141

ightly.The little girl immediately shouted with joy again, her small body bouncing excitedly in Rong Ling's arms. Rong Ling indulged her, protecting her back with one hand to prevent her from falling....Chapter name: 141

Her imposing eyebrows, heavy with pressure, bore down on Lin Meng. Lin Meng narrowed her eyes, her delicate lips trembling as she weakly tried to defend herself.

"No, no need to run!"

He smiled wryly, helped her up, and steadied her.

Her legs were still a little wobbly, she forced herself not to sway in front of him. She took a deep breath and gave a dry laugh. "What a coincidence!"

"What a coincidence!" he replied, looking at her with an enigmatic gaze until she lowered her eyes.

"This...if it's nothing, I...I'll leave first!"

"Where are we going!" He reached out and grabbed her, his hand suddenly landing on her cheek, rubbing it gently. The coldness in his face faded, replaced by a devilish smile that made her eyes widen. At the sight of this, her face flushed pink.

Several men following Rong Ling stared with wide eyes, thinking to themselves: This… is this considered teasing! Is the CEO teasing a woman!

How incredible, it happened right before their eyes! This would probably make it onto the company's top ten news stories of the year!

“I… I just… want to go back…” Lin Meng couldn’t quite explain herself. She didn't really want Rong Ling to know where she was living now. Meeting him was definitely not within her expectations. Although, when she was wandering alone on the barren hills and felt a bit lost in survival, she thought about him. But after she arrived here, as her heart gradually calmed down, she hoped… not to see him!

He suddenly chuckled and asked, "Are you here to find me!"

At the bottom of his eyes, little sparks of joy slowly began to gather.

Lin Meng blushed suddenly, her face turning red. She thought to herself how could she think that way She shook her head foolishly and earnestly, like a tambourine.

The smile in his eyes faded first, and then his own smile softened as well.

He began to subtly observe her. The first thing that caught his eye was her right hand, encased in plaster. Even now, the sight of it made his heart ache. He quickly looked away, then noticed she was wearing a short-sleeved top, shorts, and sandals. In this kind of place, wearing shorts and sandals!

He frowned slightly.

She was still wearing a floral gray-yellow coat, the style somewhat old-fashioned, like something a middle-aged woman would wear. It looked a bit too big on her, definitely not her usual attire.

Because she had a cast on her hand and it was inconvenient to put on clothes, her jacket was only hung over her shoulder. One of her gloves was inside the sleeve of the jacket, while the other sleeve was empty and stuck to her right arm.

Rong Ling reached out and touched the fabric. It was a little stiff and scratchy, not very good quality, and seemed rather thin, probably not very warm. He lowered his head again to look at her nearly bare feet and the two white, slender, and delicate legs exposed above them. He suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed. Especially, he noticed that there were even wounds on her calves!

"How could you possibly wear this out!" he angrily scolded.

Upon hearing this, she lowered her head and remained silent, too embarrassed to explain the whole story.

Gēn'er was afraid of Rongling, but he felt that Rongling's tone when speaking to Lin Meng was too harsh, just like his father would scold him when angry. He liked Lin Meng in his heart and didn't want her to be scolded. So, he dared to raise his head, straighten his neck, and quietly defend Lin Meng.

"Dream sister doesn't have any clothes, so she wears little. Uncle, don't scold her!"

The child's naive words pierced Rong Ling's heart with pain. She was secretly annoyed at Xiao Yi, wondering what was going on. Could he not even bother to buy her new clothes!

"Where is everyone!" he asked in a bad tone, his icy gaze quickly scanning the area around him. He thought Xiao Yi was nearby.

Lin Meng knew that staying any longer would be bad, so he hurriedly smiled.

"Go ahead and get busy, I really have to leave!"

As she spoke, she struggled to push his hands away.

"I'm walking with you." He said coldly, his decision was made and unquestionable.

She was a little flustered and chuckled nervously. "No need, you're busy with important matters..."

"Stop beating around the bush!" was interrupted by his cold voice.

She stood frozen, her head bowed, but she couldn't move forward!

Seeing her like this, Rong Ling narrowed his eyes and looked at her coldly.

The two people remained locked in a stalemate.

The attendants behind Rong Ling had already seen Lin Meng's face, filled with curiosity, but they didn't even dare to breathe.

The younger one couldn't figure out the atmosphere between Lin Meng and Rong Ling, but judging by what he said, it seemed like this uncle was going to his house with this older sister. After thinking for a moment, he blushed and, somewhat excitedly, reached out and tugged on Rong Ling's trouser leg.

