a good look,” Yu Wen said with a captivating smile.

Huang Xiaozhi’s expression immediately became flustered. The blush on her cheeks deepened.

How could she not be shy when someone was staring at her so closely? In this clear view, Yu Wen’s face was aggressively beautiful. Her bone structure and skin were perfect.

Huang Xiaozhi was wailing inside. Although she had some good looks herself, it was more about her skin. How could it compare to her bone structure? Her heart was pounding like it was being hit by a sledgehammer.

Fortunately, Wei Qingwen had already gone back to her room with the ingredients. Otherwise, if she saw this, it would be impossible to explain.

Huang Xiaozhi was stunned for a few seconds before she pretended to be disgusted and pushed Yu Wen’s hands away. “Get lost, get lost! Your eyes look like they’re going to eat me. Don’t look at me like that!” She admitted that she had completely lost and was extremely shy.

Yu Wen took her hands back and stood there calmly.

Huang Xiaozhi, on the other hand, was like a startled rabbit. She immediately turned around and pretended to be busy tidying up the sofa cushions that weren’t even messy, trying to ease the awkwardness.

When people are shy, they always find something to do.

“Cute little one,” Yu Wen thought, looking at her flustered back.

Do I want to eat her? Of course, she did. It would be best to devour her.

But… it’s not time yet.

She stared openly and directly at the “startled rabbit” who didn’t even dare to make eye contact with her. Her eyes were full of mischief.

Amused by the adorable sight, Yu Wen finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Huang Xiaozhi, who was by the sofa, froze. Finally, as if she was angry and embarrassed, she stomped her foot and ran back to her room.

Yu Wen was the only one left in the living room.

She’s “entrusted” the living room to her just like that? Isn’t she afraid she’ll take her things? Yu Wen chuckled. She leisurely walked to Huang Xiaozhi’s room. Just as she was about to raise her hand to knock, a “click” sound came from inside, and the door opened.

Again, they were face to face unexpectedly. Inside the door was a rabbit that looked a little fluffy and seemed ready to pounce and bite.

Yu Wen couldn’t explain why she was in such a good mood today. Seeing Huang Xiaozhi like this, her smile deepened.

In fact, Huang Xiaozhi had wanted to go back to her room to calm down and think about how to “get back” at Yu Wen. She didn’t expect her to follow her to the door. It really startled her.

“Ah… ahahaha…” Huang Xiaozhi laughed a few times, trying to hide her embarrassment. “How about… you come to my room and get some sleep?” The moment the words left her mouth, she wanted to bite her tongue off. She quickly patted her mouth with her hand. “No, no, no, it’s not what you think! Come in and sit down, haha, sit down!” The more she tried to explain, the more she messed up. It felt like the air was frozen.

Yu Wen didn’t say anything. She just looked at her calmly, as if her eyes were saying, if your tongue is tied, don’t force yourself to talk. Let’s see what crazy things you’ll say.

“Sit down and do what?” Yu Wen raised an eyebrow, deliberately asking slowly.

… See?! The misunderstanding is getting bigger! Huang Xiaozhi wailed internally.

“No, no, no! I mean, come in and rest! My mom is going to cook soon, and she’ll be playing music. It’ll be very noisy!” She spoke quickly out of panic, and her face became even redder.

“Oh—” Yu Wen deliberately drew out the last syllable, her face showing a “what a shame” look of disappointment. “Then can I come in now?”

“Of course, of course! You must! Come, come, come!” Huang Xiaozhi was as if she had been granted a great pardon. She quickly moved aside to let her in and didn’t forget to instruct, “Close the door.” Her tone carried a familiarity that she herself didn’t even notice.

Yu Wen closed the door as she was told and curiously looked around the bedroom. The decor was simple but exuded warmth everywhere.

There were a few framed paintings on the wall. Some were abstract works. One of them had half a face, and the lines were blurry but had a familiar feeling.

She walked closer, stopping to look at the painting.

