Whoever Falls in Love First is the Dog - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

“She thought dying would set her free? She thought death could erase all hatred?”

The sky was completely dark now. Shen Mengke tilted her head slightly and looked out the window.

The neon lights on the roadside reflected on the glass, also casting their glow into her pupils.

But her eyes were red. In her hand was a soggy tissue, though her tears had long since dried.

The car was eerily quiet. No one said a word.

Jiang Zhixing and the others had no idea what had happened. That morning, they had still been sightseeing near Yuncheng. When they got a call from Chen Yanxing, they rushed back immediately.

Chen Yanxing only said one thing on the phone:
“I have to leave Yuncheng early. Please look after Shen Mengke for me.”

Ruan Lihua also heard other voices in the background. She wanted to ask more, like where Shen Mengke was, but before she could speak, Chen Yanxing had already hung up.

Staring at the disconnected call, Ruan Lihua was stunned for a moment, then frowned.
“So rude.”

Although Chen Yanxing’s behavior was inappropriate—as an assistant, how could he leave Shen Mengke alone in Yuncheng? What if something happened?—she didn’t dwell on it and hurried Jiang Zhixing to turn back.

Shen Mengke never shared work details with them. They only knew which hotel she stayed in when she first arrived in Yuncheng. They had no idea what happened on the cruise ship afterward, or that the two had so much fun they didn’t check trending news at all.

When they arrived at her previous hotel, they finally heard a bit of what had happened. Ruan Lihua tried calling Shen Mengke, but no one answered. That’s when she knew something was wrong. Shen Mengke was overly polite and would never ignore calls without reason. She immediately had Jiang Zhixing call in some local help.

“What could’ve happened? Could she just disappear? She grew up in Yuncheng…” Jiang Zhixing muttered while taking out her phone to contact a friend.

Ruan Lihua shot her a look. “I told you, her mental state isn’t good… but forget it, even if I said it, you wouldn’t believe me.”

That “you,” of course, included Shen Mengke. But now…

Jiang Zhixing glanced into the rearview mirror at Shen Mengke in the backseat. She believed it now.

What kind of person gets lost in her own hometown, phone dead and powered off, only to be spotted by school kids on their way home and then posted online?

The internet was in chaos. One moment fans posted photos of her getting into Shu Yun’s car. The next, she was seen on a public bus, clearly red-eyed and looking pitiful.

What was that? That was clearly a woman scorned.

First there was Miss Chen three days ago. Then Shu Yun three days later. Online, people had practically written dissertations about Shen Mengke’s romantic history. But this time, there was a lot less mocking. She just looked too miserable.

She forced a smile to sign autographs for the students, but her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

People began to suspect she had been deceived. Some scrutinized the photos and speculated she had been forced into Shu Yun’s car. Suddenly, Shu Yun became the “heartbreaker,” and Shen Mengke the victim everyone pitied.

The chaos was endless. But this kind of situation—someone going missing and being spotted and rescued through social media—Jiang Zhixing had only seen in Alzheimer’s patients.

She exchanged a look with Ruan Lihua, who glanced back but said nothing.

From the moment they found her, Shen Mengke had only said one thing:
“I want to go back to Jiangcheng.”

And so, Jiang Zhixing drove onto the highway that very night.

What she said was willful—but even more willful was Jiang Zhixing herself.

Driving from Yuncheng to Jiangcheng would take at least a day on the highway. And they had been called back suddenly, completely unprepared.

Now the car was nothing but three exhausted people.

Ruan Lihua originally didn’t want to go along with this. Shen Mengke was one thing, but Jiang Zhixing going along with her impulsiveness?

But before Ruan Lihua could object, Jiang Zhixing seemed to anticipate it and said:
“Miss Ruan, don’t be so rigid. It’s okay to act on impulse once in a while.”

“Impulse? Did you fill up the gas tank? Bring food? Pack any luggage? This isn’t impulse, this is recklessness!”

While the two argued, Shen Mengke sat quietly, overhearing everything. She knew she had acted impulsively. It was just a passing comment—she didn’t think they’d actually take it seriously.

She closed her eyes and tried to block out the voices.

A while later, two car doors opened and closed. She heard Ruan Lihua say,
“Let’s go. Back to Jiangcheng.”

Shen Mengke opened her eyes and looked at the two people in the front seats. She opened her mouth but couldn’t speak.

She turned her head toward the window again, but this time, tears welled up and spilled over.

They returned to Jiangcheng by the following evening. All three were exhausted—Shen Mengke mentally, the others physically from driving in shifts.

When they dropped her off, Shen Mengke didn’t ask them to stay, urging them to go home instead.

They didn’t argue, but Ruan Lihua said:
“If you need anything, contact me anytime.”