Rong Ling glanced at Gen'er with cold eyes. Gen'er was a little scared, her hand tightly clinging to his side before she quickly retracted it. Even her speech became hesitant and stammered.

"Uncle... is it that you're going to... my... my house! I... I'll lead you... go!"

After finishing, she licked her lips nervously.

Rong Ling narrowed his eyes, retracted the coldness in them, and smiled faintly, as if warmly saying to Gen'er, "Good!"

That faint smile immediately gave Gen a great boost of encouragement. His little heart was even more excited! Hehehe, he actually talked to the boss's boss! The buddies in the village will definitely envy him later!

Then, little Root reached out and tugged at Rong Ling's pant leg, pulling it lightly, and smiled ingratiatingly.

"Uncle, come with me!"

Rong Ling hummed in response and, without caring what Lin Meng was thinking, forcefully pulled her along, following Gen'er. Gen'er was a little excited and wanted to talk more with Rong Ling, so she summarized what she knew and asked: "Uncle, are you Dream Sister's friend!"

"Hmm." Rong Ling's voice was still faint, but it didn't stop Gen'er's enthusiasm at all.

"Uncle, Mengjie said she offended someone, so..."

“Root --” As soon as Lin Meng heard this, something felt wrong. He shouted urgently, trying to stop it.

Gen'er turned her head curiously and looked at Lin Meng, puzzled. "What's wrong, Sister Meng!"

Lin Meng sneezed, her nose itching. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping it on her nose. In this backward place, even using toilet paper was a luxury.

Rong Ling watched silently, waiting for her to put away the handkerchief. Then he reached out and touched her forehead, feeling it was warm. He stopped and asked in a low voice, "Do you have a cold!"

Lin Meng couldn't hide it, so she just hummed in response, afraid he would overthink. She quickly explained: "It's been a few days, I guess it's almost healed!"

Rong Ling's eyebrows knitted together into two lines. No wonder she had sounded stuffy and her voice a little raspy since just now. She had a cold, yet she dressed so lightly and flaunted herself outside, practically courting death!

He reached out, his hand parting not from her but to tug at the coat she wore.

She blushed immediately, and somewhat anxiously tugged at her clothes, asking urgently, "What are you doing!"

Innocent eyes, flustered, looked at him.

And he, strong and skilled in subduing others, tore her clothes off in a few moves, throwing them to the root that watched their actions with curiosity.

"Here you go!"

He commanded with a certain air of entitlement, not really understanding things, but still obediently took the clothes.

Then, Rong Ling took off her own jacket and draped it over her. She felt even more embarrassed and pushed it back, saying, "No need, this one is fine for me. Besides, if you take your clothes off for me, wouldn't you have nothing to wear What if you catch a cold!"

He didn't take her words to heart at all. He just pulled her little arm and stuffed it into his clothes, ignoring her completely. He was tall, so naturally his clothes were big. Putting them on her was like a child wearing adult clothes. But it was obvious that Rong Ling's coat was exceptionally warm. As soon as she put it on, Lin Meng felt a wave of warmth enveloping her gently. This kind of foreign-made, handcrafted coat was naturally incomparable to the clothes sold on the street! Finally, when Rong Ling zipped up the coat, the large coat immediately wrapped her up completely.

Rong Ling looked, his eyebrows finally relaxing. He turned his head and said to the few people who came with him: "Xiao Duan stay, the others go about your business!"

Several people heard the news and left, leaving only a thin young man standing there, with a faint smile on his face.

Rong Ling turned her head and looked at the child's roots.

You just said she offended someone, go on, I want to hear more!

Lin Meng quickly spoke, "Gen'er, don't say it!"

"Not a word from you!" Rong Ling said coldly.

Lin Mengqi pouted, knowing that this man was going to get to the bottom of this. She couldn't help but resign herself and soften. "Alright, I'll tell you!"

"No," he refused. "I want to hear him say it."

Saying that, he reached out with his big hand and gently rubbed Gen's head, making Gen giggle with delight.

"How could you do this!" Lin Meng was furious, glaring at him.

Rong Ling snorted. "Save your breath, you're going to hoarse yourself!"

Let him continue with what he was just saying.

Lin Meng was both ashamed and angry. Knowing she couldn't win against this man, she wisely shut her mouth.

