"So..."
Seeing a hint of joy appear on Dong Moxuan's face, Mei slightly curled her lips, revealing a smile that was impossible to tell whether it was mocking him or not.
"So you can leave now, Mr. Dong Moxuan!"
Mei straightened up and politely delivered her words of dismissal.
"Eh!????"
Hearing Mei's words, Dong Moxuan's expression immediately turned shocked. He felt that this rice-cooking woman seemed a little off.
"Are you doubting the authenticity of the photo? If you need proof, I actually still have..."
"No, Mr. Dong Moxuan."
Mei gently shook her head, interrupting Dong Moxuan as he tried to produce more evidence to convince her.
"I have no intention of doubting your identity at all."
"Then why..."
"You pledged allegiance to Raiden Ryoma..."
Mei raised her head, and her previously polite, indifferent tone surprisingly carried a hint of mockery.
"What does that have to do with me, Raiden Mei?"
Dong Moxuan "..."
Mei's words left him at a loss for how to respond.
What a blunder!
Looks like Mei really resents her father!
Although Dong Moxuan had befriended Raiden Ryoma for his daughter's sake, this daughter-obsessed uncle had somehow caused his daughter to resent him so deeply. It had to be said that he was truly a failure as a person.
No, that wasn't quite right.
The situation was special at the moment. Mei resented Raiden Ryoma the most, and he had happened to become the target of her displaced anger. It seemed he had indeed made a terrible move.
But he had to make that terrible move. After all, he had no other pieces in hand.
"Mr. Dong Moxuan?"
Seeing that Dong Moxuan remained silent, Mei assumed that he was unwilling to give up so easily and continued trying to persuade him.
"Although I would very much like to help you, Mr. Dong Moxuan, I am still a woman. It would be very inconvenient if you moved in. If there is truly no other way... perhaps you could ask my father for help?"
Ask your father for help?
Where am I supposed to find him?
In prison?
Hearing Mei's suggestion and knowing Raiden Ryoma's current situation, Dong Moxuan nearly voiced his complaint.
"Ahem, Miss Mei, you don't have to say anything more. I understand."
After coughing lightly a few times, Dong Moxuan indicated that he understood Mei's decision.
Mei was a girl, and it would indeed be inconvenient for a man and woman to live together.
Besides, he, Dong Moxuan, was a proper MANTIS, with an unyielding spirit and his own dignity.
Did he look like the kind of MANTIS who would shamelessly cling to someone?
"Miss Mei, I'm not the kind of person who refuses to leave. Since you've put it that way, I can only..."
Seeing Dong Moxuan stand up as though he intended to leave, Mei felt relieved, yet faintly guilty at the same time.
Was she being too heartless?
Although she couldn't let Dong Moxuan stay, she could at least give him some money to help him get through his difficulties for the time being, couldn't she?
Looking at Dong Moxuan, Mei thought this with some reluctance.
But in the next second, she realized just how naive her thoughts had been.
"Mei, don't abandon meeeee!!!!"
Dong Moxuan suddenly dropped to the ground like a tiger pouncing and hugged Mei's leg.
"If you don't take me in, I'll really starve to death!!!"
"I've been so good to you, and I'm even using Strike to fight through the Abyss now. How can you be so heartless???"
"Mei, don't kick me out, aaaaaah~~~"
Mei "..."
Feeling Dong Moxuan's actions, Mei's face instantly flushed red.
When had she ever been so intimate with a male of her own age?
What was more, this shameless man was not only hugging Mei's leg and crying, but also rubbing against it as he cried, making her whole body feel even more uncomfortable.
"Please let go of me, Mr. Dong Moxuan!"
At this point, Mei was still an inexperienced young lady. Faced with Dong Moxuan's shameless behavior, she immediately panicked.
She pushed Dong Moxuan with all her strength, but after failing to move him several times, she could only say with a flushed face and embarrassed anger, "I agree! I agree, all right? Let go!"
"Thank you so much, Miss Mei."
Hearing Mei's words, Dong Moxuan immediately let go. His expression also returned to normal, as though nothing had happened.
"I knew Miss Mei was a good person!"
Mei "..."
Looking at Dong Moxuan's shameless appearance, Mei was too helpless even to feel angry.
How could my own father know someone this shameless?
No, it was precisely because he was someone her unscrupulous father knew that he was so shameless.
After mentally insulting her father, Mei composed herself and said to Dong Moxuan, "Although I agree to let you stay temporarily, Mr. Dong Moxuan, you must agree to my conditions. Otherwise, don't blame Mei for getting rough!"
As she spoke seriously to Dong Moxuan, Mei raised the black Tachi she had just picked up from the side.
If Dong Moxuan tried the same trick again, the consequences probably wouldn't be pleasant.
"Of course, of course..."
Seeing the murderous look on Mei's face, Dong Moxuan gave a few awkward laughs and answered with a guilty look.
Seeing that Dong Moxuan finally stopped causing trouble, Mei also breathed a sigh of relief.
Mei then began explaining her conditions to Dong Moxuan. They were nothing more than basic rules for a man and woman living together: he couldn't enter her room without permission, use her personal belongings, and so on. Dong Moxuan naturally nodded along repeatedly, with no reason to object.
"In that case..."
Looking at the young man who had forcibly moved into her home, Mei rubbed her temples with a headache, but didn't say anything more.
"It's getting late. I'll prepare dinner first. Please make yourself at home, Mr. Dong Moxuan."
Seeing Mei turn to leave, Dong Moxuan didn't stand on ceremony. He sat directly on the sofa and used the remote to turn on the television.
"...At present, ME Company executive director Raiden Ryoma has officially been imprisoned for suspected xxxx. Regarding this matter..."
Dong Moxuan "..."
Mei "..."
Seeing Mei's formerly indifferent expression turn gloomy the instant the news appeared on the television, Dong Moxuan awkwardly said, "I didn't expect Big Brother Ryoma to actually end up inside..."
"He was fine before. How did this happen..."
Looking at the news on the television, Dong Moxuan felt grief well up inside him even though he had known about this matter long ago. He sadly curled his lips.
"Mei, don't be too sad either... Pfft..."
"Big Brother Ryoma will be fine!"
Well done, Lady Cocolia!
Mei "..."
Looking at Dong Moxuan in front of her, Mei narrowed her eyes and asked, "Were you... laughing just now?"
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