Mei Ziqing turned around and saw a short-haired woman standing behind her, wearing a white down jacket, jeans, and snow boots. She was carrying two plastic bags, which were bulging with fruits and vegetables, and long celery leaves were sticking out of the bags.
At first glance, she seemed like an ordinary woman who went to buy groceries early every morning. Mei Ziqing could even picture her haggling with the farmers at the market. Her clothes weren't high-end; they were the kind of cheap items that cost a hundred or so yuan on Taobao. She didn't wear much makeup, and the wrinkles around her eyes were clearly visible. There were also a few strands of white hair in her hair, which shimmered in the sunlight.
Mei Ziqing almost mistook this for a nanny hired by Bi Shenghua. She had never met Bi Shenghua, only heard about her from others. Her curiosity about her stemmed entirely from Qingmu; what kind of woman could hold such a man's heart? Even so, she had no urge to meet her, because it was unnecessary. From what she knew, Bi Shenghua was just an ordinary person, and no matter how outstanding or beautiful an ordinary person was, she wasn't worth her time to visit.
Since entering the Mulberry Garden, she regretted her past restraint and pride. She realized this might be the legendary Holy Land site, and if she had come sooner, she might have discovered this secret much earlier. But what is the connection between the Bi Shenghua and the Holy Land?
Mei Ziqing quickly confirmed that the person in front of her was Bi Shenghua. When she stood there, she exuded a kind of temperament that was completely inconsistent with her image—heroic spirit!
He really does look a bit like a man! For a fleeting moment, Mei Ziqing in a daze mentally exclaimed: Handsome!
Of course, she was even more surprised by something deeper in her temperament—composure!
A nanny would never possess such confidence and composure. Even though she was carrying groceries and wearing inexpensive clothes, she possessed an indescribable nobility within her. This nobility was different from the nobility of someone born into wealth or someone in a high position; it was an innate pride and steadfastness, a detachment that came after life had a predetermined meaning, as if nothing in the world could move her except her inner convictions.
Mei Ziqing became increasingly suspicious that Mei Yiqiu was setting up a smokescreen. Putting herself in his shoes, Mei Ziqing would never hand over the Key to the Dreamscape to Yu Jianguo, who was guarding the gate. If she had to choose someone, Bi Shenghua in front of her met the requirements in all aspects.
Now she needs to determine if Bi Shenghua is Awakened. If Awakened isn't, or if her Mental Power is weak, then finding things from her memories will be a simple matter. If Bi Shenghua is a strong Awakened, like Qingmu, then things will be more complicated.
Mei Ziqing wasn't sure how she compared to Qingmu. To ensure her special identity remained hidden, she hadn't even tried to test him. However, according to Saladin, without relying on the power of the collective will, Qingmu was one of the strongest Awakened in the world in terms of individual Mental Power. Perhaps only her deceased father could rival him.
If Bi Shenghua is as strong as Qingmu, then it is indeed a troublesome matter. Mei Ziqing hesitated whether to launch a mental attack immediately before the other party was ready, catching her off guard.
She looked up at the sky, sensing the faint "spiritual shield" covering the entire Mulberry Garden, and ultimately gave up the idea. She didn't know what this magnetic field of Mental Power Field meant; it seemed she could mobilize it and use it for her own purposes, but this was, after all, someone else's territory. If a fight broke out, they would at least have the home-field advantage.
Furthermore, perhaps because she had taken the key from under the flowerpot without permission, Mei Ziqing sensed obvious hostility, or at least displeasure, from Bi Shenghua. She decided to eliminate the other party's hostility first before taking advantage of her unpreparedness.
She shook the keys in her hand, then pointed to the pot of baby's breath and said, "I just think this plant looks a bit out of place here."
Bi Shenghua was indeed displeased. Over the years, apart from Qingmu, no one else had touched this flowerpot. She repeated what she had just said and asked, "Did you come to see me?"
Mei Ziqing had originally intended to confirm Bi Shenghua's identity and then find some excuse to conceal the purpose of her visit. However, she quickly changed her mind, bowed slightly, and said politely, "I've come to see Mr. Qingmu."
Mei Ziqing's refinement and courteous manners were quite endearing. Bi Shenghua's hostility dissipated considerably when she bowed, and she completely relaxed upon hearing Qingmu's name.
"May I ask who you are...?" she asked.
"My name is Mei Ziqing, and I am Professor Mei Yiqiu's assistant," Mei Ziqing replied.
"Oh, Professor Mei..." Bi Shenghua had of course already heard about Mei Yiqiu's death. She knew that Qingmu and the professor had an extraordinary relationship, and she couldn't help but feel a little sad.
"The professor has left us forever." Mei Ziqing's voice was tinged with sorrow, and this was not feigned; she had been immersed in a deep and hidden grief for the past few days.
As she spoke, she carefully observed Bi Shenghua's face, trying to glean something from her expression.
"Please accept my condolences." Bi Shenghua didn't know what to say.
"The professor had some words for me to pass on to Mr. Qingmu before he passed away, and also... Ms. Bi Shenghua." Mei Ziqing decided to try and trick her. She couldn't tell anything from the faint sadness on her face. Everyone feels sad when they hear the news of an old man's death.
"Me?" Bi Shenghua turned her head and glanced at the magnificent crown of the tall mulberry tree not far away, recalling that distant night when Mei Yiqiu came to see her. At that time, the Mulberry Garden had not yet been built, and Liuying Lane had been demolished, leaving ruins everywhere. The mulberry tree at that time was not a mulberry tree, but that old willow.
The professor did indeed give her a vague yet seemingly important task, which she still doesn't understand what it means or why she should do it. But Bi Shenghua never imagined that the professor would leave her a will. This seemed somewhat illogical to her.
The professor's visit on the night of the typhoon indicated that he didn't want anyone else to know about it. She knew she had to take it seriously and keep it a secret. She didn't tell anyone except Qingmu. And when she told Qingmu, although the professor didn't explicitly agree, he said that he trusted Bi Shenghua precisely because he trusted Qingmu.
When Qingmu heard about this, he didn't say much, only telling her to do as she pleased and not to take it to heart. But she could tell that Qingmu supported the professor, and was only telling her not to take it to heart because he was worried about her.
"Ah, so you must be Ms. Bi Shenghua!" Mei Ziqing finally confirmed Bi Shenghua's identity and greeted her warmly, "It's so nice to meet you! Mr. Qingmu often mentions you!"
Bi Shenghua immediately became alert; she would never mention Qingmu to outsiders without a reason.
She frowned and asked, "What did the professor say?"
Seeing Bi Shenghua frown, Mei Ziqing thought her bluff had worked and decided to continue, "The professor said you must keep the things he gave you safe..."