Rong Ling listened to Gen'er recount Lin Meng's arrival in a childish voice, his face couldn't help but darken. Anyone could see that he was extremely frightening right now. As Gen'er spoke, he began to struggle to continue, also frightened by the indescribable aura emanating from Rong Ling's body.

"Uncle, you... you wouldn't do that to... to Dream Sister, would you! Dream Sister... she's really good. Those people... those people are so mean..."

Gen'er pursed her lips and didn't dare to say anything more!

He was seething with rage, on the verge of madness. He grabbed Lin Meng's arm with one hand, wishing he could strangle the woman beside him! After such a huge incident, she still wanted to hide it from him! When she saw him, she even wanted to run away! If he hadn't seen her just now, would she have continued to hide like that, staying in this remote corner

Penniless... fell ill on the road... took refuge in other people's homes...

Ok, great!

Upon arriving at Old Tu's home, Rong Ling forcefully pushed Lin Meng onto the earthen bed and grabbed a quilt, tightly wrapping her up. He coldly ordered her to lie on the bed and not move, threatening that otherwise, he would make her pay. Then, with a cold demeanor, he went to speak privately with Old Tu, wanting to understand the full details of what had happened!

When she was alone, about to die on that path rarely traveled by people, he got so angry that he punched down, instantly smashing the only kang table in Datuo's house. Datuo changed color and stared at Rong Ling in fright and awe!

Rong Ling let out a cold snort, his heart filled with murderous intent!

Xiao Yi, you better have a good **ing reason, otherwise, I'll kill you!

He got up and left. Behind him, his secretary, Xiao Duan, with a forced smile, slipped money into Da Tu Bo's hand as compensation. Da Tu Bo shook his head, saying he didn't want it. Xiao Duan insisted, stating that the money also included Lin Meng's living expenses, expressing gratitude for their care towards Lin Meng. He urged him to accept it, otherwise, it would be disrespectful!

Those around Rong Ling were all articulate and possessed an extraordinary air. When Xiao Duan spoke, Ah Tubo could only tremble with apprehension as he accepted the words.

Rong Ling turned back and darted into Lin Meng's hut, glaring at her with icy eyes. Lin Meng felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze, and inexplicably, she began to panic. She could only close her eyes and pretend to be asleep. But he was always someone who wouldn't allow himself to be ignored. That cold, piercing stare fell upon her, how could she possibly truly feign sleep!

Unwillingly opening her eyes, she forced a smile at him. “What’s gotten into you!”

Upon hearing this, he glared at her fiercely once more.

She shrugged and looked at him cautiously. Seeing that he was only wearing a sky-blue short sleeve shirt on his upper body, she found it somewhat glaring. So, she got up from the kang.

He immediately rebuked her, "Lie still, don't move!"

Having a cold and still causing so much trouble, you really deserve it!

Lin Meng glared at him angrily, thinking to herself that this man's character was really despicable sometimes. He always acted like a big shot in front of her!

"I'll take my clothes off and give them to you!" she murmured softly. "Don't catch a cold!"

He immediately shifted his position, turning to sit on the kang. With a stretch of his big hand, he pressed down on her. "No need, keep your clothes on for warmth. I'm not afraid of the cold!"

"That won't do!" she still wanted to take her clothes off.

He pushed her onto the bed without hesitation, pressing down slightly on her shoulders to keep her from getting up.

"Listen to me, don't argue with me. Don't you know what your own body is like!"

Her face flushed, meeting his gaze of fathomless depths. Her heart skipped a beat before she retorted with a hint of embarrassment, "I'm not that fragile. Colds are like that, aren't they No matter how severe, you're guaranteed to be better after a week!"

"Where did you get that nonsense!" He reached out and unceremoniously pinched her cheek. "How serious it is, isn't up to you to decide. When it will be better, isn't up to you either! Just wear more clothes and take good care of yourself!"

She blinked and obediently let him pinch her. Well, since he was so selfless as to donate his clothes, she might as well let him pinch her!

He rubbed her face for a long time, until it was all flushed pink, before he stopped.

"I'll tell this family a word, you come with me!"

"Eh!" Lin Meng exclaimed in surprise, urgently shouting, "No!"

His face, which had finally brightened a little, suddenly darkened again.

She quickly explained, "This family is really nice. I get along well with them and I don't really want to leave. Besides... besides, you have so much to do, and it would be inconvenient for me to tag along. I know you're kind, but please don't worry about me, I'm fine now."

"Pretty good, huh" he sneered at her. "If it were really that good, you wouldn't look like this!"

