Chapter 143: The Eve of Departure

Mengmeng picked up her phone and checked the text message. Overjoyed, she pulled Kang Ning's gifted phone from her bag and called back the number displayed on the screen.

Hearing Kang Ning's familiar voice, tears slowly welled up in Mengmeng's eyes. With a trembling voice, she whispered, "Brother Ning, where are you? I've been so worried about you..."

"Don't be like that, Mengmeng. Let me give you some good news first. Jing'er and the baby have arrived home safely. It probably won't be convenient for her to take your calls in the near future, but I think she'll reach out to you herself after a while," Kang Ning's voice was calm and steady.

Mengmeng wiped away her tears and said, "Okay! Sister Yi is here with me, and we both want to see you."

On the other end of the line, Kang Ning fell silent for a moment before finally saying, "Here's what we'll do. Go and consult Sister Yi in a moment to see if it's possible to trouble her to go with you to the Jinjiang Hotel and rent a room. Once you get the room number, contact me again. The entire Chengdu area is quite tense right now, and by comparison, the five-star Jinjiang Hotel is relatively safer."

Mengmeng wanted to say something more, but Kang Ning had already hung up the phone. She relayed Kang Ning's suggestion to Zheng Yi, who agreed without the slightest hesitation. After tidying up briefly, the two women left the apartment, went downstairs, and soon entered the parking lot of the Jinjiang Hotel in Zheng Yi's BMW.

After Zheng Yi checked into the room and took the elevator up, Mengmeng walked out of the hotel's main entrance to call Kang Ning.

In less than ten minutes, Kang Ning walked up behind Mengmeng, wrapped his arms around her waist, and whispered in her ear as they walked, "Let's go inside."

Startled, Mengmeng felt her whole body go limp. Had Kang Ning not been supporting her waist, she probably wouldn't have been able to walk. "You scared me to death!"

"It's fine. You might not have noticed yet, but starting this morning, my wanted poster has been posted on the bulletin board at the entrance of our Jingxiu Garden residential complex, so I can't risk going back there anymore. Just now, I took a taxi and followed right behind you, and only dared to come out once I saw there was no danger. But you don't need to worry too much; I'll leave Chengdu tomorrow and contact you as soon as I find a place to settle down. However, you must remember—never let a second person know your new China Mobile number."

"Mm!"

With his arm around Mengmeng's waist, Kang Ning kept his head down as they walked into the lobby of the Jinjiang Hotel like an inseparable couple deeply in love. They took the deserted elevator number four up to the floor directly above the ground level where Zheng Yi's room was located. Before stepping out of the elevator, Kang Ning pressed the button for the top floor, and only then did he and Mengmeng take the fire escape downstairs.

As soon as Kang Ning and Mengmeng entered, Zheng Yi closed the door behind them. Leaning against the back of the door, she quietly watched Kang Ning, her beautiful eyes instantly filling with tears.

Apologetically, Kang Ning released Mengmeng's hand. Saying "Please forgive me" to Mengmeng, he stepped forward and pulled Zheng Yi into a tight embrace. Unable to suppress her emotions any longer, Zheng Yi buried her face in Kang Ning's chest and wept silently.

Though her eyes were blurred with tears and she was still unaware of what had transpired between Kang Ning and Zheng Yi, Mengmeng naturally stepped forward to embrace them both. Kang Ning reached out his left hand and pulled Mengmeng into his arms as well. The three of them stood tightly entwined, making no distinction between one another, fully venting the loss and deep affection in their hearts.

***

Zheng Yi, who had calmed down first, gently pulled away from Kang Ning's embrace and, holding Mengmeng's hand, walked over to the sofa.

Kang Ning carried his small travel bag into the bathroom to take a shower. When he came out dressed and refreshed, he was surprised to find that the expressions of both women toward him had changed entirely: Mengmeng's gaze carried a deep lingering attachment mixed with a hint of reproach, while Zheng Yi's looked back with shy yet radiant affection.

Kang Ning knew that Zheng Yi must have told Mengmeng about the relationship between the two of them. Neither of these two sisters, who had once accommodated one another, showed the slightest trace of resentment on their faces; their understanding, tolerance, and unwavering devotion to the fickle-hearted Kang Ning remained as deep as ever.

Walking over to them, Kang Ning took Mengmeng's hand, turned to Zheng Yi, and smiled sheepishly, "Sister Yi, did you tell her?"

Blushing, Zheng Yi nodded gently, her bold and uninhibited eyes locking onto Kang Ning's gaze. "Yes. I'm sorry, Xiao Ning, but I couldn't keep secrets from my sister. No matter what, I had to speak the truth about what is between us. Even if Mengmeng couldn't forgive me, I still had to say it. Otherwise, keeping it locked inside while trying to treat Mengmeng as before would have been too agonizing, and I simply couldn't do it."

Kang Ning smiled gratefully at Zheng Yi, pulled Mengmeng onto his lap, and said, "Mengmeng, if you want to scold me, go ahead. For a long time now, I've felt deeply apologetic toward you, yet I lacked the courage to leave you... I also know how terrible this situation is. I suppose I will never be able to repay the emotional debt I owe you in this lifetime."

"Can we not talk about this anymore? I don't resent you."

With those words, Mengmeng slowly stood up and whispered to Kang Ning, "Will you walk me out? My mother has something to discuss with me tonight, so I have to get back quickly. I'll come back tomorrow morning."

Kang Ning was momentarily stunned, while Zheng Yi lowered her head, blushing as she stared at the tips of her shoes, her pretty nostrils quivering slightly from shyness and excitement.

Kang Ning sighed inwardly, gently pulling Mengmeng down to sit back down. "I have to leave Chengdu tomorrow, and before I go, I want to give you something."

