Meng Po Gave Her a Bowl of Soup (GL) - Chapter 6

—”Miss Song, hello, I’m Xu Ruying, Mingyu’s colleague.”

Xu Ruying looked at Song Wanyue.

Her face maintained a smile, but her hands couldn’t help clenching into fists, her nails digging deeply into her flesh.

Meeting again…

Wanyue, Mom…

They had long been separated by the boundary of life and death, and now the person standing before them was merely a stranger they could see but not recognize.

She desperately wanted to rush forward, to hold Wanyue tightly, to embrace and kiss her, to let her feel what she had been through these past few days, to tell her she never wanted to leave her again…

Faced with this unfamiliar woman, Wanyue seemed somewhat numb after waiting all day. She stared blankly at Xu Ruying, or more precisely, at her eyes.

Xu Ruying was entirely different from Xiao Mingyu. She had a powerful aura, sharp features, and a commanding presence reminiscent of a strong woman. Mingyu, even when cold, had an aura that kept people at a distance, but her brows and eyes were still gentle, and upon closer observation, she appeared increasingly tender.

But the way they looked at her… was similar to Mingyu.

At that moment, Song Wanyue was a bit dazed. She stared at Xu Ruying without blinking, and she didn’t even hear what she was saying.

In the end, it was Huang Lan who came out. She spoke intermittently with Xu Ruying, and eventually, Huang Lan’s cane shifted, recognizing her: “You are the General Manager Xu that Mingyu always talked about.”

The General Manager Xu who had given her a chance.

Xu Ruying nodded, her eyes fixed on Huang Lan for a while, observing her cane, and took a deep breath: “Yes, Auntie.”

After this statement, Song Wanyue, who had been somewhat dazed, suddenly stood up. She walked briskly over and unexpectedly pushed Xu Ruying forcefully: “Leave, you are not welcome here!”

Xu Ruying stumbled back, regaining her balance only after a few steps.

Huang Lan stared at Song Wanyue in shock, completely confused.

She had watched Wanyue grow up. She knew that although Wanyue could be a bit mischievous, she was fundamentally gentle and polite, treating everyone with respect. What was going on?

Xu Ruying, however, reacted swiftly. She knew Wanyue very well.

This business trip was supposed to be Xu Ruying’s, but Mingyu took her place at the last minute. In a sense, Mingyu’s death was somehow connected to Xu Ruying, which is why she had this chance to “return.”

The feeling after death was very clear—there really was such a thing as a soul.

Xiao Mingyu felt her soul being drawn out of her body by some force, wandering aimlessly along a dark and gloomy path.

The people in the procession were either old or young, some looked well-maintained and well-dressed, while others were in tattered clothes.

At this point, all worldly wealth, honor, disgrace, and poverty had no relevance to them.

Faintly, she heard someone in front of her sigh deeply and repeatedly, turning back as if reluctant.

—Walking past the underworld, all past lives and ties are erased.

No matter how close the relatives or lovers, all connections are severed.

Life and death are separate.

That’s probably how it is.

Xiao Mingyu wanted to cry, but as a wandering spirit, she couldn’t shed a single tear of sorrow.

She slowly raised her hand, looking at the blood-stained ring on her ring finger, remembering the vow she made under the stars when she and Wanyue promised their lives together.

—”I, Xiao Mingyu, will take good care of Song Wanyue for a lifetime.”

“My wish is… I hope we can meet and love each other in every lifetime.”

“You are the pride of my life.”

••••

The heavy smell of blood filled the air, and under the River of Leth, which was filled with dark blood, the surroundings were pitch black.

At the Wangxiang Platform, the leading ghost officer, dressed in black, calmly addressed the procession: “That is the Wangxiang Platform. You have been away from the human world for 7 days. If you wish, you can take one last look at your parents or loved ones, just this final glance.”

—”Just this final glance.”

Xiao Mingyu bit her lip, slowly turning her head to see Wanyue crying heartbrokenly as she held her body, touching her face with deep sorrow and reluctance…

On the bridge, the Meng Po smiled as she brewed soup, serving bowl after bowl to the souls preparing to reincarnate.

When it came to Xiao Mingyu, the ghost officer behind her urged her roughly. Xiao Mingyu stood still, biting her lip. Meng Po looked up, her eyes clear and unclouded by age. She didn’t say much, just handed her a bowl of soup: “Child, I’ll give you one year to settle everything.”

Looking at the bowl of Meng Po’s soup that could erase past memories, Xiao Mingyu stood motionless. Meng Po’s eyes were clear: “You have a promise with someone and have helped others escape a disaster. The entanglement of the mortal world is not yet over. This soup won’t make you forget everything, but will allow you to return to the human world. Go back, but remember, the secrets of heaven must not be revealed.”

“If someone finds out that you are Xiao Mingyu, your soul will scatter into reincarnation, with no way to reverse it.”

••••

Awakening once again.

Xiao Mingyu looked at the unfamiliar reflection in the mirror for a long time, speechless.

She understood what Meng Po meant by helping others escape a disaster.

