Xing Zheng's reply came swiftly. Though it was only an "Mm," it was enough to make Jiang Chubai smile. She should have explained Zhao Jianghe's true intentions to Xing Zheng, but to completely sever Xing Zheng's ties with Lin Mei, she had to resort to this tactic.
If she allowed the two to continue their secret meetings, Xing Zheng would likely be even more infatuated with Lin Mei and neglect his responsibilities. Such a promiscuous woman was hardly worth him taking such great risks. It would be better to resolve this opportunity once and for all.
In her opinion, Lin Mei held no genuine feelings for Xing Zheng, merely enjoying the thrill of being pursued by different men. That's why she was dating a man several years younger while secretly sleeping with Xing Zheng. Her presence only served to hinder Xing Zheng's progress.
Lin Mei's WeChat conversations with Zhao Jianghe had recently become noticeably more frequent. They not only discussed work but also family matters. Lin Mei shared a lot about her home life with him. Zhao Jianghe listened but never mentioned anything about his own family, so Lin Mei failed to obtain any useful information, which showed how tight-lipped Zhao Jianghe was about his family affairs.
Despite the lack of progress, Lin Mei was not anxious. Gaining trust was never a task that could be accomplished overnight. However, counting the days, it seemed Xing Zheng hadn't contacted her in a while.
The last time they slept together in Runcheng, they had completely lost contact. It had been almost half a month now, and the date of his wedding with Jiang Chubai was drawing closer…
It was Friday again. Lin Mei proactively invited Zhao Jianghe out for dinner, using the excuse of thanking him for his help last time. Zhao Jianghe, however, asked her to cook for him at his villa. Lin Mei agreed and, after work, went to Zhao Jianghe's villa. It wasn't her first time there, and Zhao Jianghe's Golden Retriever was still there.
Lin Mei went into the kitchen and busied herself for a long time, preparing a sumptuous dinner. As Zhao Jianghe began to eat, Lin Mei grew nervous. She watched him put the food in his mouth and asked expectantly, "How does it taste?"
Zhao Jianghe smiled and praised her, "It's delicious."
Lin Mei breathed a sigh of relief and, like a child, giggled, "Thank goodness I didn't embarrass myself."
Her demeanor was that of a young woman unknowingly falling in love. Zhao Jianghe's smile widened. So what if Lin Mei was the woman Xing Yan liked? In the end, she was still captured by him. As long as he put in some effort, there was no woman he couldn't conquer.
Although Lin Mei was intelligent in her career, she was a blank slate in matters of the heart. He didn't even need to set elaborate traps; she would foolishly fall right into them.
Midway through the meal, Xu Ying called. They had a fight, and Lin Mei started crying. Perhaps feeling embarrassed, she ran out of the dining room. Zhao Jianghe calmly sipped his drink.
The argument had come about sooner than he expected. A young man in his early twenties truly couldn't keep his composure. Lin Mei's distress just now presented him with a perfect opportunity.
Zhao Jianghe waited patiently for a long time. Lin Mei finally finished her call and returned, her eyes swollen from crying, tear streaks on her face, looking utterly pitiful. Zhao Jianghe handed her a wet wipe. "Did you have a fight?"
"He has no idea what I want most," Lin Mei said, her tone full of grievance, and then she started crying again. "When I need him, he's never there. But when he needs me, if I'm not there, he'll argue with me."
She wiped her tears and then mocked herself, "Perhaps dating someone younger than you is like this. Someone told me before that we weren't suitable, but I didn't believe them and insisted on trying."
"What did he misunderstand?" Zhao Jianghe asked solicitously. Lin Mei remained silent. Zhao Jianghe added, "I'm sorry, I asked too much."
Lin Mei asked him, "Do you have any wine? I want to drink."
Zhao Jianghe brought out the wine. Lin Mei drank a lot. After drinking, she confessed everything she hadn't intended to say.
Thus, Zhao Jianghe listened to her complain for a long time about Xu Ying's insensitivity and learned the reason for their argument that day. Xu Ying had gotten angry upon learning she was there cooking for him and threatened to break up with her. Heartbroken, she became like this.
A woman's vulnerability is the best time to strike. Zhao Jianghe helped the drunken Lin Mei up. Lin Mei leaned against his shoulder, whimpering and crying like a kitten, her shoulders trembling, evoking pity.
Zhao Jianghe said to her, "You've had too much to drink. Stay here tonight."
Lin Mei mumbled "Mm," but she likely no longer knew what she was saying. Zhao Jianghe took Lin Mei to the guest room on the second floor and laid her on the bed. The utterly inebriated woman fell asleep as soon as she touched the mattress.
After getting drunk, her cheeks were flushed pink, and the skin on the rest of her body was fair with a hint of pink. Zhao Jianghe felt a dryness in his throat, but he knew it wasn't the best time to touch her, so he left the guest room.
In the dead of night, the villa was silent. Lin Mei tiptoed out of bed. She walked barefoot out of the guest room. When Zhao Jianghe had helped her upstairs earlier, she had noticed that the guest room was next to the study. She believed she could find some evidence in Zhao Jianghe's study.
Lin Mei walked in and found a photograph tucked inside a book on the desk. She picked it up. It showed a young man and woman. The man was very handsome, and the woman…
Seeing the woman's appearance, Lin Mei covered her mouth. Was this… Xie Qinjia?
Xie Qinjia in the photograph looked to be in her early twenties, but her gaze was somewhat vacant, lacking spirit. Lin Mei had previously seen photos of Xie Qinjia in her thirties. Although she wasn't as young as in this photograph, her eyes had held a spark then.
Who was the man in the photo? And why was the photo in Zhao Jianghe's study?
Lin Mei flipped the photograph over and saw an address on the back. Runcheng…
Her eyelids twitched. What flashed through her mind were the words she had overheard at the sanatorium that day.
The gruff male voice, "This slut, I loved her so much! How dare she betray me!" and the incredibly insulting remark, "A bitch who abandoned her husband and child."
For some reason, she felt that the man in the photograph was the mysterious person from the sanatorium. If that were the case, what was his relationship with Zhao Jianghe? If they were father and son, then Xie Qinjia and Zhao Jianghe would be… m..oΓg
What about Xing Zheng? Did he know about this?
Lin Mei's heart pounded. Suppressing the trembling in her hands, she took photos of both the front and back of the photograph. She returned the book to its place and lay down in the guest room. Her sympathetic nerves were firing, and she couldn't sleep. Lin Mei sent Xing Zheng a WeChat message, "Are you asleep?"
There was no reply. Lin Mei then said, "I have something to tell you. I'll come to see you tomorrow."
Still no reply. Lin Mei added, "I'll be there early in the morning. Reply if you see this."
At Zhuhua Villa, Xing Zheng sat in his study, looking at the consecutive messages she had sent. He didn't reply to any of them. Instead, he went to Jiang Chubai and said, "Come over tomorrow morning."