Xu Ying was another male protagonist in this turmoil, and he had quite a few fans at the bank. When he appeared, his name was just being discussed in the office. Unexpectedly, the protagonist himself made a surprise visit. With only a few minutes left until closing, Xu Ying asked in full view of everyone, "Excuse me, could you tell me where Lin Mei's office is?"
"Here, here!" Xiao Fang happened to be coming out to get some documents and saw Xu Ying. Feeling a surge of pride, she quickly led him to Lin Mei's office.
After escorting Xu Ying to Lin Mei's office, Xiao Fang glanced at those who had been gossiping. Heh, the parties involved hadn't even considered drawing a line, yet these onlookers had already arranged everything for them. Xu Ying was truly impressive, coming in person to shut them up!
Xiao Fang knew well that these people weren't genuinely righteous; they were simply jealous of Lin Mei. Her exceptional abilities made many who slacked off seem utterly useless, inevitably making her a thorn in their side. As Lin Mei was shutting down her computer, she saw Xu Ying enter and panicked, "Why are you here?"
She was accustomed to the endless gossip within the bank, but Xu Ying shouldn't have to endure it.
Xu Ying walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You're my 'girlfriend,' of course I'm here to pick you up from work."
"Xu Ying, I just said..."
"I also said, I know what kind of person you are," Xu Ying interrupted before she could finish, smiling. "You're done with work, right? Let's talk over dinner. I already posted a statement on Weibo before I came in."
Lin Mei and Xu Ying walked out of the office together. Xu Ying held Lin Mei's hand, his gaze unwavering, his eyes only on her. His focused demeanor could be felt even from a distance.
After they left, someone said sourly, "Manager Lin's methods are truly extraordinary. She's openly being a mistress, and there's still a man willing to seek her out."
"Men, don't they all like women like this who have no shame? He's probably just playing around with her; who would marry someone like her?"
Lin Mei and Xu Ying arrived at a restaurant. After sitting down, Lin Mei finally saw the Weibo post Xu Ying had just made. On Weibo, he admitted that "Lin Mei is my girlfriend" and also posted a photo of them together at an awards ceremony.
Regarding the accusation of interfering in Xing Zheng and Jiang Chu Bi's relationship, Xu Ying denied it. "I know what kind of person my girlfriend is better than all of you netizens."
With Xu Ying defending her so steadfastly, how could Lin Mei not be moved? "Thank you..."
"If you really want to thank me, then eat more." Xu Ying served Lin Mei food. Lin Mei put it in her mouth, but the delicious dishes tasted like chewing wax. When she was feeling down, she couldn't taste anything.
While eating, Lin Mei received a call from Zhao Jiang He. Zhao Jiang He called to inquire about the news. Lin Mei had no interest in dealing with him at the moment; she offered a few polite words and ended the conversation.
After she finished the call, Xu Ying asked, "Are you still going to look for Zhao Jiang He?"
Lin Mei shook her head. There was nothing left to look for. Xing Zheng was gone, so what was the point of Zhao Jiang He? Everything she had done before was, at best, self-感动 (self-感动 means to move oneself or to be moved by one's own actions, often with a sense of self-pity or misguided effort).
"You and him... how did it come to this?" After much hesitation, Xu Ying finally asked. Worried about upsetting Lin Mei, he quickly added, "I respect your privacy. If you don't want to talk about it..."
"There's no privacy. It was just me, unilaterally, having unrequited feelings." The rumors were already rampant; she didn't need to hide anything from Xu Ying anymore.
Lin Mei recounted her past with Xing Zheng to Xu Ying, detail by detail, much more thoroughly than she had explained it before. As Xu Ying listened, his expression gradually grew serious.
He had already known that Xing Zheng was no saint, but he had thought that at least Xing Zheng had some affection for Lin Mei. To his surprise, Xing Zheng had been calculating from the very beginning. Xu Ying said to Lin Mei, "He's not worth you doing so much for him."
He had felt it was not worth it before, and now, after hearing the whole story, he felt it even more. Xing Zheng didn't love her, nor did he even have good feelings for her; he merely treated her as a plaything for his anger. He was a scumbag. "He's not worthy of your affection either."
Lin Mei felt a pang in her heart but couldn't refute Xu Ying's words. Everything he said was logical. She had been taken advantage of but hadn't learned her lesson, falling victim to his exploitation and ultimately ending up in such a state. She, who was the one being manipulated, still wanted to put herself in danger to deal with Zhao Jiang He for him.
What a joke, she was a joke.
Lin Mei's eyes welled up. She covered her eyes, not wanting to lose composure in front of Xu Ying. Xu Ying, however, didn't mind. He moved to sit beside Lin Mei and pulled her into his embrace, gently comforting her as one would a child, "Cry if you want to. I'm here."
Lin Mei's tears poured out, and she cried in his arms, her body trembling.
Jiang Chu Bi and Xing Zheng were having dinner together. For the past few days, Xing Zheng had worn a scowl no matter the time. After seeing Xu Ying's Weibo response, he became even more so. Jiang Chu Bi said to him, "I've sent out most of the wedding invitations, and I've notified my parents' friends. What about your side?" m..oΓg
Xing Zheng replied, "I've asked Zhuang Wan to notify them." His tone was indifferent; it was all an act, and he didn't consider the wedding a priority.
"Are you still blaming me for the reporter incident?" Jiang Chu Bi asked with a smile.
Xing Zheng didn't answer, merely warning her, "Don't let me see you taking matters into your own hands again next time."
"I was also doing it for our plan. Zhao Jiang He knows you've been meeting her privately, and he'll only assume you're hiding her somewhere to throw him off the scent. If he really uses Lin Mei to control you, what will you do?" Jiang Chu Bi said. "Only by involving the media and creating public opinion that she's chasing after you and you're not interested in her will Zhao Jiang He believe that you have no feelings for her."
"This time, I did overstep my bounds, but isn't it better for her to be attacked by public opinion than to be kidnapped by Zhao Jiang He? If we hadn't done this, believe me, she would still foolishly approach Zhao Jiang He, investigate for you, and cause us trouble."
Xing Zheng drank his wine, still not speaking. However, Jiang Chu Bi could see that Xing Zheng's attitude had wavered when Lin Mei's safety was mentioned. She didn't know how to feel at that moment.
After a few days of rampant rumors and gossip surrounding Lin Mei, the heat gradually subsided. However, her elderly parents in western Hunan still saw the news and called to inquire.
Lin Mei naturally couldn't tell them about her relationship with Xing Zheng. She could only explain it as a misunderstanding and brushed it off. Her parents then asked about Xu Ying. To reassure them, Lin Mei had to admit that Xu Ying was her current boyfriend, and meeting the parents would be discussed later.
On Friday evening, Lin Mei was taken out to dinner by Lan Lan and Feng Feng.
As soon as Lan Lan sat down, she began to curse Xing Zheng again. Lin Mei was touched and was about to speak to Lan Lan when she suddenly felt a wave of nausea and immediately covered her mouth, retching several times.
Lan Lan quickly asked, "Is your stomach bothering you again?"