Huang Xiaozhi, who was not far away, knew what she was thinking and couldn’t help but say, “Don’t look at it. Isn’t it better to look at the real person?” Her voice had a helpless laugh.

The words clearly reached Yu Wen’s ears. It’s her? No wonder it looked familiar.

The painting style was very unique. But… what sane person paints an abstract self-portrait? Only she would. Yu Wen understood and smiled. She took a few steps to the beanbag chair and sank into it.

Her long legs had nowhere to go, so they stretched out casually, forming a prominent sight in front of Huang Xiaozhi.

The more Huang Xiaozhi looked, the more she felt that this girl was showing off, but in reality, she was just making herself comfortable.

She sat on the edge of the bed, quietly cracking sunflower seeds, trying to ignore the faint awkwardness in the air. I should have… just locked her out.

The “surveillance camera” on the beanbag chair was completely oblivious. Her eyes were burning as she watched Huang Xiaozhi cracking sunflower seeds. Her focused expression was as if she was appreciating some rare treasure.

“A cute chipmunk,” Yu Wen thought.

Huang Xiaozhi was finally so uncomfortable from the overly intense gaze that she put down the plate of sunflower seeds. She looked up at the “innocent” person on the sofa and tried to put on a serious face. “Stop looking at me! You’re staring so much that it’s harassment!” She tried to be serious, but to Yu Wen, her slightly puffed cheeks and shimmering eyes only made her look even more adorable.

Yu Wen on the sofa seemed to not understand the word “harassment.” She slowly asked back, “Didn’t you tell me to look at the real person?” Her tone was very innocent.

Huang Xiaozhi immediately got fired up. She leaned forward. “I told you to look, so you’re just going to stare?! Fine, fine, fine, you can look. You might as well stick your face to mine and look!” She was so in love with looking. Why didn’t she just put her eyes on her?

“Are you angry?” Yu Wen blinked, a little mischievous. “Then I won’t look at you. I’ll look at the sunflower seeds.” She paused, and her tone became serious. “But I have to politely decline my deskmate’s request to stick my face to hers.”

This serious rejection almost made Huang Xiaozhi choke.

“No, no, no! I’m not that petty!” Huang Xiaozhi took a deep breath, as if she had convinced herself. “You can look. It’s fine.” She picked up the sunflower seed plate again and resigned herself to cracking them, trying to ignore the constant gaze.

Yu Wen’s gaze indeed didn’t leave her. Looking at the girl with her head down, cracking sunflower seeds, her mind wandered.

Little Huang Xiaozhi and the current one didn’t have much change in appearance, but inside, they felt like two different people. Something must have happened in between. It wasn’t about her father; it was something else.

She felt that Huang Xiaozhi had something on her mind, like a rock at the bottom of a lake. It would pop up from time to time and then quickly be pushed back down, repeating the cycle.

Yu Wen on the beanbag chair, her eyes gradually became more inquisitive.

What is it that you’re hiding in your heart? Why are you so wrapped up? But at this moment, her greater curiosity was, “Is there anything you don’t know how to do?” This question broke the silence in the room.

Huang Xiaozhi, who was cracking sunflower seeds on the bed, paused. She looked at her quickly. “Yes, a lot. After all, I’m not a genius, right?” Her tone was a little self-deprecating.

Yu Wen shook her head disapprovingly. She felt that Huang Xiaozhi was like a walking encyclopedia. There seemed to be nothing she didn’t know. “Aren’t you a genius?” She asked directly, her tone firm.

When it came to this, Huang Xiaozhi got excited. She pushed the sunflower seed plate aside, moved to the edge of the bed, closer to Yu Wen, and tilted her head. Her face had a sly smile. “Why don’t you say you’re a top genius?” Her gaze met Yu Wen’s directly.

Yu Wen didn’t avoid her gaze at all. Their two gazes collided in the air, with an indescribable hint of rivalry. “I don’t think I’ve ever denied that I’m a genius?” Her tone was flat, with a hint of a matter-of-fact attitude.

