CHAPTER 402: CHAPTER 242: LOVE IS SPLIT IN TWO_2

He looked towards Meng Wanning, "Which path would you like to take?"

"I want to see the pandas."

Chen Cheng nodded and extended his hand to Meng Wanning.

Meng Wanning was initially stunned, but a second later, she placed her hand in Chen Cheng’s.

Their fingers interlocked, and they walked towards the direction of the pedestrian path.

"Look, there’s a monkey!" Meng Wanning exclaimed with surprise, "No, wait! It’s a troop of monkeys!"

Chen Cheng followed her gaze and saw a group of macaques on a small hillside by the road, sitting, lying down, or frolicking around in high spirits.

One of the monkeys, slightly larger and with darker fur, seemed to be the leader of the troop, sitting on a rock while nibbling on an apple a tourist had thrown to it, all the while observing its surroundings vigilantly.

"I looked it up online last night, don’t get too close."

Chen Cheng reminded, "It’s dangerous."

"I see..." Meng Wanning unconsciously moved closer to Chen Cheng once again, her held hand also tightening its grip.

Chen Cheng felt Meng Wanning’s subtle movement, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, his grip on her hand tightening further.

"You seem to like animals too?" he asked.

Meng Wanning nodded, admitting, "I didn’t have many friends growing up. I used to have a dog, but it ran away."

Her tone was hard to distinguish as salty or bland, very calm, "Since then, I didn’t keep pets anymore. If you don’t invest your heart, you won’t be heartbroken when you lose them."

"And you? Did you ever have a pet?" she asked Chen Cheng in return.

"I had a turtle during my school days; that little creature was easy to care for."

Chen Cheng spoke, "Then one winter, I forgot to bring it inside, and overnight, it became an ice block along with its tank."

"I see..."

After a pause, Meng Wanning then said, "But you still remember the joy and companionship it brought you, that’s quite nice."

"Why are you comforting me now?"

Meng Wanning smiled, "I’m afraid you’d be sad."

"You’ve started to joke with me too." Chen Cheng gazed at her smiling face, "Not bad, not bad."

"It seems like you’ve never talked about your past with me." Meng Wanning broached the subject.

"What would you like to know?"

"Hmm... tell me about you and your senior sister?"

Chen Cheng wasn’t expecting this question.

"Do you really want to hear it?"

Meng Wanning nodded vigorously.

"I’ve known Xiao Er for many years..."

Chen Cheng recounted every detail of his past with Xiao Meier to Meng Wanning, without concealing that it was after breaking up with his former girlfriend that he got together with Xiao Meier.

Meng Wanning spoke indifferently, "So, you’ve been grasped firmly by your senior sister?"

Chen Cheng was taken aback, then he couldn’t help but laugh.

He didn’t expect Meng Wanning to describe his relationship with Xiao Meier using the word "grasped firmly."

"How should I put this..."

Chen Cheng pondered for a moment, "It’s more like gratitude. When she gave me her savings from over the years, I was very touched."

"You might think the beginning of our relationship wasn’t pure, or you could even say it was somewhat hasty. But Xiao Er’s feelings for me are sincere."

"Responsibility?"

Meng Wanning caught another key word in Chen Cheng’s words.

Chen Cheng nodded, "Xiao Er isn’t good at expressing her feelings, but often, she took care of me in her own ways."

"Do you love her?" Meng Wanning looked straight into Chen Cheng’s eyes and asked, word by word.

Her steps halted as she asked again, "I know senior sister is different from your other women. Do you love her?"

This direct and piercing question left Chen Cheng momentarily stunned.

The beauties surrounding him never discussed this topic.

They would never bluntly question Chen Cheng’s feelings.

They were all smart, knowing that some things, once clarified, would lose their essence.

Yet Meng Wanning had asked.

"Love."

Chen Cheng gave his answer.

Upon hearing this expected response, Meng Wanning’s eyes hinted at an intricate mix of emotions.

"To tell you the truth, I never contemplated this question until I met you."

"Meeting me?"

Meng Wanning puzzled, "What about me?"

"After meeting you, I realized that the word ’love’ is hard to split in half."

Chen Cheng paused, "Yet I have to split it."

Chen Cheng’s candidness kindled a sourness in Meng Wanning’s heart.

So it turned out, he saw her differently from the others.

But this realization had come too late.

What if he hadn’t been with Xiao Meier, what if they had met a little earlier? How wonderful would that be?

"I know."

