Volume One, Chapter 104: Why Did Liang Jinmo Come Today?

The phone was answered quickly. Before hearing Chen Jing’s voice, Liang Muzi heard the wind. His chest tightened as he spoke, “Chen Jing?”

At last, Chen Jing spoke. “Muzi... I feel so awful. I can’t just stand by and watch you get engaged to someone else. I know you’re annoyed with me for this, but... you won’t have to be anymore. I think I’ll never have another chance to bother you again…”

Liang Muzi gripped his phone tightly, walked to the end of the corridor, pushed open the emergency exit, and stepped into the stairwell. His mind was a whirlwind; he tried to calm Chen Jing. “Just take a deep breath. Are you still at the window? Please go back inside, shut the window, can you do that?”

There was silence for a few seconds before her sobs came through. “I can’t. I’m so exhausted. I really can’t go on. You know how many cold faces I’ve seen since my father went to prison? I thought there was no hope left for me until I met you—you saved me. But now you’re getting engaged to someone else. How am I supposed to live?”

The wind was howling louder. Liang Muzi’s heart raced, his thoughts scattered. If he were there, he could try to pull Chen Jing back inside. But separated by distance, he could only try to persuade her.

“Please calm down. Don’t do anything foolish, okay?” His tone was gentle, coaxing her. “I told you the engagement isn’t real. I’ll figure out how to call it off, and then we can still be together.”

He had no confidence in his promise, but in this moment, he could think of nothing else to say.

“You’re lying to me…” Chen Jing whimpered. “Even you’re lying. What can I trust now? Your engagement ceremony is so grand, the whole city knows. How can you call it off? Your parents care so much about appearances. They couldn’t accept me, the daughter of a disgraced official—but would they accept you breaking off the engagement? I’m not stupid!”

Liang Muzi was at a loss. His head throbbed. “Chen Jing, we can figure something out later, but for now, please step away from the window. I can’t bear this… I really…”

He had never faced anything like this; he couldn’t even think straight. If Chen Jing slipped and fell… he dared not imagine the consequences.

“You have to value your life. You’re not truly alone. Here, listen—” he was grasping at straws, “I’ll buy you an apartment, anywhere you want. And you said you wanted to open a beauty salon? I’ll fund it. You’ll have your own business, be your own boss. No one will look down on you anymore…”

Chen Jing only cried, wordless.

The wind still howled. Liang Muzi felt crushed by the pressure, his voice weakening. “I’m begging you, Chen Jing… please go back inside. We can talk things through. Please?”

It was a life at stake—his girlfriend’s life. His mind buzzed, his body leaned weakly against the wall. He closed his eyes, already picturing Chen Jing’s body hitting the ground from the thirty-sixth floor, blood everywhere.

“I don’t want you to get engaged…” Chen Jing choked out. “I can’t accept it. I told you… why can’t you leave Beicheng with me? Go somewhere no one can force us apart…”

Liang Muzi clenched his fists, torn inside. He didn’t know what to do anymore.

“Once I jump, there’ll be no more pain,” Chen Jing breathed deeply. “You can go ahead with your engagement, I don’t care anymore. Muzi, after my father went to prison, you were the only one who treated me kindly. I want you to remember me, but I’m afraid that memory will hurt you. So forget me…”

“Chen Jing!” He couldn’t bear to hear such final words. Something snapped in his mind; he cut her off. “Wait—wait for me. I’ll come to Hong Kong, right now. I’m coming now… Go back inside and wait for me, please.”

Chen Jing gave a strange, soft laugh. “You’re lying again.”

Liang Muzi meant it. After hanging up, he called a friend in Hong Kong, asking them to check on Chen Jing. But he couldn’t say that directly now. “No, I really am coming. I’m heading to the airport right now. Wait for me.”

“You’re lying!” Chen Jing shouted, agitated. “Why is even you lying to me? You’re getting engaged—how could you come see me? You can’t save me this time. No one can.”

