BXBX NOVEL Chapter 357 Happiness (1)
Meng Renshu studied the man in front of him calmly.
The man had slightly long black hair with a fair complexion. He wore a red suit with a black turtleneck shirt inside. He seemed to like wearing accessories, looking at how many piercings and rings he wore.
The nails on both of his hands were painted black, and the man carefully bled the tea on his cup before taking a sip.
Meng Renshu assumed they were roughly around the same age from his appearance. He had met many people working in publishing companies but never had he ever met someone who dressed in such a conspicuous way as this.
"What kind of business does the President of the Pharmaceutical Company want from me?" Shao Jingfei smiled as he put down his back to its saucer.
Meng Renshu didn't mean to stare, so when Shao Jingfei smiled knowingly at him, he felt self-conscious.
"Sorry for staring. First, thank you for sparing some time to meet me in the middle of your busy times. I will go straight to the point to avoid wasting time."
Meng Renshu put down the book on top of the table. "The reason I call you here today is none other than to talk about this book."
"Ah, Solitude and Happiness. Are you a fan of this book too?"
"Yes, you can say that. I want you to tell me about 'Little Bird' or the author of this book."
Shao Jingfei made a face of trouble before answering. "President Meng, if you are a fan of Little Bird, you should know that this person never shows themselves in public. Thousands of people sent us emails to arrange a fan meeting with the author, but there is nothing we can do about it. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help you."
Meng Renshu had expected his response, so he quickly took a picture from his inner pocket.
"Then, I'll change my question. Have you ever met this woman before?"
Shao Jingfei stared down at the picture intensely, while Meng Renshu studied the change in his expression. He was unsure if Shao Jingfei recognized Li Caiyi or not based on his look.
"Hmm, I'm not sure. I don't think I've ever met this person before, but her face does seem familiar. Is this your family or friends?"
"She is my wife," Meng Renshu replied while clenching his hand tightly under the table.
Shao Jingfei exclaimed in acknowledgment. "Ah, so this is your wife. No wonder I felt like I have seen her before."
Meng Renshu and Li Caiyi used to appear on TV or in magazines during the first year of their marriage. It was no wonder if Shao Jingfei was familiar with Li Caiyi's face.
One thing for sure, it didn't seem like Shao Jingfei ever had any contact with Li Caiyi at all.
"Mr. Shao, I will be blunt and ask this. Have you ever met with the author Little Bird before this?"
Meng Renshu didn't miss how Meng Renshu's smile stiffened for a moment before returning to its previous flare. He put the picture back on the table before confidently staring back at Meng Renshu.
"Why are you asking that? I wonder what kind of business the President has with our author?"
If Meng Renshu couldn't sense his tone's vigilance, he might as well retire from his job right then.
"I strongly believe that this Little Bird who wrote this book is my wife, Li Caiyi."
Shao Jingfei's brows raised in astonishment. He straightened his posture while playing with the rings on his finger. "I'm very sorry to bring this up, but I heard that your wife passed away three months ago, is that right?"
"That's right. The one who recommended this book to me is my wife's brother, and the same as me, he also thinks that his sister is the one who wrote this book."
"Does your wife like writing? Or do you ever stumble across her writing before and find the similarities between the two texts?"
"I believe I have never seen my wife showing any interest in writing before. Or at least, that's what I thought. I want to confirm this fact with you as the book's editor."
Shao Jingfei's brows furrowed. "Then how can you assume that? Shouldn't you as the husband know about your wife better than me?"
Meng Renshu felt a rock blocking his throat again, and his heart sank to his feet. Li Caiyi was his wife, but he barely knew anything about her. If he knew his wife liked to write so much, he wouldn't be this confused about everything.
He wondered just how many other things she kept hidden from him. There was no way to know the answer now.
The only thing he could do to know more about Li Caiyi was by relying on the person sitting in front of him.
"I'm ashamed to admit it, but my wife and I don't have the best relationship. There are a lot of things I don't know about her. However, if this is really something my wife left behind before her death, I want to know more about it. Can you please tell me everything you know?"
Shao Jingfei stared at Meng Renshu's determined look and felt his heart soften. He felt sympathetic for this man who had just lost his wife. Although he still had his doubts and suspicion, he decided he should give the businessman the benefit of the doubt first.
"Hmm, I understand where you come from. I don't know if this can be helpful information, but I did receive the raw manuscript from Little Bird precisely three months ago."
Meng Renshu's face lit up. "Then, do you mean…"
"Yeah, there is a high possibility that your assumption might be correct. Your wife probably sent this to me before she…." Shao Jingfei couldn't continue his sentence, so Meng Renshu quickly took over.
"How did you and my wife get into contact with each other?"
"Oh. We met each other on the internet. We happened to join the same book forum, and from there, we chatted a lot about our favorite books."
Meng Renshu knew Li Caiyi's hobby of reading books. That's why he never forbade her from entering his study, where his books were stored.
"Then, how did she give the manuscript to you if you haven't met before?"
"Under the assumption that Little Bird IS indeed your wife, it seems you really don't know much about your wife."