Meng Ruozhao folded the note and put it aside before slowly sitting down to have breakfast.
The soy milk in the cup was still warm. Holding it in her hand warmed her somewhat cold fingertips.
As she ate breakfast, her mind still lingered on those blurred images and the vague sense of familiarity with the name Pei Jiangmu.
After breakfast, Meng Ruozhao started to work.
Soon, the two shop assistants also arrived.
She put down the design draft in her hand and gave them a bright smile.
"Linlin, Gaogao, there will be a part - timer coming to our shop today. He's still a student."
"He's quite well - behaved. You should teach him a thing or two later."
Both Linlin and Gaogao were girls. One was Xu Lin and the other was Ai Gao.
They both majored in fashion design and had graduated only a few years ago.
When Meng Ruozhao said this, she didn't really expect them to teach Pei Jiangmu anything.
She just hoped they could get along well.
After all, Pei Jiangmu had said that his classmates didn't like him. If he couldn't get along well with his colleagues, he would be even more heart - broken.
Xu Lin and Ai Gao both responded and then asked her, "Zhaozhao, why did you come so early today?"
Although they were her employees, they were older than Meng Ruozhao, so they all called each other by their names.
Meng Ruozhao smiled, "Because I slept here again last night."
She didn't deliberately mention that Pei Jiangmu had also slept there, as it was a long story.
If she tried to make it short, it would seem a bit strange.
Fortunately, the two of them knew that she would sometimes get so absorbed in her work that she "lost all sense of time", and they were used to it, so they didn't ask further.
The three of them threw themselves into their work.
By the time Meng Ruozhao had fully concentrated on drawing a pattern for a cheongsam, it was almost lunchtime.
She took out her phone and ordered take - out.
After hesitating for a moment, she finally opened the browser.
She typed in the three characters "Pei Jiangmu" in the search box.
While drawing the pattern all morning, this guy's face would pop into her mind from time to time, making her absent - minded.
The page refreshed quickly, but the search results disappointed her greatly.
Apart from his name appearing in some school activity reports and student lists, there was no other useful information.
She then tried to input some words related to her vague dreams.
Such as "cohabitation abroad", "grand dinner", "man in black".
But the search results were just news and novels, with no clues that could be linked to her memories.
Meng Ruozhao put down her phone dejectedly, leaned back on the sofa, and stared at the ceiling.
It should be because she had read too many novels recently, which had caused a memory disorder.
Just then, her phone suddenly vibrated. It was a text message.
She picked up her phone and saw that it was from the butler of the Du family.
She was asked to go back to the Du family early tonight, as there was something important.
Meng Ruozhao frowned. She instinctively didn't want to go back.
The Du family had never given her any warm memories. All it had brought her was endless exploitation and coldness.
But she would have to go back after all. After much hesitation, she replied with a simple "Okay".
In the evening, Meng Ruozhao packed up simply and went home early.
All the way, she was thinking about how to fob off Du Feng if he asked about the agency right again.
What would Du Feng's reaction be?
When the gate of the Du family came into view, a sense of oppression welled up in her heart.
She might be the only one who felt as if she were going to a funeral when going home.
She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
Yes, she didn't even have the password to the front door of the house.
She always had to wait for the butler or a servant to open the door for her.
After a while, the butler came out to open the door, with his usual respectful look on his face.
But Meng Ruozhao felt that there was a hint of contempt hidden behind that respect.
Walking into the living room, all the members of the Du family were sitting on the sofas, and the atmosphere was as solemn as it had been the day before.
Du's father was sitting in the main seat, his face gloomy. Xia Lian was sitting beside him, wiping her tears.
Du Xixi was crossing her arms, looking at Meng Ruozhao with a gloating expression.
Before Meng Ruozhao could even ask what was going on, Du's father suddenly threw a document on the coffee table and roared.
"Meng Ruozhao, look at what you've done!"
Meng Ruozhao was shocked. She stepped forward and picked up the document.
When she saw the content on the document, her face instantly turned deathly pale...
"Do you know how much money and connections I've spent to wipe out your sordid past?"
"Yet you leave me such a huge hidden danger? You're pushing our Du family to the brink of destruction!"
Du Feng's face was extremely gloomy. He looked even more hideous than when he had slapped Du Xixi the day before.
It was an abortion report.
In the patient column, the three characters "Meng Ruozhao" were clearly written in black and white.
This operation was performed in a private hospital in Haicheng the winter before last.
"You were already back in Haicheng at that time? Why didn't you come home?"
"Such a big thing happened, but you made your own decision without discussing it with the family."
"And you used your real name. Is your brain just for show?"
Du Feng was so angry that he paced back and forth, his face red.
Maybe he was afraid that Yan Qiubai would come to see Meng Ruozhao at any time, and if she got hurt on her face, she wouldn't be able to show herself.
So he didn't hit her.
Meng Ruozhao's hands couldn't help but tremble slightly.
The content on the document left her brain blank. It took her a long time to find her voice.
"This... What's going on? I don't remember at all."
Du's father stared at her.
"Don't know? What on earth did you do during those years abroad? Now these things have been dug out. Once they're spread, the reputation of the Du family will be completely ruined!"
"Not to mention the agency right. The Yan family has plenty of ways to make sure we'll never have a chance to turn things around."
Xia Lian also sobbed and said.
"Zhaozhao, why are you so naive? You should have contacted the family first when something like this happened."
"I know you've never accepted me, but it's okay if you don't accept me. You can't go against the Du family like this."
"The company is your father's lifelong effort. If the stock price is affected by your affairs..."
Du Xixi was even more eager to stir up trouble. She sneered from the side.
"Sister, you're really full of surprises. Are there any bigger secrets that haven't been discovered yet, like a love child?"
Meng Ruozhao was both angry and anxious.
"I really don't remember anything. I have no impression of those past events at all."
Du's father sneered, "Don't remember? Can you just wipe out all your past with a single 'don't remember'?"
Meng Ruozhao tried hard to calm herself down.
"Where did you get these reports? Did someone send them to you specifically?"
Although she didn't remember, she didn't think she would have an abortion for no reason.
Moreover, she was studying abroad at that time. Why did she come all the way back to Haicheng for the operation?
Was she afraid that others wouldn't know?
Du's father stopped walking and stared at Meng Ruozhao.
"Someone sent it to the company and told me that if I didn't give him one million, he would send it to the Yan family."
It seemed that there really was someone hiding in the dark, peeping at her current life.
After a moment of silence, she said slowly.
"Give me some time. I'll find out the truth."
"If it's true, I'll take the initiative to break off the engagement with Yan Qiubai. I won't let the Du family be implicated by me."