Just as Huang Xiaozhi was about to retort, Yu Wen beat her to it. Her tone carried a hint of an almost unnoticeable fatigue, and she naturally took off her shoes. “Can I borrow your bed for a while? I’m a little tired.” She did look a little weary.

Huang Xiaozhi nodded. That mischievous, “I’m-going-to-watch-a-show” smile appeared on her face again. “Go ahead and sleep. I’m very generous. But… don’t you have any sense of danger?” Her mischief was almost overflowing.

“What do you mean?” Yu Wen was already lying down. She pulled a corner of the blanket over her, closed her eyes, and her voice was a little muffled. “What danger? Are you going to eat me?” She accurately saw through Huang Xiaozhi’s joke and even had a hint of turning the tables on her.

…

Huang Xiaozhi was instantly speechless. Her cheeks started to feel hot again.

How… how was she supposed to respond to that?!

Neither of them spoke again. Huang Xiaozhi still sat on the edge of the bed, while Yu Wen lay quietly on her bed. Her breathing gradually became even and long, and she seemed to have fallen asleep very quickly.

Looking at her closed eyes and slightly tired sleeping face, the playful expression on Huang Xiaozhi’s face disappeared, replaced by a clear heartache. Her brows were slightly furrowed.

She stood up softly, feeling that she should leave the space for her to rest well.

Before leaving, she looked back at the sleeping Yu Wen on the bed. Her gaze swept over the abstract self-portrait of half a face on the wall. Her eyes were complex.

“Click—” The door was gently closed. Only Yu Wen was left in the room.

Perhaps she was really exhausted.

Or perhaps, she just wanted to be alone in this safe space with a familiar scent to sort out her chaotic thoughts. Huang Xiaozhi’s bedding had a faint, reassuring scent that was hard to distinguish—whether it was the smell of laundry detergent or the girl’s own warm scent.

Yu Wen took a deep breath. Her tense nerves were miraculously relaxed, and her consciousness quickly sank into darkness—this was the fast and sound sleep she hadn’t had in a long time.

Huang Xiaozhi didn’t go to the living room. She turned and walked into her mother’s room.

Wei Qingwen was leaning against the headboard… playing a game?!

Huang Xiaozhi’s eyes went wide. When did her mother learn to do this? Did she study it because she was bored at home? Forget it, whatever makes her happy.

Huang Xiaozhi didn’t think much of it and threw herself onto Wei Qingwen’s bed, splaying out in a big “X” shape.

“What are you doing? Get off, get off. You’re blocking my screen!” Wei Qingwen’s voice came from her right, with a hint of annoyance at being disturbed.

Am I being disliked? Huang Xiaozhi pouted. She hadn’t even made a sound! Heh, she refused to move and just lay there.

Fortunately, Wei Qingwen’s game had just ended.

She neatly turned off her phone and put it aside. She reached out and touched her daughter’s cheek, her tone softening. “What’s wrong? Where’s Little Yu? Did she go home?”

Her daughter rarely came to her room to cuddle unless something was wrong or she was in a bad mood.

“She’s resting in my room,” Huang Xiaozhi said with her eyes closed, resting her head on her mother’s soft legs. Her voice was muffled.

“Mm.” Wei Qingwen responded softly, her fingers running through her daughter’s hair. “Then what do you need me for?”

Huang Xiaozhi opened her eyes and looked at her mother, who was very close.

On that familiar face, there were already fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and she could even see a few glaring silver hairs at her temples—all signs of hard work over the years. Her heart ached.

“Mom,” her voice was a little softer. “Do you know about the Zhang family in City H? You must, right?”

When she asked this, she was nervous, afraid that her mother would tell her to stay away from Yu Wen, as she had expected.

Wei Qingwen’s hand didn’t stop. Her tone was calm. “I know them. Why are you suddenly asking about this? Is it related to them?”

