Meng Po Gave Her a Bowl of Soup (GL) - Chapter 10

Xu Ruying suffered from insomnia.

Because of Wanyue’s words, she couldn’t sleep all night, tossing and turning, tortured by various inner struggles.

In recent days, she had witnessed Wanyue’s grief and pain firsthand and saw how she took care of Huang Lan after Xiao Mingyu’s dead.

She had initially thought that without her, Wanyue would be helpless, crying alone and unable to manage anything.

But now, it seemed she was mistaken.

Though not very skilled,

Wanyue was gradually learning. Xu Ruying believed that with Wanyue’s intelligence, she would eventually become independent.

Perhaps, this is how human connections work in the world.

Even if one is reluctant and finds it hard to let go, in the end, it will cool down like bones buried beneath the earth.

Perhaps, it truly proves the saying—no one is indispensable.

So why did she come back?

Until around three in the morning, Xu Ruying felt that she had finally managed to get some fitful, uneasy sleep.

During this brief moment, she had a dream.

In the dream, there were vast fields of bright red flowers, their petals trailing like human hearts—fresh and vivid.

At that moment, she was not Xu Ruying but Mingyu.

She felt herself floating high above, looking down from afar. To her surprise, she actually saw Xu Ruying.

It was the real Xu Ruying, not the Xu Ruying of her own soul.

Xu Ruying stood idly next to Meng Po, wearing a long black robe reminiscent of ancient heroes. She exuded a powerful aura, unlike any human malignancy. Her hands were clasped behind her, her impatience clear as she watched Meng Po simmering soup. Meng Po, seemingly accustomed to her annoyance, stirred the soup slowly, “Have you learned how to make it?”

Xu Ruying raised an eyebrow, her features sharp, “Why do you always have to teach me? I already know how to do it.”

Meng Po smiled, lifting her head, her silver hair radiating an intimidating aura, “The underworld is different from the human world. No mistakes can be tolerated.”

Xu Ruying’s slender fingers reached out, glumly taking the spoon from Meng Po and stirring the soup, “How long do I have to stay this time?”

“One year.”

Meng Po’s tone was indifferent as she looked at her, “You used to search for lovesick people in the human world and fulfilled their wishes. I have never seen you so concerned before. What’s wrong now?”

“How could it be the same?” Xu Ruying said quietly, “You didn’t see how deep their feelings were. We agreed, Ancestor, that after this task, I need a long vacation. If there are any changes a year later, you’ll have to find someone else to help you with the soup.”

Meng Po clasped her hands behind her, “We’ll talk about it then.”

With that, she raised her eyes, smiling faintly as she looked towards the horizon.

But just with that glance,

Mingyu felt as if her floating body was forcefully pulled back like a sudden jolt.

She suddenly sat up in bed, drenched in sweat.

Breathing heavily, she calmed down for a long time, slowly raising a hand to touch her face, the hope shattering like a fleeting dream.

It was still Xu Ruying’s body.

This was not a dream.

She was truly dead.

In recent days, Xu Ruying’s sleep had been restless. Several times she woke up, unsure if she was still alive, or if it was just a cruel joke from the heavens. When she reached out to touch the empty bedside, her heart was covered in desolation.

At this hour, Xu Ruying couldn’t sleep either. She wrapped herself in a blanket, got up, and started searching on her computer.

Recalling the dream, she compared it for a long time and finally found the bright red flowers that resembled a heart.

They were known as spider lilies.

Xu Ruying found the description in Buddhist scriptures—spider lilies, blooming for a thousand years, falling for a thousand years, with petals and leaves never meeting again. Love is not bound by causality, and fate determines life and death.

She mechanically clicked the mouse, staring at the blood-red flowers, feeling a dull ache in her chest.

Old people often say that dreams shouldn’t be taken literally; they are usually the result of daydreaming and nightly reflections.

She had wondered many times these days about where Xu Ruying had gone.

Perhaps thinking too much had led to such a disturbing scene?

How could Xu Ruying be standing beside Meng Po, chatting like old acquaintances? And she kept calling her Ancestor…

Unable to find an answer, Xu Ruying shook her head vigorously. She glanced at the clock—it was already five in the morning.

By six, Huang Lan would get up and inevitably head to the market to buy vegetables.

And Wanyue would get up to tidy the room, no longer lazily staying in bed as she used to. Perhaps she would even learn to cook for herself.

In the future, she would learn many things.

Her girl was stronger than she imagined.

Fortunately,

Wanyue quickly broke her confusion.

