He pinned her down, his other hand unhurriedly moving to his waist, unbuckling his belt. The crisp sound made Lin Mei's hairs stand on end, her heartbeat accelerating.
Upon seeing this, she began to regret her impulsive decision to confront him. Under his dominion, she had never gained any advantage. In despair, Lin Mei suddenly heard the sound of a door opening.
“Why didn’t you lock the door today…” Jiang Chubi said as she walked in. Seeing the scene on the sofa, the rest of her words were choked off.
Xing Zheng released Lin Mei, retied his belt, and calmly answered Jiang Chubi’s question, “Perhaps I forgot.”
Jiang Chubi replied with an “Oh.” Her gaze swept over Lin Mei, whose clothes were disheveled. She felt a pang of disdain but remembered Xing Zheng’s earlier warning, so she didn’t taunt Lin Mei. She simply pretended not to see anything. “Yes, I was a bit busy today and came back late. Have you eaten dinner?”
Jiang Chubi’s tone when speaking to Xing Zheng was unmistakably that of a wife to her husband. Lin Mei’s face burned.
Even though she knew they were in a partnership, she couldn’t convince herself not to care in such an awkward situation. She scrambled off the sofa, tidied her clothes, and fled from Zhuhua Villa, her retreating figure a picture of panic and trembling.
Jiang Chubi turned to Xing Zheng. “Why is she here?”
Xing Zheng didn’t explain the reason to Jiang Chubi. He sat on the sofa and picked up the surgical consent form and medical record, flipping through them. Jiang Chubi said to Xing Zheng, “Zhao Jianghe is going to take me to meet his biological father.”
Previously, Zhao Jianghe had confessed his background to Jiang Chubi, but he had only revealed his relationship with Liu Qinye, never mentioning Xie Qin Jia, nor clarifying why Zhao Rong hated Xing Sha so much that he was willing to groom someone with no blood relation to deal with the Xing family.
Xing Zheng put the medical record aside, his expression turning serious. “When?”
“His biological father finished surgery last week and will be discharged in three to four days,” Jiang Chubi told Xing Zheng. “The Zhao family is already at the end of their rope. Bringing his biological father over will resolve many issues.”
Xing Zheng gave an “Mm.” The collapse of the grand structure was only a matter of days. Xing Zheng and Jiang Chubi had already set their trap. The laboratory project had severely weakened the Zhao family, making a comeback almost impossible. Furthermore, Zhao Jianghe and Zhao Rong had already fallen out, so Zhao Jianghe would naturally no longer risk his life for the Zhao family. Zhao Rong had withdrawn from the business world years ago and was already at his wit’s end.
In just one week, Zhao Corporation had filed for bankruptcy.
Without Zhao Corporation as his backing, it was easy for Xing Zheng to deal with Zhao Jianghe.
Jiang Chubi had waited for this day for a long time. “He’s going to settle his biological father in Nanjiang. I’ll find an opportunity then to cooperate with you.”
Xing Zheng responded with an “Mm,” “Understood.” With that, he stood up, picked up Lan Lan, and carried her back to the balcony.
Jiang Chubi noticed the medical record and surgical consent form beside her and was drawn to them. Upon seeing the contents clearly, she wore an expression of surprise. Lin Mei… had been pregnant?
There was no doubt the child was Xing Zheng’s. But why was it gone? If Xing Zheng knew she was pregnant, he would surely have kept the child. The decision to abort must have been made solely by Lin Mei.
Jiang Chubi was curious about the reason. Just as she was about to open the medical record to read it, Xing Zheng returned. Jiang Chubi had no choice but to give up. She also couldn’t bring herself to ask Xing Zheng about it; it would bring her no good to anger him.
Having experienced too much last night, Lin Mei suffered from insomnia again. She took double the usual dose but still couldn’t sleep. The next day at work, her makeup couldn’t hide her exhaustion.
Xu Helie’s threat still echoed in her ears. She was unwilling to compromise but didn’t know how to respond. If Xu Helie were only threatening her job, she could have stood her ground. However, her parents were her weakness. She didn’t want them to know about the miscarriage. If they found out, they would undoubtedly question the father of the child. How could she explain her shameful entanglement and connection with Xing Zheng? She couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Xu Helie had given Lin Mei only three days. By Friday, if she didn’t break up with Xu Ying, the news would reach Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue. Xu Ying was not due back until Wednesday. Lin Mei had spoken to him on the phone, asking him to come to her apartment after he returned to Xiangxi.
Xu Ying’s flight was at night, at ten o’clock. He arrived at Lin Mei’s apartment, travel-worn. “Did something happen?”
Knowing that Lin Mei had urgently asked him to come, Xu Ying knew she must be in trouble. The trouble between them could only be Xu Helie. “My father contacted you, didn’t he?”
“He told me to break up with you,” Lin Mei told Xu Ying. “He came to see me after work on Monday.”
“Did he do anything to your job?” Xu Ying recalled Xu Helie’s previous threat, and anger flashed in his dark eyes. “I’ll go see him right now!”
“No, he didn’t touch my job,” Lin Mei stopped Xu Ying. “My job is fine, but he…”
The miscarriage was ultimately a hurdle in her heart. To speak of it as if nothing had happened was a fantasy. She took a breath, her chest heaving. Such a sight made Xu Ying even more worried. “What did he do to you?”
“He found out I had a child,” Lin Mei finally blurted out. “If I don’t break up with you, he’ll tell my parents about it.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Ying became even more enraged. Xu Helie’s methods were more despicable than threatening Lin Mei’s job!
After his anger subsided, Xu Ying suddenly thought of the crux of the matter. “Who told him?”
Lin Mei had mentioned before that her surgical information in Anning City had been thoroughly erased. Even if Xu Helie investigated Lin Mei, he shouldn’t have been able to find anything, unless…
As the suspected person flashed through his mind, he heard Lin Mei’s voice, “Who else could it be?”
His anger was mixed with helplessness, making Xu Ying feel both self-reproachful and heartbroken. He pulled Lin Mei into a hug. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t there for you during such an important time, and I let you suffer.”
“I’ve thought about it. We should separate for now,” Lin Mei told Xu Ying of her decision. “My father has had two heart surgeries. I can’t stimulate him further.”
If Lin Zhengde suffered any health issues because of this, she would never forgive herself.
Xu Ying was unwilling to break up but couldn’t persuade Lin Mei. He had met her parents and knew how much they meant to her. “Okay, I understand.”
Shortly after Xu Ying left, Lin Mei received a call from Xu Helie. “Miss Lin, you have one more day.”
Although the voice was very polite, Lin Mei couldn’t appreciate it. She said to Xu Helie, “We’ve already broken up. I hope Chairman Xu will keep his word.”
Xu Helie replied, “Naturally. Those who know the times are the wisest. Miss Lin is very smart.”
Without the inclination to listen to Xu Helie’s praise, Lin Mei ended the call.
After leaving Lin Mei’s apartment, Xu Ying drove to the villa where Xu Helie lived.
He barged in, his eyes red, and glared at Xu Helie. Xu Helie, however, smiled and said to him, “You still remember to visit me.”