She didn’t have a good impression of the Zhang family in City H, but they had worked together before.

Huang Xiaozhi slowly spoke, with a hint of cautious probing. “Yu Wen… she’s the second adopted daughter of the Zhang family in City H. Did you know that?”

When Wei Qingwen heard this, her hand paused almost imperceptibly.

She really didn’t know this information.

A hint of surprise flashed in her heart, but she didn’t show it on her face. She just asked, “So what if she’s the second adopted daughter of the Zhang family?” Her principle was to respect her daughter’s friendships, as long as the person had good character.

“We actually met Yu Wen when we were kids,” Huang Xiaozhi’s voice was even lower.

Wei Qingwen began to try and remember. When did we meet? She didn’t have any specific memories.

Until Huang Xiaozhi said, “Eight years ago, when I was nine. We were invited to Auntie Li Qian’s house. The little girl on the second-floor staircase who was wearing an old dress and had her head down… that was her, that was Yu Wen.” She paused and added, “Actually… that wasn’t the first time.”

A flash of memory shot through Wei Qingwen’s mind—that time they visited, her daughter was indeed distracted and kept looking upstairs.

When she followed her gaze, she only saw a thin figure rushing away, and the hem of her skirt was a little worn.

The memory instantly became clear.

“She…” Wei Qingwen’s voice sank, carrying a hint of an almost unnoticeable sigh. “She… didn’t have a good life there, did she?” The brief impression and Yu Wen’s identity now connected. The answer was almost self-evident—beneath the surface glamour, there were probably unknown hardships.

“No, she didn’t,” Huang Xiaozhi’s voice trembled a little, as if she was back in that dream. “I had a dream… I dreamed that a man was hitting her with a stick… It was so scary…” The coldness from that scene seemed to still linger.

“That’s just a dream, dear,” Wei Qingwen’s hand gently stroked the top of her head, trying to comfort her. But her brows also furrowed slightly. “Now that you mention it, I remember more. I was indeed not at the Zhang family’s for the first time. The first time… Yu Wen was the one who poured me water. That child… she looked so pitiful at the time.” She sighed. They were two girls of similar age, but their destinies were completely different.

Huang Xiaozhi didn’t say anything else. She just snuggled closer to her mother, absorbing the warmth and stability, as if she wanted to drive away the gloom in her heart.

Wei Qingwen’s hand that was stroking her daughter’s hair suddenly stopped, as if she had been hit by a sudden memory fragment. Her eyes became distant and serious.

“Wait… logically, your first meeting shouldn’t have been that time,” her voice had a certainty that came from a distant memory. “It should have been… earlier.”

Earlier? Huang Xiaozhi looked up in confusion. How much earlier? Did they know each other in the womb or something?

“How much earlier?”

Wei Qingwen was lost in her memory, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the bedsheet. “Around… when you were one or two years old. At that time, our Wei family and your grandparents’ Yu family had a very deep business relationship with the Yu family in City H. I remember there was a large family gathering, and everyone went…” Her gaze went to an old bookshelf in the corner of the room. “Yes, there’s a big group photo. It’s in that old blue velvet album outside. Go get it.”

Huang Xiaozhi’s heart inexplicably sped up. They had met so early? The first group photo was from such a long time ago?

She almost jumped up and ran to the bookshelf. She carefully took out the heavy, slightly worn blue velvet album and brought it back to her mother.

Wei Qingwen took the album. Her fingertips were filled with nostalgia as she flipped through the pages.

The yellowing photos recorded the passing of time. As she flipped, childhood photos of Huang Xiaozhi, a young Wei Qingwen, and kind grandparents… everything reappeared.

Finally, she stopped at a page.

In the photo, it was a group picture of two big families. The background looked like a beautiful garden. Wei Qingwen pointed at the photo. “These two in the front are your grandparents. Mom is holding you, sitting on the side.” The person in the photo was young and bright, holding a delicate little baby in her arms.