Xu Ruying had changed into her clothes, ready to head out and “coincidentally” meet Huang Lan at the market. But unexpectedly, as soon as she opened the door, she saw a small figure huddled outside.

It was Wanyue.

Xu Ruying’s heart skipped a beat.

Wanyue was crouching there, holding her phone, her long black hair cascading down her white, slender neck. Her delicate ears were endearing. Hearing the noise, she looked up at Xu Ruying with a slightly dazed expression, her eyes misty.

“You…”

Xu Ruying hesitated, realizing that Wanyue had forgotten her house key.

In the past, Wanyue often forgot her house key, especially in the mornings. Sometimes Mingyu would buy breakfast for her and see her sitting there looking pitiful, Wanyue would pout and complain, “I heard you leaving and ran after you, but forgot my key.”

Mingyu would always find it both heartwarming and amusing, and after a few times, she placed a spare key in a secret spot on the shoe rack by the door.

The third row, second pair of pink shoes, where the spare key could be found.

But Xu Ruying couldn’t ask Wanyue why she didn’t use the spare key; if she did, it would be a giveaway.

“I can’t get back into the house.”

Wanyue’s voice was very soft, her head lowered, biting her lip, “She didn’t come to pick me up.”

In the past, when Mingyu saw her, she would always bend down to hug her, affectionately call her “silly girl,” and take her home. Sometimes, when no one was around in the hallway, Mingyu would even give her a princess carry.

That was Wanyue’s little happiness; she loved resting her head on Mingyu’s shoulder and enjoying the faint lemon scent from her.

Mingyu liked drinking lemon tea and eating lemons, and even her shampoo and body wash were lemon-scented.

And as Wanyue put it, Mingyu seemed to have no taste buds for sour flavors; no matter how sour something was, she didn’t seem to notice.

After a moment of silence, trying to suppress her heartache, Xu Ruying said lightly, “Why don’t you come to my place for a while?”

Wanyue had been squatting for too long and almost fell when she stood up due to her numb legs. Xu Ruying helped her up, and Wanyue looked into her eyes.

Xu Ruying didn’t meet her gaze, instead leading her into her home.

After Wanyue arrived, Xu Ruying tidied up a bit. Mingyu was very skilled at housework; if she wanted to clean, the house would definitely be spotless.

However, the place didn’t have many belongings, mostly left by the landlord.

Though it was called a home, it felt more like a temporary lodging, as if the owner planned not to stay long.

“Would you like some tea?”

Xu Ruying looked at Wanyue. She knew Wanyue didn’t like tea. Wanyue preferred sweet things like Wangzai milk, which was typically for kids. Even if it was tea, she’d rather have milk tea. She had even justified it to Mingyu, saying that sweet foods made life feel happier.

Wanyue shook her head. “No, thank you.”

She lifted her hand, “Could I charge my phone?”

Her phone was out of battery.

Xu Ruying looked at her with some helplessness. With her phone almost dead, and if Huang Lan didn’t come soon, would she have to wait indefinitely?

In fact, Xu Ruying misunderstood Wanyue.

Wanyue wasn’t out of battery because she forgot to charge her phone.

It was because she had woken up in a daze that morning. Hearing the sound of the door opening, she had a fleeting illusion that the happy, simple days had returned, so she chased after it.

Huang Lan had gotten up early today. She had recently noticed a pattern and discovered that if she could catch the first wave of vegetable trucks that arrived at dawn, prices were the cheapest.

The older generation was frugal to the core. Even though Wanyue repeatedly told her that money wasn’t a problem and even showed her the bank book, Huang Lan still adhered to her habits of saving.

Wanyue squatted at the door, knowing that all this was just a dream.

Mingyu wasn’t coming back.

Yet she couldn’t stop herself from repeatedly calling Mingyu.

Until the battery was completely drained.

Mingyu didn’t answer.

Although she was angry inside,

Outwardly, Xu Ruying remained unchanged. She took the phone and nodded, “Okay.”

There was an outlet in the living room. Xu Ruying fetched a charger, bent down, and plugged in Wanyue’s phone.

At the moment the phone was connected, the screen lit up, showing a photo of Xiao Mingyu and Song Wanyue.

It was a picture from their school days.

Xiao Mingyu had a ponytail, smiling demurely at the camera, while Wanyue looked much livelier, her sunny smile radiant, playfully making a peace sign over Mingyu’s head.

It had been over a decade.

Wanyue had changed many phones since then.

But her screensaver had never changed.