The person in front of her was now Xu Ruying, the appearance of General Manager Xu.

This business trip was supposed to be General Manager Xu’s, but due to family matters, it was temporarily replaced by Xiao Mingyu.

General Manager Xu must have known this would happen. When Mingyu woke up, she saw three words written in the notebook beside her.

—”I’m sorry.”

Mingyu had a human body again and thought of her Wanyue, and couldn’t help but cry. But as she looked into the mirror, a deep sorrow rose from her heart.

She was back.

Yet their reunion was as strangers.

She could no longer have her Wanyue, nor could she embrace her and comfort her in her ear.

A year later…

Where she would go was still unknown, with only separation lying before Xiao Mingyu.

But what of it?

She had been so dependent on her.

She feared that if Song Wanyue cried, no one would comfort her, worried that she might foolishly forget her keys and lock herself out, afraid that if she got drunk and had a stomach pain, there would be no one to comfort her.

She could endure dying and losing twice, but she could never stop worrying about her Wanyue.

••••

Regarding Wanyue’s reaction.

Xiao Mingyu could understand.

She knew that Wanyue was not someone unreasonable. The immense grief had long since overwhelmed her reason. If it were her, she might hate even more.

After returning in Xu Ruying’s body, the first thing Xiao Mingyu did was to rent the vacant apartment across the street at double the price. When the landlord received her call, they initially thought it was a scam. But when they saw Xu Ruying arrive so quickly, sign the contract, and pay the rent for a year, they were completely stunned.

A year’s time.

For Xu Ruying, it was too short.

Short to the point where she couldn’t afford to consider these matters.

Fortunately, Xiao Mingyu had previously been almost like Xu Ruying’s personal aide, so she was well-acquainted with her daily life, including her clothing, food, and social connections, and didn’t need to spend additional time getting familiar.

She couldn’t wait to return to their former home.

But from afar, she saw a scene that broke her heart.

Her Wanyue.

The woman she held so dear.

There she was, sitting dejectedly at the door, a small figure, Song Wanyue hugging herself tightly, her anxious eyes occasionally darting outside.

As time passed, tears gradually filled her eyes, and eventually, they fell with her growing disappointment.

Xu Ruying struggled to suppress the urge to go over and embrace her. Although Wanyue’s reaction of rejection caught her off guard, it was still seeing her and her concerned mother.

It was Wanyue.

It must have been Wanyue who brought her here.

She knew she couldn’t let go of her…

In the apartment just one hallway away, Xu Ruying leaned against the wall, covering her mouth as she cried slowly. She couldn’t ease the emotions inside her, only curling her fingers tightly and biting her lips.

Wanyue…

Mom…

I’m sorry…

With no time to mourn, Xu Ruying pondered how to approach Wanyue.

Wanyue now had a strong hostility towards “General Manager Xu,” and although time was pressing, approaching her recklessly might have the opposite effect.

She couldn’t be hasty.

Before going to bed at night.

Xu Ruying mechanically tore a few pieces of bread and swallowed them, scrolling through her phone and opening Weibo.

She and Wanyue had a shared Weibo account, Yueyu, which recorded the moments of their life together.

Xu Ruying dared not log into her old WeChat account for fear that the sensitive Wanyue might notice. Now, this Weibo was her only way to understand Wanyue’s situation.

The Weibo updates were still stuck on the night before the incident.

The update showed a table full of dishes, romantic candlelight, and bright red rose petals, posted by Wanyue.

—”Smiling face.JPG, I waited for you to come home obediently.”

That smiling face felt like a knife to Xu Ruying’s heart. She bit her lip to keep from crying.

After that, there were no more updates on Weibo.

Xu Ruying set a special alert for the Weibo account. She remained silent for a long time, and before she knew it, it was already 1 a.m. She slowly got up and walked to the door to open it.

She couldn’t see her.

At least she could look at their former home.

Even if it was just the front door… inside was her lover.

But Xu Ruying didn’t expect that when she opened the door and the sensor light came on, she would unexpectedly see a small, thin figure squatting there.

It was Wanyue…

Her long hair had fallen over her neck as she squatted, and she suddenly looked up at the sound. Her red eyes were filled with surprise, but upon seeing Xu Ruying, she quickly lowered her head again.

Xu Ruying stood stunned, and in that moment, she felt her heart being torn apart.

After a long while.

Xu Ruying finally heard her own hoarse voice: “My condolences… Take care… be well.”

Meeting the one she loved most and being unrecognized.

The pain was so intense she could hardly breathe. Xu Ruying struggled to control herself, turning stiffly to open the door and going back into the room. A wall separated them, and Xu Ruying slowly squatted down, hugging herself and softly murmuring, “Wanyue, don’t be like this…”

Her heart ached so much.

Song Wanyue didn’t speak, still squatting there, her legs numb and unfeeling.

Huang Lan had tried to persuade her, but it was useless.

She just waited and waited.

From daylight to darkness, and from night to dawn.

She always felt she could wait for her Mingyu to return.

But in the end, Song Wanyue finally understood.

Her Mingyu would never come back.