As he said, a personal inspection would be far more than just a glance. It had been a long time since she had felt his anger, making Lin Mei forget what kind of person he truly was. Even when he was healthy, his possessiveness was abnormal. Now that she had provoked him like this, how could he possibly let it go?
Lin Mei had thought she wouldn't escape that night. To her surprise, though he tormented her to the point where she wished for death, he stopped short of the final act. After an unknown amount of time, Lin Mei curled up on the bed, her hands covering her stomach.
Xing Zheng went to the bathroom. He stood before the mirror, seeing his own bloodshot eyes, his gaze filled with undisguised anger and jealousy. Even after his personal "inspection," he couldn't shake off the dark thoughts. His fingers tightened into fists, he took a breath, and then bent down to turn on the faucet.
It was also night, in a hotel in Nanjiang City. Xiao Shu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling streets, and made a phone call. "He's made a move against me."
"How was that, was my guess accurate?" the man on the other end chuckled triumphantly, his laughter tinged with a hint of ferocity. "He cares about this woman more than I imagined. Once we have her, why worry about destroying the Xing family?"
Xiao Shu's conversation with the other man lasted nearly ten minutes. They discussed their future plans. After hanging up, Xiao Shu let out a soft laugh. "When concern leads to recklessness," he mused, "even Xing Zheng has his day!"
If he had told him this back then, he would never have believed it. At Penn, he had countless admirers, yet he hadn't given anyone a second glance, not even Qiao Wei, whom he treated with such cold indifference. Now, he had become like this for Lin Mei. It was interesting; karma truly came full circle.
The next morning, Lin Mei reflexively looked to her side upon waking. The spot beside her was empty. She reached out to touch it; the sheets were cold, indicating he had left a long time ago. After the turmoil of the previous night, Lin Mei didn't know how to interact with him and decided to stay in bed.
She picked up her phone and saw a WeChat message from Xu Ying, asking how she was. Lin Mei replied, then went to the group chat to tell Lan Lan and Feng Feng about last night. She didn't know what to do, and Lan Lan and Feng Feng were eager to offer advice.
Feng Feng said, "You can't show weakness. Wait for him to apologize."
Lan Lan added, "Don't pay attention to him. Even if he apologizes, don't forgive him directly. Make him reflect properly. Leave him hanging for a few days." Apologize?
Lin Mei thought she must have become accustomed to being "abused" by Xing Zheng, as she had never considered asking for his apology. Hearing their suggestions, she felt she was being too soft. She was still unsure. "Do you think he will apologize?"
Lan Lan said, "If he doesn't apologize, then he can get lost!"
Feng Feng chimed in, "Mm, I agree with Lan Zong."
Lan Lan was frustrated with Lin Mei's lack of assertiveness. "Can't you be a little more demanding? Don't be so understanding. Torment him to the extreme! Use the methods I taught you."
At that moment, Lan Lan wished she could possess Lin Mei and properly discipline Xing Zheng herself!
Lin Mei ultimately followed Lan Lan's advice and didn't speak to Xing Zheng all day. They stayed in the same room, each occupied with their own activities. Sometimes, when they ran into each other, Lin Mei would quickly avert her gaze and not speak to him. Xing Zheng, however, showed no reaction.
Lin Mei wasn't too angry initially, but because Xing Zheng remained silent, she felt increasingly stifled. They didn't speak to each other. During dinner, Lin Mei chatted with Xu Ying on WeChat right in front of Xing Zheng, inviting him out for a meal and a walk with the dog the next day. Xu Ying happened to be free, and they quickly agreed on a time. Xing Zheng saw the conversation, his eyes darkened, and his expression turned gloomy. He wanted to stop her but didn't say a word.
That night, Xing Zheng slept alone on the sofa outside. Lin Mei had already left early that morning. As she was leaving, she happened to run into Zhuang Wan, who had come to discuss work with Xing Zheng. As soon as Zhuang Wan entered, he sensed the awkward atmosphere. After reporting on his work, Zhuang Wan asked Xing Zheng, "Xing Zong, are you in a bad mood?"
"Reschedule the flight to tomorrow," Xing Zheng told Zhuang Wan. "You handle the remaining matters here."
If he stayed any longer, Lin Mei might start "dating" Xu Ying every day. He had no right to stop her, and if he acted as forcefully as that night, it would only anger her.
When Lin Mei returned to the hotel that evening, she saw Xing Zheng sitting on the sofa, as if he had been waiting for a long time. She glanced at him once and said nothing. She thought he would continue his silent treatment, but to her surprise, he suddenly said, "The flight is tomorrow morning, back to Nanjiang."
Lin Mei frowned. Weren't they scheduled to return at a different time?
"You changed it?" she asked.
Xing Zheng replied with an "Mm," adding, "I'm done with my business."
Lin Mei said "Oh," and didn't suspect anything. However, when they went to the airport the next day, she realized that only the two of them were returning; Zhuang Wan was not accompanying them. He must have stayed behind to handle work. Why was Xing Zheng so eager to return?
Was he afraid she would frequently "date" Xu Ying in Lucheng?
As they were leaving, during the wait for their flight, Lin Mei received a WeChat message from Xu Ying, asking if she wanted to walk the dog together today. Lin Mei told him she was returning to Nanjiang. Xu Ying then sent a few photos of Kaka. Lin Mei looked at them and smiled.
This scene was all observed by Xing Zheng. Now, she could smile so happily looking at a few dog photos, yet she remained expressionless towards him.
After enduring for two days, he could no longer bear it. He grabbed her wrist. Lin Mei stopped smiling and turned to look at him. As their eyes met, Xing Zheng asked, "Do you like dogs very much?"
"Is there a problem?" Lin Mei had learned Xing Zheng's way of speaking thoroughly and was now returning it to him without reservation.
She thought he was just asking casually, but when they returned to Nanjiang, Lin Mei saw a miniature Samoyed at the Zhuhua Villa!
Gu Song brought the Samoyed. Gu Song told Xing Zheng, "I brought it for you, the one you chose. The dog food, toys, and crate are over there."
Xing Zheng replied with an "Mm," and then asked him, "Did you ask the pet store about what I told you?"
"I did," Gu Song then remembered. "It's fine, pet dogs won't bite rabbits. Let them get used to each other for a while, and they'll be friends."
With that, Gu Song turned to speak to Lin Mei. "Long time no see."
"Long time no see, Mr. Gu. How have you been recently?" Lin Mei had no conflicts with Gu Song, so her attitude towards him was naturally not bad.
Xing Zheng felt uncomfortable watching them and gave Gu Song a look, signaling him to leave. Gu Song understood and, before leaving, playfully said to Lin Mei, "I heard you like dogs, so he bought one for you to raise."
"No one will think you're mute if you don't speak," Xing Zheng said with a dark expression. "Hurry up and go!"
Gu Song wasn't angry and left with a smile. Lin Mei walked over to the little Samoyed, crouched down, and gently stroked its fur, her movements very tender.
Xing Zheng asked her, "Do you like it?"
Lin Mei asked, "Why did you suddenly get a dog?"