At that moment, Xu Ruying felt as if her heart were being scorched by sulfuric acid. Wanyue observed Xu Ruying with a calm demeanor and then looked at the tea she had brewed on the table.

It wasn’t lemon tea.

It was plain pu-erh tea.

That was the flavor Mingyu disliked the most. Besides the aftertaste, she always felt pu-erh was somewhat sweet overall.

Turning around, Xu Ruying met Wanyue’s gaze and gently asked, “Would you like something to eat?”

Wanyue shook her head. “No, I’m not hungry. Thank you.”

In her haste, she was wearing only a white silk nightgown, which Mingyu loved. It felt particularly good, cool like silk, and it accentuated Wanyue’s graceful figure, fitting snugly against her curves.

How could she skip breakfast?

Xu Ruying frowned slightly, then thought for a moment. “I have drinks at home—Coke, Sprite, Zero Fat Yuanqi Forest, and Wangzai milk. What would you like?”

She listed a few items to set up for the final one.

“I don’t like carbonated drinks,” Wanyue said, looking at her. Though her dark eyes were calm, Xu Ruying felt uneasy under her gaze and went to open the refrigerator. She knew Wanyue wanted Wangzai milk, but just as Xu Ruying grabbed it, she heard Wanyue’s soft voice.

“I don’t like Wangzai milk either. It’s very childish.”

Xu Ruying: “…”

Stumbling slightly, Xu Ruying turned to look at Wanyue in surprise. Wanyue straightened her posture, sitting upright on the sofa, appearing nonchalant. “Don’t you think it’s childish for an adult to drink that?”

Her eyes held both inquiry and a hint of playfulness. It was the first time Xu Ruying had seen her like this in these days.

Did Wanyue sense something?

The dawn was just breaking.

Wanyue’s gaze was intense, as if focused by a spotlight, staring at Xu Ruying.

Seeing the fleeting panic on Xu Ruying’s face and her self-conscious fidgeting with her left hand, Wanyue was about 60% certain.

Could it be Mingyu…? Something was surging to the forefront of her heart.

Her dead heart seemed to come alive again with this guess.

Xu Ruying looked at Wanyue and softly said, “It is a bit childish.”

Wanyue stared at her, knowing that Mingyu would always be in tune with her.

Xu Ruying paused, her hands behind her back, and said lightly, “But it suits you.”

Wanyue: “…”

Her once warm heart felt as though it had fallen to the ground instantly.

She took a deep breath and stared hard at Xu Ruying.

No, this isn’t her Mingyu.

“Are you hungry now?” Xu Ruying asked, amused by Wanyue’s angry expression. Song Wanyue straightened up even more and replied coolly, “Not hungry.”

She would never casually eat at a stranger’s home.

“Alright then, I’ll eat by myself.” Xu Ruying smiled slightly and turned to enter the kitchen. Before leaving, she caught a glimpse of Wanyue’s frustrated look out of the corner of her eye, and her lips curled upward.

Many things are hardest before they begin, but once progress is made, everything just flows naturally.

Xu Ruying skillfully chopped some green onions, preparing to make a dish of scallion oil noodles that Wanyue used to love.

She opened the window a bit, letting in the breeze filled with the scent of flowers.

Yes, why should she overthink things? Even if she could only see Wanyue for a single day, it would be happiness. She should cherish every moment instead of wasting time on doubts.

On the sofa, Song Wanyue listened to the sounds coming from the kitchen. She turned her head to sneak a glance, confirming that Xu Ruying was busy and wouldn’t come out for a while. Slowly, she got up and walked over to the coat rack by the door. Wanyue picked up a sapphire blue shirt and held it to her nose, sniffing gently.

Xu Ruying used to have a habit of wearing perfume, and her dressing table was once filled with various perfumes. Mingyu, on the other hand, was the complete opposite; she always had a fresh, clean scent mixed with a faint hint of lemon.

Wanyue sniffed the shirt earnestly, feeling that it had a very faint lemon scent. She wasn’t sure, afraid that it might just be her imagination, so she kept sniffing, more and more intensely. In the end, like a little rabbit using all its strength to pull out a carrot, she buried her entire head into the shirt.

At that moment, Xu Ruying walked out calmly, carrying the scallion oil noodles. But when she saw the scene before her, the calm on her face turned into helplessness and fondness.

Song Wanyue was so focused that she didn’t notice the pair of eyes watching her from a distance. Xu Ruying patiently waited for a moment, and when she saw that Wanyue was still lost in the scent of the shirt, she asked considerately, “Does it smell good?”