"It's just some crazy talk. That person must be an idiot," Meng Yiren said, her peripheral vision subtly observing Yan Jue's reaction.
Yan Jue remained expressionless, his gaze piercing, scrutinizing Meng Yiren with eyes that seemed to see through her. His intuition told him she was lying. Meng Yiren was different from Zhongli and Lu Xing; she was special.
"How long have you been with me?" Yan Jue asked.
"I can't recall. Ever since I had memories, I have followed you."
"How have I treated you?" Yan Jue pressed.
At this, Meng Yiren's heart skipped a beat. "You are my superior. Everything I have is because of you; you have shown me great kindness."
"Is that so?" Yan Jue's lips curved into a cold smirk. What good was his kindness if she was now wavering because of a few words from someone else?
"Hmph. You ungrateful wretch, go back to your Forgetfulness River. Do not appear before me again," Yan Jue said in a harsh tone.
Hearing this, Meng Yiren's eyes widened. She fell to her knees with a thud. "Yan Zong, please don't send me back. I've stayed in the Forgetfulness River for too long, too long. I'm terrified of it. Please, let me stay here, let me be free."
"No matter what I've done wrong, I'm willing to accept punishment. Please, don't send me back, I beg you."
Meng Yiren's duties in the Underworld were special; she wasn't supposed to leave. It was only because artificial intelligence had replaced her that she could slack off and enjoy freedom in the human world. She truly didn't want to return to a monotonous life.
Yan Jue stood and slowly walked towards her. Just watching his approaching footsteps made Meng Yiren tremble. He was unpredictable, cruel, and impossible to fathom. No one knew what he would do next.
However, Yan Jue simply walked past her. Just as she let out a sigh of relief, she heard his voice from the doorway, giving an order to Lu Xing.
"Lock her up. She is not to be released without my command."
"Yes."
Lu Xing, unaware of what had transpired, simply complied with the order.
Meng Yiren's face turned ashen, and she slumped to the ground. "What did I do wrong? Why are you treating me like this?"
"Just tell me, what did you say to him?" Lu Xing asked helplessly.
"I merely asked if he knew someone named Ye Fengxing. Ye Fengxing called me. Is that my fault too?"
Upon hearing this, even Lu Xing couldn't bring himself to sympathize with Meng Yiren.
"Let's go. Behave, and perhaps you'll be released in a few days."
Unable to resist, Meng Yiren was confined to a small, dark room. In this pitch-black world, she recalled what the man named Ye Fengxing had told her on the phone. He claimed she was originally his subordinate but had been tricked by Yan Jue into drinking the Forgetfulness River water. After she had forgotten everything, Yan Jue had then manipulated her into continuing her work in the Forgetfulness River. Was this all just a deception?
As subordinates, Yan Jue had always treated Zhongli and Lu Xing better than her, rarely giving her a pleasant look. All she did was mention Ye Fengxing's name, not betray him, yet she ended up locked in a dark room. Was he guilty and reacting out of shame?
Meng Yiren remained there for a long time until Tang Xiaomin arrived.
"Yiren, are you alright?"
Meng Yiren shook her head. "It's all my fault for saying the wrong thing and angering Yan Zong."
"It's alright, I've spoken to him. Let's go eat." Tang Xiaomin led Meng Yiren away.
Every time Yan Jue treated her this way, only Tang Xiaomin would come to her rescue. Trembling, she had endured until now. Meng Yiren was always grateful to Tang Xiaomin and deeply respected her.
"Miss Tang, have you ever considered selectively forgetting unpleasant past experiences?"
"You've asked me that question more than once," Tang Xiaomin replied.
Indeed, Meng Yiren had asked Tang Xiaomin this question many times. Tang Xiaomin possessed the ability to make people selectively forget their past.
"But no matter how many times I ask, you always refuse. Why is that?"
"If you forget the unpleasant, you are only left with the happy. Isn't that good? Why wouldn't you want that?" Meng Yiren was utterly perplexed.
Tang Xiaomin smiled. "Selective forgetting is just the cowardice of escaping reality. One must bravely face and solve problems. Only then can one reach a state of indifference, where those unhappy memories no longer affect you."
"Big principles are always easy to spout, but whether one can achieve them is another matter."
"Then, Miss Tang, have you reached that state now?"
"Uh... I'm working on it. It should be soon." Meng Yiren smiled. It seemed the path she had chosen was a difficult one.
Tang Xiaomin brought Meng Yiren back to the Tang family for dinner. Shortly after they arrived, Zhang Meiyu and Pan Jie returned, and even Tang Ye and Tang Yu had been bailed out.
Tang Ye was grumbling. "What kind of relatives are these? If they're relatives, they shouldn't have called the police or posted online!"
"I've trended on hot search again for fighting. My agency is giving me trouble."
Tang Yu, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. "What are you afraid of? So many eyes saw it. Public opinion can be swayed in minutes. You won't be finished just because you got into one fight. You might even gain a new batch of fans."
Pan Jie said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll support you online."
"Dinner is ready," Tang Xiaomin announced.
A table full of a sumptuous meal was already laid out in the dining room. Tang Xiaomin had prepared it after Zhang Meiyu and Pan Jie picked up the others from the police station.
"Wow, the food looks amazing today! It smells so good!" Tang Ye, with his keen nose, was the first to notice.
Immediately, everyone else noticed as well. Zhang Meiyu recognized at a glance that it was Tang Xiaomin's cooking. Her culinary skills were exceptional, far surpassing even the chefs at five-star hotels.
"Xiaomin, you... you cooked."
As soon as she spoke, Zhang Meiyu's nose stung, and her eyes welled up with tears. Tang Yu remained silent for a long time, then looked deeply at Tang Xiaomin. Pan Jie noticed the unusual reactions of the others.
"Auntie, why are you crying? It's just a meal."
Looking at Tang Yu and Tang Ye, their eyes were also red. Was it really necessary? Pan Jie had no idea what Tang Xiaomin's cooking meant to the Tang family.
Tang Xiaomin couldn't remember how long it had been since she last cooked. The meal was exquisite and abundant, far superior to anything Tang Yu or Zhang Meiyu could make. The taste was nostalgic, evoking memories of her past in the Tang family, where she toiled tirelessly. Back then, they didn't treat her as a daughter or a sister, but as a servant.
The atmosphere was eerily silent. No one spoke, and no one took a seat.