Shen Mengke nodded, but everyone knew—she hated troubling others. If something really happened, she’d rather bottle it up.

She opened the door, shut it behind her, and turned on the lights.

There at the entrance was a white suitcase—hers, the one she’d left in Shu Yun’s car.

She looked toward the living room, where the lights were still off. But on the couch sat someone.

No—she had been sleeping, a blanket over her. When she heard movement, she sat up and looked toward the door.

It was Shu Yun.

Shen Mengke changed into slippers and switched on the living room lights.

Shu Yun lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the brightness.
“How did you get in here?” Shen Mengke asked.

Shu Yun stiffened, slowly lowering her hand. “You never changed the password. It’s still the same.”

Shen Mengke froze for a moment, realizing—technically, this apartment still belonged to Shu Yun. When they first met, Shu Yun had bought it with the thought of paving a path for her.

The place wasn’t big or fancy—just enough for Shen Mengke to accept without guilt. Even if she left the company or retired, it would still be her home.

After they broke up, Shu Yun left her the place. Hoping for reconciliation, Shen Mengke never changed the code. Eventually, she forgot all about it.

After Shu Yun returned to China, she always waited for Shen Mengke to open the door herself, so she never noticed the code hadn’t changed.

She paused as she set down her phone, pretending it was nothing, and poured herself a glass of water.

“Forgot,” she said.

Forgot to change the code? Or forgot Shu Yun knew it?

She didn’t say, and Shu Yun didn’t ask. Shu Yun awkwardly stood up and walked to the bar.

Shen Mengke pushed a second glass of water toward her.

“Your phone was off? I called you so many times.”

“Yeah. Battery died.”

Then she drank a second glass.

Before they returned, the beef rice at the highway rest stop had been too salty. She hadn’t dared to drink much water in the car. Now that she was home, she was making up for it.

The room fell silent, except for her drinking.

When she poured a third glass, Shu Yun finally spoke.
“You left in such a rush yesterday. Your sister…”

Bang!

She slammed her glass onto the table. Lifting her eyes, she stared at Shu Yun with an icy tone.
“Don’t meddle in my business anymore.”

Shu Yun’s gaze dropped from her eyes to her trembling hand. Then she smiled faintly.
“She’s pregnant,” she said.

Shen Mengke’s expression didn’t change, but the surprise was unmistakable.

“You left too quickly. She got emotional and almost lost the baby. But she’s okay. Just three months along.”

“So?” Shen Mengke said slowly. “She scammed me again? Wants money?”

Shu Yun sighed.
“She’s not that bad. She even paid me back for the hospital ride. Maybe she just wants to reconcile.”

“Reconcile?” Shen Mengke’s lips moved, but she didn’t finish. She picked up her phone, plugged it in, and sat down on the sofa, her back to Shu Yun.
“You don’t have the right to forgive them on my behalf.”

Shu Yun tried to speak again, but as soon as Shen Mengke turned on her phone, she checked all her missed messages and calls in silence. Then she turned off the screen and held the phone tightly.

She said nothing more. Yet Shu Yun, looking at her back, could feel the weight of her loss.

“She thought dying would free her? That death could wipe out hatred?” Shen Mengke said again, voice cold and echoing through the quiet room.
“She was wrong.”

“Hatred doesn’t fade with death. When there’s no one left to punish, it just carves itself deeper into your soul, night after night.”

Her voice trembled. Whether from grief or rage—it was unclear.

Shu Yun’s heart ached. She stepped forward, but then Shen Mengke said:

“Do you think I’m heartless, too? But I—”

“Don’t,” Shu Yun cut her off and quickly knelt in front of her, holding her shaking hands. She looked up into Shen Mengke’s eyes and said gently:

“I’ve never investigated your past. I only got involved because she’s your sister. I don’t know how much pain this caused you over the years. I just know—what matters most to me is you.”

“If you don’t want to forgive, don’t. If you don’t want to see them again, don’t. If you never want to go back to Yuncheng, then stay here in Jiangcheng.”

“Whether I’m your ex or your sister—at least here, I’ve left you a home.”

“I’ll protect you, in any way you’ll let me.”

Shen Mengke stared at her. Shu Yun’s face blurred through her tear-filled eyes.

She could steel herself against cruelty, but kindness always undid her.

Shu Yun didn’t bring up the topic again.
“You’ve got dark circles. How did you get back?”

“The highway,” Shen Mengke replied.

Shu Yun smiled. “Then you should rest now. Sleep well. Don’t worry about anything. I’ve got you, okay?”

Shen Mengke nodded and went upstairs, leaving Shu Yun alone in the living room.

As Shu Yun slowly stood up, watching Shen Mengke’s back disappear upstairs, all the softness faded from her face—and her expression turned ice cold.