Under the moonlight

Huang Meng watched them talk with a smile. Chen Che looked at the two of them, scratched the back of his head somewhat embarrassed, and muttered, "Which idiot came in and didn't close the door?"

Xu Ao glanced at him and said with a smile, "Chen Che, why aren't you saying anything? You were the loudest voice I heard just now."

Chen Che looked up, his eyes filled with guilt. He laughed awkwardly and said, "Hehe, boss, what are you saying? You know how shy I am. I was just trying to be nice to you. I don't know who's been drowning their sorrows in alcohol every day, and they're almost out of drinks." Chen Che's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.

Huang Meng looked at the people in the room and said with a smile, "My birthday is in a couple of days, so let's take this opportunity to have some fun and relax."

After Huang Meng finished speaking, she tilted her head and looked at Chen Che behind her, and said loudly, "Chen Che, I'll have to trouble you to help me make some arrangements. It's more appropriate to leave this kind of thing to you."

Upon hearing Huang Meng's words, Chen Che's previously lifeless eyes instantly lit up like two electrified light bulbs, and he immediately nodded in reply, "Okay, Sister Meng, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Chen Che amused everyone. Jiang Ying's smiling eyes shifted to Xu Ao and Huang Meng, and the smile faded a bit. In the end, the person standing next to him was not her.

A few days after the birthday party, the embassy received a notification that the air route had resumed. Everyone in the embassy was very excited and hurriedly packed their luggage. Huang Meng didn't have much to pack to begin with.

She entered Xu Ao's room, where he was in his office giving instructions to Jiang Ying. Huang Meng wandered around his room boredly. When Xu Ao returned, she was sitting at his desk looking at the books he had placed on the table.

"Why are you here? Why didn't you come to my office?"

As Xu Ao closed the door, he took off his coat and hung it behind it. Huang Meng, without looking up, said, "Well, I was just free and wanted to tell you something, I..."

"Yes, I know. You're taking a plane to Beijing tomorrow afternoon." Huang Meng looked up from her book and smiled at him.

"What, you're finally willing to look at me?" Xu Ao walked over to her, sat down, and tilted his head to look at her.

"Yes, the flight is tomorrow afternoon."

Huang Meng sounded somewhat disappointed. After all, she and he had supported each other and gone through many things together. During her time at the embassy, ​​she seemed to have gotten used to this kind of life, like the collective life in university, eating at fixed times and chatting with everyone. Although sometimes, when talking with people much older than herself, it was inevitable that there would be arguments due to different worldviews, she was really reluctant to leave this place and this environment all of a sudden.

Xu Ao propped one arm on the table, staring at Huang Meng with a smile, and said, "What's wrong? You can't bear to part with me?"

Huang Meng looked at his arrogant expression, scoffed, and turned away, ignoring him. Xu Ao stared at her profile as she gazed out the window, lost in thought, and sighed, "Well, what else can I do? I guess I'll just have to sacrifice myself for the sake of great love!" With that, he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table. Huang Meng looked at him, puzzled. Xu Ao gestured towards the paper on the table with his chin.

Huang Meng picked it up and started reading. It was a document. Huang Meng read it carefully to the end, becoming more and more surprised. Finally, she slammed the paper on the table and said loudly, "Xu Ao, this kind of thing is not something to joke about. Have you thought it through?"

Seeing her surprised expression, Xu Ao reached out and gently stroked the tip of her nose. "Why are you so surprised? Are you particularly touched? Don't worry, this document would have been sent to you even if it hadn't been for you. It's just a transfer. After I leave, Jiang Ying will temporarily take over my position here, and I will go back to China to report for my new post."

Hearing him say that, Huang Meng's expression softened a little. She didn't want Xu Ao to apply for a transfer because of her. Since it was a job change, she was relieved.

Xu Ao looked at her relaxed expression and said with some dissatisfaction, "What's wrong with you? Other people would love for their boyfriends to give up everything for them and follow them wholeheartedly. But you're doing the opposite."

Huang Meng rolled her eyes at him, said nothing, tossed the documents to him, turned to open the door, and before leaving, turned back and smiled as she tossed him a message: "Hurry up and pack your things, there's only one flight tomorrow afternoon, if you miss it, don't bother coming back!"

She turned back to look at Xu Ao with a bright smile. Sunlight streamed down, illuminating her smooth forehead. A gentle breeze blew in from outside the window. Xu Ao stared at this scene, breathing deeply. The soothing and pleasant scent drifted into his nose with the breeze, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

News of Xu Ao's impending transfer from the embassy spread quickly. Upon hearing this, Chen Che rushed to Xu Ao's room, startling Huang Meng who quickly broke free from his embrace. Xu Ao glared at the hasty Chen Che and said irritably, "Were you chased by a cow? Can't you knock?"

"Are you being transferred away from the embassy?"

"Yes."

"When did this happen?"

"Yes, the documents came down a couple of days ago. I just handed over my work to Jiang Ying yesterday. What's up?"