Mengmeng raised her head, looking at Kang Ning with reluctance in her eyes. "I don't want anything else. I just want you!"

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Kang Ning shook his head sorrowfully and pulled Zheng Yi close to him as well, whispering, "Sister Yi, I've prepared a gift for you too. I wasn't sure when I'd ever be able to put it in your hands, but seeing you today has fulfilled that wish of mine."

With that, Kang Ning stood up slowly, walked over to the desk, took out two objects wrapped in yellow silk from his small bag, and returned to Zheng Yi and Mengmeng.

He unwrapped one of them first, revealing an exquisitely crafted silver bracelet with a unique pattern, and slipped it onto Mengmeng's right wrist. "To outsiders, this silver bracelet isn't worth much, but in my eyes, it is worth a fortune. It was given to me by an elderly resident of a Yao mountain village before my departure, and it carries deep affection and wonderful memories. The old woman cried as she told me to give this bracelet to my wife and insisted that I bring her back to visit the village someday. She also told me that as long as I wore this bracelet into any Yao village, I would receive the hospitality and care of family members. Mengmeng, keep this bracelet as a memento."

Mengmeng lightly stroked the silver bracelet on her slender wrist, her eyes filled with deep affection and reluctance to part with it. Having heard Kang Ning recount his experiences in the Yao village, she regarded this gift as infinitely precious.

***

From the remaining small yellow silk bundle, Kang Ning retrieved an exquisite jade pendant. Carved delicately onto it was a red Qilin against a backdrop of seemingly surging floating clouds.

Well-traveled and knowledgeable, Zheng Yi recognized the preciousness of the item at a glance. She stared in a daze as Kang Ning gently placed the jade pendant into her palm. A gentle and refreshing aura emanated from the jade, making Zheng Yi feel profoundly comfortable.

Astonished, Zheng Yi lifted the red cord attached to the jade pendant, held it up to the light, and clicked her tongue in admiration. "This is a rare piece of ancient jade! Even more remarkable is how the natural patterns on this blood jade were cleverly utilized to carve such a vivid and lifelike Qilin. The cloud patterns surrounding it are quite unusual—I've never seen a combination like this before. At first glance, the primary and secondary elements blend seamlessly, and upon closer inspection, it's exquisitely harmonious. Just the workmanship alone must be worth a fortune, right? Xiao Ning, such a precious item is something I cannot accept."

Kang Ning smiled faintly, removed the token from around his neck, and handed it to Zheng Yi. "Sister Yi, take a look. Aren't the two of them very similar?"

After comparing them, Zheng Yi was utterly puzzled. The ancient jade and the token were identical in size and remarkably similar on both sides. The only difference was that the pattern in the middle of the token was hazy, obscuring the shadow of the Qilin; in every other aspect, they were astonishingly alike. Mengmeng squeezed in to take a look and was equally astounded. After examining them, the two women turned back to Kang Ning, awaiting his explanation.

Kang Ning put the token back around his neck, then took back the jade pendant and explained the origin in detail. "Yesterday noon, I wandered into the Baoyu House in Chengdu by chance and was inexplicably drawn to this piece of jade. When I asked the owner to take it out so I could look at it, I couldn't put it down. I felt deep down that I was fated with this jade. The owner watched me in silence the entire time, until I asked him if it would be possible to have a master carver etch floating clouds on both sides. Only then did he tell me he wouldn't sell it, saying he couldn't let anyone ruin such a naturally flawless treasure. It wasn't until I took off the silver plaque from my neck and showed it to him that he looked at me in extreme shock and asked about its origin. I suppose he recognized the unique quality and extraordinary inner meaning of the silver plaque. In the end, he agreed to sell me the ancient jade and led me to the backyard to find a septuagenarian craftsman. After looking at both items without a word, the old man immediately began carving. It took him only half an hour. Once he finished, he placed the two items on a workbench, burned incense, kowtowed, snapped a rustic small carving knife in half right then and there, and walked back into the inner courtyard without ever looking back. The owner accepted the two hundred and fifty thousand yuan while sighing repeatedly, saying that his second uncle would never craft another piece in his lifetime."

With that, Kang Ning personally fastened the jade pendant around Zheng Yi's fair and beautiful neck, and said softly to the emotional Zheng Yi, "Sister Yi, this parting of ours might very well be for a lifetime. Please keep this token of my feelings. This isn't about money; it's about a wish and a destiny. To be honest, I love you just as much as I love Mengmeng and Sister Jing. I know saying this makes me a bastard, but it's truly what's in my heart. Aside from guilt and indebtedness, I don't regret anything I've done. Please forgive my transgression! Mengmeng, I've wronged you even more..."

Tears streaming down her face, Zheng Yi shook her head fiercely and, alongside Mengmeng, pressed tightly against Kang Ning's sides.

For a long time, Kang Ning walked a reluctant Mengmeng out of the hotel. Watching her taxi recede into the distance, a tumult of emotions washing over him, Kang Ning finally returned to the room.

The two of them sat in silence under the dim lights. Kang Ning refilled Zheng Yi's teacup, then raised his head to gaze at the quiet lover before him. "Sister Yi, I'm sor—"

"Don't say it. I know everything."

Zheng Yi reached out and gently pressed her fingers against Kang Ning's lips. She knew that after tonight, everything would become elusive and unpredictable. Therefore, she raised her head uninhibitedly to meet his gaze. She wanted him to realize she had cast aside all her shyness and inhibitions. She would indulge in the beauty of life, savoring those unforgettable moments of stirring passion and burning desire. Letting the repressed cries of her soul burst forth from her lungs, she used uninhibited moans and screams to interpret her love and lust, letting surging desires and overwhelming yearnings wash away all pain and sorrow, leaving behind this unforgettable, precious memory of a lifetime...