“I’m not getting engaged,” he heard his own strained voice. He’d always thought himself fearless, but now terror threatened to overwhelm him. He couldn’t bear the weight of a life. “I’ll call you on video, you can watch me go to the airport. Will you believe me then?”

Chen Jing was quiet for a few seconds, then asked in a small voice, “Really?”

“Really. Hang up now, I’ll call right back.”

Chen Jing was silent again. “Okay, I’ll wait two minutes.”

Two minutes… He didn’t even have time to tell Xu Zhi or his parents.

Before he could say more, she hung up.

Xu Zhi was still in the dressing room, reviewing the ceremony rundown. Something felt off. Liang Muzi had already talked to the planners about removing the kissing segment, but the copy in her hand still included it.

She was about to ask Liang Muzi, when her phone vibrated. Yang Xue called, asking where she was.

Xu Zhi had sent Yang Xue an electronic invitation, but hadn’t really expected her to come, since Yang Xue now worked under Liang Jinmo.

But hearing Yang Xue was already at the hotel brought a warmth to her heart, and she asked her to come to the second-floor dressing room.

Within minutes, Yang Xue arrived, entered the dressing room, and exclaimed, “Zhi, you look beautiful today.”

Xu Zhi was a little embarrassed, pulling Yang Xue to sit down. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

Yang Xue sighed. “I struggled for a long time, but in the end, it’s your engagement ceremony—how could I miss it?”

Xu Zhi squeezed her hand, saying nothing, her nose tingling.

“By the way, have you seen young Mr. Liang?” Yang Xue asked.

Xu Zhi was startled. “No… He’s here?”

“Yes, all of us are here, including Zhou He,” Yang Xue explained. “I was in the banquet hall, but none of us saw young Mr. Liang. Zhou He asked me to check if he was with you.”

Xu Zhi felt her heart clench. Why would Liang Jinmo come today? She didn’t want to see him at such an occasion.

Yang Xue continued, “Zhou He said Mr. Liang called his brother over on purpose. After all, as the elder brother, he can’t miss his sibling’s engagement. But I hear their relationship is pretty strained…”

Xu Zhi was distracted. Whenever she thought of Liang Jinmo, a sharp pain pricked her heart; even hearing his name unsettled her.

Liang Zhenguo had already warned her before, and now he’d called Liang Jinmo to attend the ceremony—it was likely for the same reason.

Everyone seemed so afraid of her being with Liang Jinmo.

The dressing room door was knocked again. There was a commotion outside. Xu Zhi opened the door; the wedding company staff filed in—makeup artist, emcee, administrative assistant…

A crowd poured in, and Yang Xue became uneasy, saying goodbye to Xu Zhi and leaving.

The emcee came to confirm the ceremony, and Xu Zhi asked, “Wasn’t the kissing segment canceled?”

The emcee explained, “It was canceled before, but Mrs. Liang wanted it added back, and she asked for special attention to photos and video. She said she wanted to keep the footage for some purpose.”

So it was Fu Wanwen.

That made things complicated. Fu Wanwen was likely trying to provoke Chen Jing with the kiss. Xu Zhi felt a headache coming on, debating whether to talk to Fu Wanwen, when the assistant came to ask where Liang Muzi was.

“He’s on the corridor, making a call. Didn’t you see him?” Xu Zhi asked.

The administrative assistant hurried out, returning minutes later from the corridor. “No, where did Mr. Liang go? He needs to touch up his makeup; he’s supposed to be on stage soon.”

Xu Zhi frowned, took out her phone, and called Liang Muzi. The line was busy.

“I’ll go look for him.” She couldn’t think of anything else, grabbed her skirt, and went out.

The corridor was empty; no sign of Liang Muzi. She walked to the end, pushed open the emergency exit, and searched up and down the stairwell.

The assistant followed, calling out in the empty stairwell, “Mr. Liang!”

The shout echoed, but no answer.

Xu Zhi’s fingers clenched tighter around her skirt, a faint sense of dread rising in her heart.