She blushed again and retorted weakly, "This...this is self-defense, isn't it!"

"Who are you trying to protect!" he asked sharply.

She was stunned, thinking to herself how foolish she had been. He hadn't even started asking yet, and she had already volunteered the information!

"Hehehe..." She began to giggle foolishly, feigning ignorance, trying to bluff her way through.

Ke Rongling was a person who wouldn't be easily fooled. Looking at her, her fingers twitched, and she glared menacingly, pinching her face with a sinister voice, "You better tell me everything truthfully, or I might still try to get you leniency. Otherwise, when I send someone to investigate myself, I can do anything to you. You should know, I have the means!"

Dealing!

He said he wants to handle it!

Her heart ached, she felt a little uncomfortable!

She and he are no longer related, where could he possibly get the right to treat her like this!

"It's my own business, just don't meddle!" she said softly, her heart heavy and uncomfortable. If there weren't so many messy "what ifs," she could be nestled in his arms right now, instead of deliberately keeping her distance!

Rong Ling was stunned, the hand that was on her face slowly retracted! He had said this to her before. But now that it was her saying it, he found the feeling was really uncomfortable!

He lowered his eyes, his gaze gradually turning colder!

"Your business is none of mine!"

He let out a cold snort, immediately stood up, and strode away.

Lin Meng felt a deep ache in her heart, but she actually didn't want him to leave! He didn't know that being alone in this place, seeing his familiar face brought her great joy. Although meeting him made her want to run and hide, knowing he was here, breathing the same air as her, gave her a strange sense of peace.

But she clearly understood that she and he shouldn't get too involved, because the gap between them was simply too wide! Moreover, Rong Sanbo's warning echoed in her ears constantly. For him, for her family, she shouldn't cling to him anymore!

Watching him pull back the curtains and slip out of the room, she sniffed, her eyes downcast. A pang of sadness washed over her, leaving her feeling hollow. She pulled the covers up over her head.

She thought that what she had said was already hurtful enough to that man's pride. The man throwing down those words probably wouldn't come looking for her again. But afterward, the head of Xin Cun village came knocking with some food, saying that Da Tu Shen should use these things to make a good meal because there would be honored guests coming over for dinner in the next few days.

There are also some shrewd people in this village, and they quickly guessed that the distinguished guest should be the big boss who always flew in and stayed at the village head's house. Rumor has it that he was the boss of Boss Li!

"The boss's boss, that must be amazing!"

Gen'er was lying on the edge of the kang, excitedly telling Lin Meng everything he had heard. At the same time, his little sister Niu'er was quietly adding to what he said.

"The boss's boss, but she's also Meng Jie's friend!"

Gēn'ěr said something rather arrogantly, and one couldn't help but wonder where he got this pompous sense of pride.

Two children were a little excited because they were going to have dinner with the boss's boss. What an honor! Uncle Da Tu and Aunt Da Tu were even more entertaining. They both rubbed the children down and then put on their new, pretty clothes. Even the couple tidied themselves up. It was as if they were welcoming some big official. Lin Meng couldn't help but laugh and cry at the sight.

So-called distinguished guests were nothing more than the villagers' speculations. Lin Meng couldn't figure out who would be coming tonight, but of all the outsiders, she only knew Rong Ling. She guessed it was probably him. But that man had been driven away by her. How... how could he still lower himself to come before her

For a moment, her mind was in turmoil.

There is some joy in my heart, yet also some sorrow!

As night fell, Rong Ling arrived as expected. Seeing him, a tinge of bittersweet pain filled her heart. The living standards here were low; even the lighting at night was those yellowish incandescent bulbs that cast an eerie, dim glow throughout the room, making everything appear yellow and gloomy. He sat calmly on a simple stool, his face solemn, but not uttering a word. The air of nobility surrounding him clashed sharply with this environment of mud and dust everywhere. He seemed to have lowered himself to fit in.

Now that Big Tu had learned the identity of the man before him, he knew that even Li Boss from the mine had to listen to this man's orders. So when facing Rong Ling, his attitude was very respectful and a bit restrained. After the husband and wife had arranged the dishes, they went into the house to call Lin Meng.

Actually, Da Tu Shen had wanted to call Lin Meng out early in the morning. She also knew that this distinguished guest came to her door because of this adopted girl. But when she was about to go inside and call someone, she was stopped by Rong Ling.

She doesn't feel well, you let her lie down for a while!