"Why didn't you tell me beforehand?" Xu Ao remained silent, looking at Chen Che. He felt something was off about Chen Che's words; even Huang Meng hadn't questioned him like this. But Chen Che's expression was serious and earnest. "Now you know, don't you?"

Chen Che suddenly sat down next to Xu Ao and said painfully, "If you leave, what will I do?"

"What do you mean, 'what to do'? What are you saying? Your sister Meng is still here, don't let her misunderstand!"

Watching Chen Che and Xu Ao's back-and-forth questioning, Huang Meng thought that if she didn't know about Chen Che's relationship with Li Linlin, Chen Che's pained expression as he questioned Xu Ao would seem more real than her own as his official girlfriend.

"You left, and now I'm all alone here. Chen Ming is such a bookworm, all he does is read. There's no one to play basketball with anymore, no one to drink and chat with, and no one to go to the club with... Ugh~"

Xu Ao quickly covered Chen Che's mouth, put his arm around his shoulder, glared at him sharply, and said fiercely, "What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly, say it again!" He also gave him a meaningful look as he spoke.

With his mouth covered, Chen Che kept glancing at Huang Meng behind him. Realizing he had almost said something wrong, he quickly nodded to signal Xu Ao to let go of him.

"Phew~ Hmm, it's nothing. I just came to ask when you're leaving, whether you've packed your things, and if you need me to take you?" Chen Che changed his previous grief and agitation, and with a standard fake smile, looked at Xu Ao, and then at Huang Meng behind him.

Huang Meng smiled and shook her head at him. Seeing that she didn't react, Chen Che thought that she probably hadn't heard him clearly. He breathed a long sigh of relief. Luckily, if he had given himself away, Xu Ao would have strangled him. He should leave quickly. Too much talk leads to mistakes! Chen Che slipped out like a greased rag doll, making sure to close the door behind him.

"What club? Ah~ it can't be the one on Central Street, can it!" Xu Ao saw the door close and was about to hug Huang Meng to continue their tender moment that had just been interrupted when he suddenly heard this sentence from behind. His whole body tensed up, and the level of tension was no less than that of being pointed at with a gun by mercenaries.

He frowned, cursing Chen Che in his mind, then put on a broad smile, turned to Huang Meng, and said seriously, "What, what CLUB? Where did you hear that from? I don't know..."

"Didn't Chen Che just say that? Don't tell me you didn't hear it," Huang Meng said with a smile.

"Yes, really? I didn't hear him clearly. He started wailing as soon as he came in. Who knows what he was saying!" Xu Ao looked at Huang Meng with sincere eyes and slowly walked towards her.

"Stop, Xu Ao, don't forget, I studied a less commonly taught language. I may not be good at other things, but my listening comprehension is top-notch. You'd better think carefully about how to explain it."

Just as Xu Ao was only a step away from Huang Meng, reaching out his arms to give her a loving hug, Huang Meng placed a finger on his chest, said this with a smile, turned around, slipped under his arm, opened the door, and left. The sound of the door slamming shut seemed to shake the entire corridor.

Xu Ao closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and called out Chen Che's name. When he opened his eyes again, there was a murderous intent in them.

At this moment, Chen Che, who was hiding in Li Linlin's room, heard the door shaking violently and his heart sank. He thought, "It's over, it's over. Xu Ao will definitely kill me before he leaves!"

Sure enough, a moment later, Xu Ao's furious voice echoed in the hallway: "Chen Che, come out!"

Chen Che, listening intently to the sounds outside, felt a chill run down his spine. Suddenly, Li Linlin flung open the door and shoved him out, shouting, "He's here! Do you need him?" Chen Che stared blankly at Li Linlin, wondering if she was trying to murder her husband. Li Linlin pretended not to see the pleading look in his eyes, turned and closed her door, then knocked on Huang Meng's door across the hall. "Sister Meng, are you there?"

Huang Meng listened to the commotion in the hallway and chuckled to herself. Actually, she didn't care much about where Xu Ao had been before she met him, since he was a free man before her. But what angered her was that she learned about this from Chen Che, which made her feel inexplicably resentful.

Just then, she heard Li Linlin's voice. She opened the door, and Li Linlin stood by the door with her arms crossed. She watched as Xu Ao grabbed Chen Che's ear and led him into his room, and said loudly, "Hey, some people, you should be willing to take responsibility for what you've done. What's the point of hiding it? Right, Sister Meng?"

Hearing her mention Huang Meng, Xu Ao paused as he opened the door, then heard Huang Meng say softly, "That's right." His hatred for Chen Che intensified. He took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and threw Chen Che onto the bed.

"Ah, be gentle, brother, I was wrong, I was wrong~ Don't pinch me there~ Ah!"

Huang Meng and Li Linlin peered through the crack in the door, listening to Chen Che's screams coming from Xu Ao's room, as well as the confused chatter of others, and laughed brightly!