Meng Jin Xia was bumped into at a business cocktail party, a small circle where you ran into people everywhere.

Feeling bored on the terrace, Meng Jin Xia walked over with a glass of red wine and stood next to me, exchanging pleasantries in a low voice.

I was absent-minded in dealing with her, until she turned her face to look at the distant scenery, looking extremely desolate and lonely. She hesitated for a long time before asking me apologetically, "Wen Zhou, have you been well overseas all these years?"

I turned my head, looking at her with a half-smile and reminded her, "Meng Jin Xia, you are married now. Do you think it's reasonable to have this kind of conversation with your ex-fiancé under this moonlight and atmosphere?"

Despite my blunt tone, she smiled and shrugged off my remark, saying, "Just a friendly greeting between old friends, you're too sensitive, Wen Zhou."

I sarcastically retorted, "Sorry, but after all, you have a history, don't you?"

She paused, no trace of anger on her face, but instead smiled bitterly and sighed, looking back at the distant scenery, saying, "I'm just too tired."

It was understood by everyone why she was tired, as Meng Jin Xia's choice of husband had become a joke in the entire circle.

Jokes about the Meng family were not common.

I didn't continue the conversation, just coldly picked up my own glass of wine, ready to leave. Before leaving, I politely smiled at her and said, "But he's the one you carefully chose, isn't he?"

We met again at Meng Mama's birthday banquet.

Since I returned to the country, Aunt Meng had been calling me often.

Over the years, although the relationship between our families and the Meng family had gradually cooled, there were still some business dealings between us, and in the past, Aunt Meng was very fond of me.

I could mock Meng Jin Xia for betraying me, but I couldn't ignore Aunt Meng's face.

She personally called me, "Wen Zhou, Aunt's birthday is next Wednesday, can you come? You child, after seven years abroad, you haven't even made a call."

Being personally invited by my elder, I naturally couldn't refuse. After hanging up the phone, I went to pick a suitable gift.

But when I arrived at the Meng family, I felt something was wrong. Aunt Meng's birthday banquet was not ostentatious, without any outsiders, only some relatives of the Meng family.

So my presence seemed strange.

I hesitated, but Aunt Meng saw me and was very happy. She was surrounded by Meng family female relatives of the same age, Meng Jin Xia's aunt, and aunt... very familiar elders.

Aunt Meng waved to me to come over and sit next to her.

I hesitated, not wanting to create embarrassment in this kind of situation. So, I kept smiling, walked over, and sat next to Aunt Meng.

I didn't see Song Zhi Rang.

Aunt Meng held my hand and looked at me carefully, for some reason, her eyes were moist. She sighed, "This child, I watched him grow up, and now he looks even more lively and outstanding."

The people around nodded along with Aunt Meng's words, praising me.

Listening to the praise, Aunt Meng smiled nostalgically and said, "The first time I saw this child was when he was five years old. His parents moved next door to my house, dressed like a little gentleman in a suit, smiling generously and stably as his mother brought him to give a gift to the neighbors. At that time, I thought, why didn't I have a son."

At such an occasion, there was no need for me to say anything, just to remain silent and smile appropriately when needed.

Meng Jin Xia and Song Zhi Rang came back during the meal. Meng Jin Xia probably knew I was there, as she wasn't surprised when we met. She just nodded at me, but Song Zhi Rang, next to her, turned pale and seemed lost.

He forced a smile and greeted Aunt Meng, "Mom, happy birthday."

Aunt Meng glanced at him as if she hadn't heard anything, her face icy, without any response.

She just held my hand, led me to the dining room, and said, "Good child, come and sit with Aunt."

By this point, even if I were silly, I could tell something was wrong.

This awkwardness reached its peak during the meal because the dishes in front of me were all my favorite dishes that I used to love. Aunt Meng introduced them one by one, tenderly saying, "You must have suffered a lot outside. You look thinner."

"Taste this swallow soup with pork, it was your favorite when you were young. Every time Jin Xia annoyed you, you would be comforted with this dish."

"The chef, Juan Sao, knew it was for you, so she started soaking the swallow's nest four or five days ago. Try it and see if it tastes the same as before."

"Bang—" In the midst of Aunt Meng's words, a loud noise came from across the table. I looked up and saw, perhaps due to distraction and nervousness, Song Zhi Rang had knocked over his own plate.

A servant tried to clean up, but for some reason, Song Zhi Rang nervously refused the help from the side, took a tissue, and wanted to crouch down to clean up the mess himself, apologizing frantically, "Sorry, sorry—"

When Meng Jin Xia was about to squat under the table in front of the whole table, she raised her hand to stop him, looking at Song Zhi Rang coldly, saying, "Enough, look at what you've done to yourself."

She turned to the maid next to her, Ji Ling, and ordered, "Ling Jie, you come and clean up."

Aunt Meng was probably so angry that she was breathing heavily. I heard her mutter, "Making a fool of yourself, making a fool of yourself, thank god they are all family, it would be forgiven if they closed the door."

She turned to me and asked, "Wen Zhou, look, look."

She was probably really angry, as she directly and unreservedly said in front of Song Zhi Rang, "If Jin Xia had married you in the first place, none of this would have happened."

She covered her chest, probably feeling heartburn from anger, held my hand, and blurted out without hesitation, "Wen Zhou, Wen Zhou, I remember you used to really like Jin Xia. This foolish child hurt you, but the past is like the wind. Can you forgive her? For Aunt's sake, can you forgive her this time?"

The whole restaurant fell silent, everyone's eyes on me, even Meng Jin Xia's gaze turned towards me, waiting for my answer to her mother's words said in front of her husband. She had no reaction to her mother's words.

She just looked quietly at me, as if waiting for my response.

Song Zhi Rang angrily stood up and left his seat, but no one paid attention to him.

I calmly placed the chopsticks on the table, smiled first, and said to Aunt Meng, "Aunt Meng, your birthday is not celebrated grandly, yet you invited me here. I am very happy. You used to be the one who loved me the most. Even though Meng Jin Xia betrayed me later, I have never forgotten your kindness towards me. Today is your birthday, I should have made you happy as a younger generation, but the question you asked me is really hard to answer."

I paused, smiled gracefully, and responded to everyone's gaze. Finally, I said, "Aunt Meng, I apologize. This time I returned to the country, I was planning to introduce my girlfriend to my family."

"I am going to get engaged. You watched me grow up. Regardless of the past, I hope you can witness my happiness."

The whole room fell silent. Aunt Meng looked at me in surprise, and after a long time, she asked, "Why... why haven't we heard anything beforehand?" She paused for a long time and then asked, "Which family's lady is so lucky?"

I lowered my eyes, "Su family's eldest daughter, Su Zi Yan."

I heard a gasp, and Aunt Meng didn't say anything for a long time. It was Meng Jin Xia's aunt who came forward to break the tension, smiling and saying, "That's a match made in heaven, Wen Zhou is a lucky guy."

I remained silent.

Meng Jin Xia looked at me, her face devoid of any emotion, just a complex look in her eyes. After a while, she smiled at me and self-deprecatingly said, "Congratulations."

I nodded graciously to her and also smiled, "Thank you."