The man's clear voice, when it came out, had a kind of inexplicable power that made one's heartstrings tremble. Da Tu Shen's heart skipped a beat, her face flushed red. She thought to herself, "I'm so old and I'm still being struck by a man like a little girl," she couldn't help but mutter, "Forgive me," and hurried off to take care of the food!

With the meal prepared, Lin Meng was called out. She could sense that Da Tu Shen's attitude towards her had changed; besides the usual warmth and kindness, there was now a touch of restrained respect.

She sighed inwardly, dragging her feet as she sat down at the table. She made sure to sit beside him, but with an empty seat between them. He raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and stood up on his own accord before finally settling next to her. Her face flushed instantly.

The atmosphere was a bit strange. Both the elder aunt and uncle were honest people, so they didn't say anything. They each held a child and sat down at the table.

Then, let's eat!

But no one moved their chopsticks!

Big Tu and Big Mrs. Tu were quite reserved, stealing glances at Rong Ling. Although the two children were young, they could also sense their parents' unusual attitude and obediently sat there, not daring to move. If this were usual, seeing the table laden with dishes like chicken and fish, the two children would definitely be cheering and digging in.

Lin Meng deeply knew the reason for this change!

This man, wherever he goes, still maintains his kingly aura!

She turned her head and playfully pushed Rong Ling with her hand, smiling as she complained. "Look at you, you scared the poor thing! Hurry up and eat before the food gets cold!"

After finishing his words, he smiled and turned to look at Old Farmer Tu and his wife. “This man is like that, he may seem a little cold on the surface, but he’s actually kind-hearted. Don't take him too seriously, just treat him as an ordinary guest, just like you treat me.”

Then, smiling, he reached out to touch Niao'er's head and softly coaxed her to eat quickly.

She smiled, and the atmosphere eased considerably. Even Big Earth Uncle and his wife started to laugh, and Rong Ling, surprisingly, broke into a smile and even spoke softly.

"Lin Meng said, 'You two shouldn't be so reserved. Just treat me as an ordinary guest. In the next few days, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you both with cooking. If you still treat me like a stranger, it would be too unwelcoming.'"

Saying that, he picked up his chopsticks and clipped vegetables into the bowls of the two children before starting to eat.

Rong Ling is very adaptable. With Lin Meng as his starting point, this usually cool and taciturn person actually broke the ice and chatted with Old Man Tu. This made Old Man Tu very excited and felt very proud. Although he's an honest man, he's straightforward. When Rong Ling asked him something, he would readily pour out everything he knew, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.

Rong Ling listened intently, nodding occasionally or smiling, she was very good at encouraging others to continue speaking.

Lin Meng couldn't move her right hand and relied on her left to eat. She couldn't hold chopsticks, so she always used a spoon. The kindhearted Da Tu Shen would usually prepare two eggs for her, making egg custard for her to drink, which was convenient for her to scoop with a spoon. Sometimes, she would also proactively pick up vegetables with chopsticks and put them in Lin Meng's bowl, letting her use the spoon to push the food towards her mouth.

Today there were guests present, so Old Lady Tu felt embarrassed to act this way.

Lin Meng didn't feel comfortable using the spoon to take food from other people's plates, so she began focusing all her attention on the egg custard. Rong Ling noticed this immediately and without hesitation, he picked up some dishes and sent them towards her mouth.

Under everyone's gaze, especially under the scrutiny of the two innocent and curious eyes of the children, Lin Meng felt extremely embarrassed. She dodged and pretended to eat her rice with a spoon.

"Eat!" he said, unceremoniously reaching for her mouth with his chopsticks. I bet this man doesn't know how to be shy!

Lin Meng's face, at a speed visible to the naked eye, flushed red. She opened her mouth wide, took a bite of the vegetables with chopsticks, and without chewing, immediately mumbled her refusal. "I can do it myself!"

He pretended not to hear, and went on saying, "I'll dish you up the food, but you have to serve yourself."

She blushed.

On one side, two children started giggling, and even the old woman couldn't help but laugh along. Adults and children alike, with all inhibitions gone, ate naturally and freely because of this burst of laughter.

Lin Meng felt a bit embarrassed, but she had always been no match for this man. She could only be treated like a child and fed by him. At this moment, she couldn't help but resent herself, wondering why she had cut her wrist with her right hand. If it had been her left hand, things would have been so much better!t condone her actions, because in the end, it would be her body that suffered. He started pulling back the covers, and in a few moments, he pulled the soft and helpless her out from under the blanket....