As if fearing the force was insufficient, Xu Ying whispered something else into Lin Mei's ear. Even with Xing Zheng standing nearby, he showed no restraint.
Jiang Chu Bi's brows furrowed tighter. It was one thing for Lin Mei to court death, but how could Xu Ying be so audacious? He had only just been disciplined by Xing Zheng, and with the scars not yet healed, had he forgotten the pain?
Lin Mei and Xu Ying were playfully interacting, and in the end, Xu Ying carried her out. Jiang Chu Bi was immensely grateful. If these two lingered any longer, who knew what might happen. The moment she relaxed, she saw Xing Zheng punch the wall opposite them. His hand was instantly scraped by the rough wall, drawing blood. Jiang Chu Bi panicked, "What are you doing!"
The wound wasn't particularly shocking, but it must have hurt. The wall was made of gravel, and even a slight touch would be painful!
He remained silent. Jiang Chu Bi knew all too well about his self-harm. She stared at the bleeding wound and said with displeasure, "Is she worth you doing this? It's only been a short while, and she's already with another man. Why must you..."
"Shut your mouth." His gaze was lethal, like a messenger from hell.
Jiang Chu Bi was intimidated and could only fall silent. In her heart, her dissatisfaction with Lin Mei grew even stronger. How could a fickle woman like her have men so infatuated with her? First Xing Yan, then Xing Zheng, and some other messy men were all willing to be her devoted followers.
Not long ago, Lin Mei had pestered Xing Zheng so much, and now she was so intimate with Xu Ying. Her concern for Xing Zheng was less than a thousandth of his concern for her. And Xing Zheng, at this moment, was still self-harming because of her, still not allowing anyone to say a bad word about her. He was truly bewitched, beyond any cure.
The banquet ended. Lin Mei had gained a lot. Thinking of Xing Zheng's dark expression, she felt a surge of satisfaction. She had been controlled by him for too long. Now that she could finally stir his emotions, she felt a sense of triumph. She had to thank Xu Ying for his cooperation. "Thank you tonight."
"Since I agreed to pretend to be your boyfriend, this is nothing," Xu Ying said with a smile. "I was afraid my words were too much."
Lin Mei thought so too. However, for someone as shameless as Xing Zheng, only words like that could possibly affect him. Hugs, feeding cake—these were child's play to him. "He wasn't angry. Thank you."
Xu Ying sent Lin Mei back home. After Lin Mei removed her makeup and showered, she saw a message from Lan Lan in the group chat. Lan Lan had intended to come but was taken on a business trip by Liang Yu Feng at the last minute. She couldn't attend and missed a good show, so she could only inquire with Lin Mei in the group.
Lin Mei recounted the events of the banquet in the group. Lan Lan exclaimed with delight, "I definitely can't miss this kind of occasion next time. Feng Zong, do you regret it? You missed a good show!"
Feng Feng: "No regrets. There will be plenty more in the future." Once this precedent was set, it would become a common occurrence.
Lin Mei chatted with them for nearly an hour before her eyes became too heavy to stay open, and she finally fell asleep.
Perhaps it was due to recent emptiness, but after falling asleep, she dreamt of Xing Zheng. In her dream, he was as domineering as ever, kissing her. She responded with equal passion, intensely and lingeringly, like those few days they lived together in the capital—brief, yet beautiful.
When Lin Mei woke up in the morning, her body was covered in sweat. The pillow was soaked, and her hair stuck to her forehead. She felt hot and tired.
When she went to the bathroom, Lin Mei changed her clothes. She couldn't wear last night's attire anymore. As she washed her clothes, her face was still flushed. It was just a dream, yet she was so exaggerated. Did she miss him that much deep down?
In the past, she wouldn't have felt this way. Perhaps, falling was like a dark abyss, a deep swamp. Once it began, it was like addiction, swept away by fleeting pleasure, falling, and falling, until there was no hope of recovery.
After a long while, Lin Mei seemed to remember something. She opened a drawer and took out a box. This was a gift Xing Zheng had given her for her birthday last year. She had accepted it that day and even opened it in the office. Later, she forgot about the gift, letting it gather dust in the drawer. It was only because of last night's dream that she remembered its existence again.
Late at night, Xing Zheng was working with Jiang Chu Bi in his study. As they were talking, Xing Zheng's phone suddenly rang. The screen lit up. Xing Zheng picked it up and glanced at it casually. Upon seeing the message, his gaze turned dangerous. Jiang Chu Bi's expression became serious, thinking there was an emergency, "What message is it?"
Xing Zheng ignored her question, put down his phone, and said, "It's nothing. You continue."
After finishing their work, they each returned to their rooms. Xing Zheng picked up his phone again. He casually took some ice water and drank it, trying to suppress the surging restlessness. However, it had no effect. He still wanted to find her, to hold her in his arms, and kiss her wantonly.
Xing Zheng focused on his phone screen, his eyes red, a flame burning in his chest, threatening to consume his reason. He threw down his phone and went to the bathroom to take a cold shower, barely managing to extinguish the fire in his chest. Fortunately, his condition had been stable recently, and his reason remained intact. Otherwise, he might have lost control and driven to her apartment to do all the things he wanted to do.
After the dream that night, Lin Mei found herself repeating the same thing almost every day. For the past few days, she had been sleeping very soundly every night.
Mid-week, Lin Mei went to Shuang Mu to handle some work. Without any warning, she encountered Xing Zheng in the finance department. If they had met alone, she certainly wouldn't have spoken to him. However, with other colleagues present, Lin Mei couldn't ignore him. She greeted him professionally, "Xing Zong, hello."
However, Xing Zheng didn't respond. He just stared at her with a sharp gaze, as if he wanted to strip her bare.
Lin Mei's heart skipped a beat. Was he still angry about her colluding with Xu Ying to provoke him last time? It wasn't impossible. He had always been petty. If she got a little close to another man, he would fly into a rage.
Yet, Lin Mei felt a hidden joy. Was it only permissible for him to act with Jiang Chu Bi, but not for her to retaliate in conjunction with Xu Ying? Moreover, what she had done was a mere trifle compared to what he did. This was just the beginning.
Late at night, while Xing Zheng was working overtime in his office, his phone rang again with a notification sound. He looked at the push notification, his mind wandering. His long fingers fiercely tugged at his tie. He picked up another phone and made a call.
On Friday, Lin Mei took the bus to a factory in the suburbs for an external assignment. After finishing her work, it was already evening. While waiting for the bus, she was suddenly covered from mouth to eyes.
Before she could even cry out, she had already fainted.
When she regained consciousness, her eyes were still covered, and her hands and feet were bound. Although she couldn't see, she could feel someone sitting by the bed... Had she been kidnapped?
She tried to ask, but the person suddenly moved, grabbing her ankle with such force that it felt like they were trying to break her ankle.