Meng Wanning’s voice was so gentle, it could almost be scattered by a breeze.

"So, Wan Wan, I don’t want to lie to you, nor will I."

Meng Wanning sniffled, "I know."

"Unhappy?"

"No."

Meng Wanning lifted her head, looking at the man before her, "I’m just thinking, after we go back, how should I get along with my senior sister."

She voluntarily rubbed Chen Cheng’s hand, "When you are here, there is only me. But after we go back, you will..."

"Ah, you will not only have your senior sister after going back."

Chen Cheng smiled, "Jealous?"

"Absolutely not!"

Meng Wanning averted Chen Cheng’s gaze, claiming not to be, but her pouting mouth betrayed her current mood.

"I just can’t help but feel jealous..."

Chen Cheng gazed at the sensitive girl, drawing her thin shoulders into his embrace, "Jealous because you love me?"

"You... rogue!"

Chen Cheng hugged her a little tighter, "If you didn’t love me, why would you be jealous?"

"I’m not talking to you anymore!"

Meng Wanning wriggled out of Chen Cheng’s hold, but before she could take the first step, she was pulled back by him.

"I was wondering why you didn’t call me Brother Cheng today, turns out you were really jealous."

"I just don’t want to be the same as them. At least when it comes to addressing you, I don’t want to."

Chen Cheng looked straight into Meng Wanning’s aggrieved eyes, "You’ve always been different from them!"

"I don’t want to talk to you, I want to see the pandas."

"Okay, let’s go see the pandas."

Chen Cheng went along with her, but didn’t let go of her hand, "Holding your hand as we walk, lest you get lost."

Meng Wanning, although verbally not acknowledging Chen Cheng, her body honestly let him lead her by the hand.

When the two arrived at the panda enclosure, the lovable giant pandas were lying on the ground lazily, crunching on bamboo.

"Look how much it’s enjoying its meal. It’s got good teeth, eats well, and is healthy!" Chen Cheng tried to start a conversation.

"I wish I were a panda," Meng Wanning suddenly said.

"Why?"

"At least I would be a national treasure then, and you wouldn’t dare to bully me."

Chen Cheng cleared his throat, "Pandas have their own troubles, think about it, they are kept here every day, isn’t that painful?"

Meng Wanning paused for a moment, thought it through, and felt that Chen Cheng made sense.

"That seems to make sense." She nodded, "Being human is better, you can live freely."

"But you just bullied me."

She looked at Chen Cheng.

"When? I didn’t, did I?"

Chen Cheng feigned innocence, racking his brains recalling the previous conversation, completely unaware of where he might have upset Meng Wanning.

Meng Wanning did not respond directly, but gently tapped Chen Cheng’s chest with her finger, her tone slightly petulant, "When you said you loved your senior sister."

"Silly girl, when I said I love her, it’s because she deserves love, but it doesn’t mean I don’t love you."

Chen Cheng had a sudden realization, "My love for her is responsibility, a return for the many years she has waited and given."

"But for you, it’s excitement, it’s passion, it’s desire."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious, "Wan Wan, you need to believe me, my feelings for you are completely different from theirs."

Meng Wanning listened to Chen Cheng’s explanation, the sour feeling in her heart gradually dissipated, replaced by an inexplicable sweetness.

"But, I still can’t help but feel jealous," Meng Wanning said softly, her voice tinged with helplessness.

"I know."

Chen Cheng spoke with a smile, "That means you care about me, that I’m important in your heart."

He embraced Meng Wanning’s shoulders again, "Don’t worry, I will give you enough security, so you won’t have these random thoughts."

Meng Wanning leaned into Chen Cheng’s embrace, listening to his strong heartbeat, the sourness in her heart fading.

Yes, Chen Cheng was right, she cared for him, and that’s why she felt jealous.

And since she decided to stay last night, such a relationship should be understood sooner.

"So, how do you want to address me in the future?" Chen Cheng looked down at her, "Between boyfriend and girlfriend, there should be a pet name, right?"

Meng Wanning lifted her head, meeting his intense gaze, "Then I will call you boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Chen Cheng smiled, "That works, quite novel, and clears up the relationship too."

Meng Wanning’s nostrils flared, and she whispered softly, "Hubby."

"What... what?"

Chen Cheng truly didn’t hear clearly, he bent down, bringing his ear closer to Meng Wanning’s mouth.

Meng Wanning took a deep breath, summoning her courage and called out, "Hubby."