Huang Xiaozhi’s gaze had already been drawn to the family standing behind Wei Qingwen.

A couple with outstanding气质, and a small, quiet little girl in a delicate dress stood in the middle.

“This uncle and aunt standing behind us are Yu Wen’s biological parents,” Wei Qingwen’s voice was filled with deep nostalgia. “Her father’s name was Yu Hunshu. He was a very humorous and kind-hearted entrepreneur. And this aunt here,”

Her fingertip gently pointed at the gentle and beautiful woman. “Her name was Yun Chengdie. She was a famous drama actress in City A back then! After that gathering, Sister Yun and I hit it off and became very good friends.” Wei Qingwen’s lips curved into a warm smile, but her eyes gradually became misty. “You could say that we were not only business partners but also had a very close personal relationship.”

Her voice became low, with a heavy sense of regret. “But… good times don’t last. A few years later, the bad news came… their family of three was in a serious car accident.” Wei Qingwen took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. “Yu Hunshu… died on the spot. Sister Yun… she used her body to protect Little Yu Wen and was seriously injured… Later, she disappeared. There was no body, no trace of her.”

The room was silent, with only Wei Qingwen’s choked voice. “At that time… I used all my connections to investigate. I sent people to check the scene, the accident reports, all possible clues… but…”

She shook her head painfully, her fingers tightly gripping the edge of the album. “It was completely clean. No suspicious points could be found! It was as if an invisible hand had wiped away all the traces! At that time… I really felt so useless! Sister Yun treated me like her own sister, but I couldn’t even… even find her final whereabouts…” Large tears finally rolled down, dripping onto the plastic film of the album.

“In the end… I could only… only give up.” These three words were exceptionally difficult for her to say, filled with a sense of powerlessness.

“The most pitiful one… was that child.”

Wei Qingwen’s gaze fell on the little Yu Wen in the photo, filled with pity. “When I got to the scene… there was no one left. In the official report later… only Yu Hunshu’s body was confirmed. Yun Chengdie and Yu Wen… just disappeared out of thin air…”

She couldn’t continue. She lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly. She closed the album that carried both beauty and sorrow. Tears blurred her vision.

“If I had… if I hadn’t given up on finding that child back then…”

Wei Qingwen’s voice was shattered, filled with deep self-blame. “Maybe she… wouldn’t have suffered so much?”

Thinking back to the vague familiarity and doubts she had when she first met Yu Wen, this self-blame was even more heartbreaking.

Huang Xiaozhi sat up and hugged her mother’s slightly trembling body with force. Her voice was firm. “Mom, it’s not your fault! You were good friends, just like she and I are now. What does that mean? It means the Yu family in City H and our connection in City A have always been there! And,” her eyes became sharp, “I believe that one day, the truth will come to light!”

Wei Qingwen leaned in her daughter’s arms, trying to look up and force back her tears. Listening to her daughter’s firm words, a faint light finally appeared in her gloomy eyes. She pulled a difficult, tear-stained smile.

“Good…” She tightly held her daughter’s hand with her other hand, her voice filled with a determination of breaking the caldron and sinking the boats. “It will come to light.”

It would.

It definitely would.

If the wicked could truly get away with their crimes forever, then who would give justice to those innocent lives?

The official report only stated one person died, but in reality, on that night, a happy family of three was completely crushed.

If even the police were bribed and misled… a cold light flashed in Wei Qingwen’s eyes. In this era, power could sometimes turn black into white.

Behind the suspiciously clean investigation results of the car accident back then, there must have been a huge, dark hand pulling the strings.

Time… had indeed passed for too long.

But would the long-dormant injustice and darkness truly… never see the light of day? Would the truth that was forcibly covered up truly never have a day to be revealed?

Wei Qingwen hugged her daughter, looking at the deep twilight outside the window. The long-dormant thought in her heart, like a frozen seed, quietly cracked open under her daughter’s determined gaze.