It elicited a muffled chuckle from deep within his chest.
"Are you coming to the office with me? Or..."
"I won’t go to the office. I’ll head to Simeng. The test run begins tomorrow, and I’ve been away for many days. It’s good to take a look!" Li Si knew that even if she went to the office, she would end up being busy and overwhelmed. It was better to check on Simeng.
"Alright! Once I’m done, I’ll come pick you up!"
After a while, the car arrived at Simeng. He parked the car and, taking advantage of the moment she was unfastening her seatbelt, he domineeringly pulled her into his arms. After a tender kiss, he let her go. "Be good!"
Li Si, blushing, nodded. Thankfully, the car windows were tinted, making it impossible to see anything from the outside. Otherwise, her embarrassment would have been unbearable. This man was absolutely incorrigible!
After his car drove off, Li Si stood outside the store, gazing up at the golden glass signboard. The words "Simeng" were covered with a red silk cloth that glistened under the sunlight. The exterior walls, painted pink, made for quite the visual impact.
As she stepped inside, Su Meng stood behind the white reception counter directly facing the entrance, flipping through promotional brochures. Upon seeing Li Si, she walked out with a smile.
Smiling, she asked, "Sisi, how does it feel?"
Li Si looked around, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Not bad!" The air carried a faint fragrance, with no trace of the typical smell of a new renovation.
The glass at the entrance was spotless and transparent, allowing an easy view into the store from outside. Upon entry, one was greeted by an array of green potted plants, sofas, and coffee tables in the lounge area. Even the cups bore the "Simeng" logo. On the walls, large posters and photographs were displayed, while many areas were decorated with certificates.
One wall featured a floor-to-ceiling product display, arranged by high, medium, and low price tiers. A separate section was dedicated exclusively to their makeup line.
Li Si picked up a jar of whitening cream to inspect. The pink packaging bore the "Mo Si Production" logo, but the design was noticeably different from the versions sold on the market—it exuded a more upscale vibe.
During the test-run period, the goal was to attract customers, so they had rolled out several promotional campaigns. The displays for "Come In, Get a Gift" and "Free Trial" were meticulously crafted and looked stunning.
Beside the reception counter, an orderly stack of giveaway items was placed: porcelain home sets, jewelry boxes, shawls, stainless steel water bottles, eyelash curlers, puffs, and other small gifts.
"How are they doing with the training?"
The beauticians hired for the shop all held beauty credentials and health certificates, but they had still undergone a period of standardized professional training to ensure perfection.
Su Meng rare playfully replied, "Why don’t you check them out yourself?"
Li Si grinned and nodded; she was thinking the same thing.
In the office, 18 young and beautiful beauticians lined up in two rows under Su Meng’s guidance. Both their posture and demeanor had noticeably improved.
Li Si was very satisfied. Everything was ready; all that was left was for the winds to favor them.
After they left, only Li Si and Su Meng remained in the room.
Li Si took a sip from the steaming instant coffee she held, set it back on the desk, and looked at Su Meng, who sat across from her. "Meng Meng, recently you and Brother Wu..."
Su Meng’s expression changed quickly and complicatedly as she interrupted, "Sisi, I really don’t want to talk about him! Can we discuss something else instead?" Get full chapters from Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Long Wensong was the most conflicting presence in her heart right now, and she didn’t want to bring him up in front of Li Si.
Li Si sighed. "Honestly, I don’t want to dwell on it either. But this morning, Auntie suddenly asked me if I knew what kind of feelings you had for him!"
Su Meng did not expect her mother to ask Li Si and immediately apologized with embarrassment. "I’m sorry, Sisi. I didn’t know my mom would ask you that! I... right now, I don’t want to talk about anything related to love. I just want to work hard and give my mom a comfortable, financially secure retirement. That is my only dream for now!"
Li Si nodded—Su Meng had mentioned this before. "What about after achieving that dream? Meng Meng, maybe you’ll think I’m saying too much here, but life isn’t just about living for others. We also need to live for ourselves, don’t we?"
Su Meng felt a dull ache in her chest as she thought about her past experiences. She tried to respond indifferently, "I also want to live for myself, but what can I do about it? You know, I can’t even bear children for the one I love."
Li Si’s lips parted slightly, wanting to say that nothing is absolute, but Su Meng cut her off with a gesture.
"Sisi, I know you mean well, but let me finish what I need to say." She paused, then continued, "Everything in the past—I just want to treat it as a dream. When the dream ended, so did everything else.
Even if I were to forgive him and be with him, given Long Wensong’s family background, which isn’t too different from your Brother Leng’s, would his family really agree to him marrying someone like me?"
"My mom may be foolish, but I don’t have to be foolish along with her, right? She doesn’t know what really happened back then and thinks I’m just throwing a childish tantrum. But given her current state, I can’t bring myself to dig into everything with her. Even though I can’t remember many things clearly, there are some things that I can piece together.
Maybe Long Wensong doesn’t love me at all. He probably just pities me after seeing what a mess my life has become—it’s guilt, not love!
Otherwise, could it really be love? We’re adults now. Living with rationality is the only way to avoid unnecessary pain. So sometimes, I really envy you—for being able to meet such a good man! Sisi, cherish it well."
Li Si found herself at a loss for words to refute this. She wanted to say that Long Wu truly loved her, yet Su Meng’s disappearance over these years hadn’t stopped Long Wu from entertaining several other women. If this was loyalty, it certainly wasn’t the traditional kind.
In the end, all she could do was let out a sigh. (To be continued. If you enjoyed this story, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is the greatest motivation for me. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)