Su Liya’s eyes flitted uncertainly as she stammered, "Brother Cheng... he... he respects me a lot."
Mei Xiang caught the evasion in her gaze and had her own answer in her heart.
The usually sweet and lovely Mei Xiang rarely put on a somber face, "Li Ya, you are still a child."
"But you are obviously only one year older than me!" Su Liya pouted defiantly, arms crossed over her chest like a bristling kitten.
Mei Xiang gently smiled, "One year may be insignificant in the long river of life, but in the world of emotions, it is enough to give you a different understanding of many things."
She continued earnestly, "Your fondness for Chen Cheng might just stem from an admiration for mature men, or rather, a youthful infatuation with dominance, which is normal, but it’s not love."
Su Liya bit her lower lip and did not speak.
"I know that your father is a stranger to you, and Aunt Wen has protected you well. Your understanding of men probably comes more from film and television than real life."
Mei Xiang went on, "Chen Cheng is indeed very charming, there’s no doubt about that. He’s mature, steady, successful, and treats you well. But behind that charm, there lies a complexity that you cannot understand. He has gone through a lot and carries a lot, none of which you are currently able to comprehend and bear."
Su Liya wanted to retort but realized she couldn’t find the right words.
"You saw what happened between him and Aunt Wen,"
Mei Xiang paused, her tone growing more solemn, "I’m not trying to stir up trouble between you and your mother, just want to remind you, matters of the heart are not child’s play, especially with a man like Chen Cheng. His world is far more complex than you can imagine; charging into it recklessly could get you hurt."
Su Liya hung her head, twisting her clothes with her fingers, and after a long silence, she softly asked, "Then... Mei Xiang, aren’t you afraid of getting hurt..."
"He and I, we’re different from you."
Mei Xiang looked out the window at the fleeting scenery, her tone tranquil, "I understand him, and I accept his all, including his past, his complexities."
"All of it?" Su Liya asked, puzzled.
Mei Xiang gave a slight smile, not answering directly but counter-asking, "Li Ya, do you really understand Chen Cheng? Do you know what he likes, what he dislikes, his dreams, his visions?"
Su Liya shook her head, forced to admit that her understanding of Chen Cheng was only superficial.
All she saw was his shiny exterior, but as for the deeper world inside him, she was completely in the dark.
"All you see is his shiny exterior, like the spotlight on stage that only illuminates the actor from one side, while the other side, hidden in darkness, is kept from the audience."
There was a hint of melancholy in Mei Xiang’s tone, "So, don’t declare your liking easily. True fondness, complete love, is built on the foundation of profound understanding and unconditional acceptance. And your feelings for him, are perhaps more an adoration, a yearning, rather than true love..."
"You have no idea what’s happened between the uncle and me!" Su Liya suddenly became agitated, her tone carrying a hint of grievance and defiance.
Mei Xiang frowned, "What happened exactly?"
Li Ya recounted in detail how Chen Cheng had saved her, spilling everything.
Mei Xiang was shocked, as she hadn’t expected that there was such a story between Chen Cheng and Su Liya.
Li Ya continued, "I’m not young anymore, I can differentiate between liking and admiration."
She looked at Mei Xiang, "What I can’t understand is why the uncle just won’t touch me. Am I worse than those little girls?"
"Not touching you?" It was only then that Mei Xiang realized she had misunderstood Su Liya’s meaning.
She had thought Su Liya was complaining about the lack of depth in Chen Cheng’s affection for her, but instead, she was perplexed about this.
"Yeah, he has so many women,"
Su Liya’s voice dropped, tinged with self-mockery, "I won’t talk about the others, but even Liu Zhiya from my school, he’s touched. How do I not measure up to her?"
"Who is Liu Zhiya?" Mei Xiang was utterly confused.
Li Ya took out her phone and pulled up pictures of Liu Zhiya from a forum, "See, this is her. The school beauty at our school, lots of guys chase her, but she fancies the uncle."
"Mei Xiang, look, am I really that much worse than her?"
Mei Xiang regarded the photo, Liu Zhiya’s school belle-like youthfulness, innocent and sweet demeanor, was indeed not in the same league as Su Liya’s fiery passion.
"She’s pretty." Mei Xiang honestly said, then added, "You are also beautiful, you two are just different types of beauties."
"So, I’m not beautiful?" Su Liya was still somewhat unconvinced, "Look again!"
Mei Xiang frowned and refocused her attention on Su Liya’s dilemma, "What did you mean just now by not touching you?"
"That day in the utility room at the mall,"
Su Liya’s cheeks flushed slightly, the words difficult to say, "Uncle didn’t... go all the way... we just kissed, he didn’t... take away my virginity."
"And since that day, he has been deliberately avoiding me," Su Liya’s voice grew lower, "At first, he replied to my messages, but later on, he completely ignored me."
After listening to Li Ya’s account, Mei Xiang also fell into contemplation, seriously pondering the reasons for Chen Cheng’s actions.