"Su Yansheng called me." Meng Shang knew what Jiang Ruoqi wanted to know, so he cut straight to the point.
This was like playing cards in a game of strategy. Just as Jiang Ruoqi laid down a two, Meng Shang countered with a barrage of bombs.
How was she supposed to ask questions now?
Jiang Ruoqi was never the type to go straight for the truth, neither in personality nor style. With nothing left to ask, she had to change the subject and say something else.
"Well, that couple is really busy. I had just asked Ada for a favor, and now Su Yansheng, whose wife was snatched, comes running to you to complain."
"What did he tell you? He probably knows you married me, right? Did he blame you for not telling him? Did he say something like, 'How could you not tell me about such a big thing as getting married? You don't treat me as a friend at all'?"
Meng Shang thought for a moment and replied concisely: "He wouldn't dare."
True. She forgot about Su Yansheng's place in the hierarchy. He was spineless in front of his wife, and also spineless in front of his childhood friend.
So, in this otherwise tense atmosphere, Jiang Ruoqi couldn't stifle a laugh. After laughing, she remembered he was his childhood friend, and awkwardly turned her head away, not letting Meng Shang see her uncontrollably twitching lips.
She still had questions to ask and needed to stay serious. Jiang Ruoqi admonished herself, rubbing her sore cheeks.
But Meng Shang, recalling her inquiry, thought she might have had a falling out with her friends over the marriage. He frowned and turned the question back on her: "So, the conflict with your friend—was it over this? Over me?"
Yes and no.
Jiang Ruoqi felt the key trigger was the troublemaker who should have kept quiet.
Bringing up an ex in front of a current lover was suicidal. Jiang Ruoqi sighed and gave an evasive answer: "It's because of this, but not because of you. Even if I had married someone else, she would still have cursed me out."
Meng Shang was choked by her words. So he had been flattering himself.
"First of all, let me clarify—Sophia doesn't have a problem with you. We just have different views on certain behaviors, and that led to an argument. So whatever Su Yansheng said, don't take it to heart. I'm fine."
"Sophia... You probably don't know; I didn't properly introduce her at the wedding either. She's from Gangcheng, but her family situation is basically the same as being alone. When I first met her, she was even more prone to fixating on things than now. I was afraid she'd get into trouble without anyone watching, so I entrusted her to Ada. But I'm different..."
Jiang Ruoqi trailed off, searching her mind for the right adjective but failing to find one.
Different in being especially stubborn. Different in having suffered many losses in this regard, so now she was cautious, especially unwilling to repeat the same mistakes.
Sure enough, it was hard to define oneself, especially with flattering words.
"You're not different."
Seizing the moment of silence, Meng Shang spoke, wanting to urge Jiang Ruoqi to be more open with him.
Counting the days they had known each other, they had been playing a coy game of advance and retreat. They were independent, not intruding into each other's private lives, with a sense of casual detachment that could be withdrawn at any time.
But a marriage shouldn't be like that. Marriage required sharing—both financially and emotionally—allowing the other to become one's support and reliance.
Meng Shang wasn't entirely clear on the situation Jiang Ruoqi faced, but he hoped that at least he could lighten her load, take some pressure off her thin shoulders.
Pressure, worries, or just some emotions.
So that Jiang Ruoqi could be more herself in front of him, instead of an emotionless fortress, a machine that only feigned affection.
"No one doesn't need care. Jiang Ruoqi, it's you who demands that you not expect that care to show up."
Meng Shang had seen through her. She was indeed the type to talk tough even when she was secretly crying.
"Maybe," Jiang Ruoqi smiled, lowering her eyelashes, and refuted softly, "But I think self-regulation works better than any external help."
"Isn't there an old saying: 'Kind words cannot save a determined fool.' You try hard to counsel someone's emotions, but people who can't understand will most likely remain stuck in their thinking. If in the end they walk straight into a dead end and I can't change the predetermined outcome, I'll be furious from wasting my breath."
Seeing Meng Shang silent, Jiang Ruoqi knew he wasn't convinced, so she skipped the topic. "Alright, we've all had a long day at work and we're tired. Let's not talk about unhappy things."
Meng Shang's frown deepened. The problem wasn't solved, and Jiang Ruoqi's skill at avoiding the topic was becoming more refined.
Her gaze shifted to the bottle of wine by her side. She touched it reluctantly, then looked up and asked, "By the way, what's the story with this bottle? Dr. Meng says he doesn't drink while working, and even on our wedding day, he didn't touch his own celebratory wine."
"So today, I'm making up for it," Meng Shang explained. "I have a night shift tomorrow, but I don't go to the hospital until the afternoon, so I can have a little."
This was Dr. Meng inviting her for a nightcap.
How rare. Such a rare event, regardless of the actual reason, Jiang Ruoqi had to accept. It's just...
"Do you know how much this bottle costs?" Jiang Ruoqi probed.
"I know," Meng Shang said, then hesitated, wanting to check the purchase record, but added, "I bought it from the official store, so it should be genuine."
Jiang Ruoqi quickly waved her hands. "No, no, I'm not saying you bought a fake. It's just... don't you think opening a twenty-thousand-yuan bottle of wine for just the two of us is a bit extravagant?"
So that's what she was worried about. Meng Shang breathed a sigh of relief and found it a little amusing. How much doubt did she have about his income level that she had to hesitate over opening a bottle of wine?
He stood up again, placed the glass in front of Jiang Ruoqi, and said casually: "No, I don't. You like this."
Meng Shang could tell that Jiang Ruoqi genuinely liked it. She hadn't just hugged the bottle earlier; now she couldn't take her eyes off it.
If she liked it, a few bottles were a small matter.
But Jiang Ruoqi's heart skipped half a beat because of his words. She glanced sideways, staring at him silently, planning something unknown.
"A few days ago during lunch, a colleague mentioned that his coffee machine at home was broken. His wife asked him to buy one online and asked if any of us had brand recommendations. It was then that I suddenly realized I haven't done anything for you."
Meng Shang turned and gestured at the empty space on the sideboard behind him. He looked back at Jiang Ruoqi. "How about putting a coffee machine here? It should arrive tomorrow. But I haven't bought the beans yet. My colleague said a lot, but I don't know what brand or type you like."
"Actually, whether it's wine or coffee, I don't know what you really like. I hope I'm not making a clumsy mistake. But if you ever need anything in the future, you can tell me directly. Or... if you don't mind waiting for me to guess, that's fine too."
Meng Shang's habit when speaking was to lock eyes with the other person. His gaze was focused, deeper than a pool of water. It gradually eroded and softened the outer shell of a person's heart, coupled with sincere words, making anyone, no matter how hard-hearted, feel inexplicably tender.
But Jiang Ruoqi didn't know how to handle emotional moments. She had heard too many sweet words; she would calmly ruin the atmosphere and turn those who spoke them into exes or other irrelevant people.