The tips of their fingers brushed briefly, and their gazes locked. His expression was restrained, yet a suppressed desire flickered in his eyes, like an impenetrable net trapping her, making it impossible to break free.
Her breathing grew agitated. With her reason still intact, she fled upstairs. Xing Zheng didn't stop her, his gaze following her slender figure, a warmth surging in his lower abdomen.
Lin Mei returned to the bedroom and drank the water in the cup in one gulp. She held the cup in her hand, and on the glass surface, it seemed his body heat and the scent of tobacco from his fingers still lingered. She recalled his smoking, how sexy and captivating he was, even the way he exhaled smoke rings carried a sexual tension…
No more thinking, Lin Mei put down the cup, turned off the light, and wrapped herself in the blanket.
Xing Zheng hadn't gone to work for several days. The next morning, after Lin Mei finished her morning routine, she found breakfast he had prepared. While eating, they chatted about trivial matters. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Fine." Lin Mei licked her lips after swallowing her milk.
It was a normal little gesture, but in Xing Zheng's eyes, it took on a different meaning. The color, the movement, made it hard for him not to associate it with other things.
Just then, his phone rang, finally diverting some of his attention.
With no work to do these days, Lin Mei spent her time watching variety shows and dramas to pass the time. Although Xing Zheng wasn't at the company, he stayed in his study except for cooking and eating, presumably very busy with work.
Lin Mei was downstairs with Lan Lan and wouldn't disturb him unless necessary. Unexpectedly, one day, a "guest" arrived at Zhuhua Villa. Lin Mei, watching an American drama, was interrupted and went to open the door.
To her surprise, the person at the door was Wen Ke. Although she had briefly met Wen Ke at the airport before, they hadn't interacted, not even spoken. Now, meeting her, and on Xing Zheng's territory…
"Hello, are you Lin Mei?" As Lin Mei fumbled for words, Wen Ke, with great composure, introduced herself. "I'm the assistant to Xing Zheng's attending physician, practically his co-attending physician."
"Hello." Wen Ke was so open and enthusiastic that Lin Mei couldn't ignore her. She invited Wen Ke in and said, "He's in the study upstairs."
"Yes, I won't disturb his work. He can talk when he's done." Wen Ke didn't seem to be in a hurry at all and sat down to chat with Lin Mei. "Last time we met at the airport, I didn't have a chance to talk to you. Now we finally can."
Lin Mei gave a dry laugh, unsure of what to say. Wen Ke was much more enthusiastic than she had expected, and so openly friendly towards her, which felt strange. Even knowing Wen Ke was Xing Zheng's doctor, their默契 (mòqì - tacit understanding/chemistry) interactions kept replaying in her mind.
Wen Ke was a doctor, but also a woman, and a beautiful, intelligent one… After more than a year together, would Xing Zheng truly be indifferent to her?
If she were a man, she wouldn't be able to remain indifferent to someone like Wen Ke.
How could Wen Ke not see Lin Mei's discomfort? Xing Zheng's words to her that day were vivid in her mind. Wen Ke thought of this and smiled. She asked Lin Mei, "How have you and Xing Zheng been getting along lately?"
Lin Mei was taken aback. Wen Ke's question seemed to come from the perspective of a close friend, not as Xing Zheng's friend.
She was adept at asking questions, and Lin Mei was drawn in. "We haven't argued."
Wen Ke smiled and praised Lin Mei, "Your personality is so cute."
Xing Zheng had once described her as being like a rabbit, and Wen Ke hadn't had a concrete concept then. But after meeting her today, she understood why. She was indeed like a rabbit, pure white. Perhaps accustomed to her good temper, she maintained good manners even with a "grudge" in her heart.
Wen Ke rarely found anyone's personality cute; Lin Mei was one of the few. Seeing her awkwardness and distress, Wen Ke couldn't bear to let her misunderstand any longer. She hadn't forgotten the "task" Xing Zheng had asked her to accomplish today. "If I were Xing Zheng, I would like you too."
Lin Mei: "..."
Wen Ke's topic shifts seemed a bit too rapid, and her thoughts couldn't keep up, her expression bewildered.
This look made Wen Ke's smile even brighter. She explained to Lin Mei, "Besides being patient and doctor, Xing Zheng and I are also good friends, just like he is with Shen Su and Gu Song. I don't have romantic feelings for him."
Wen Ke spoke very directly. She had always felt Xing Zheng was too "indirect." It was no wonder Lin Mei felt insecure. Even the things he had done for her were credited to Xiao Shu.
"This..." Lin Mei felt embarrassed. "Actually, you don't need to explain to me."
"Last time at the airport, you misunderstood, didn't you?" Wen Ke said to Lin Mei in a gentle tone. "I've wanted to meet you for a long time. I was busy with my research project a while ago and hadn't submitted my thesis, so I couldn't get away."
Lin Mei: "..."
Perhaps because of Wen Ke's sincere attitude, Lin Mei felt guilty for her previous suspicions. Wen Ke seemed to have no romantic feelings for Xing Zheng at all; she truly seemed like a friend.
Wen Ke then asked Lin Mei, "Has he told you about the treatment?"
Lin Mei frowned. "Treatment? What treatment?"
"It's not surprising. I expected he wouldn't tell you." Even though she had reminded Xing Zheng many times to be honest with Lin Mei, he still treated his illness as a stain. "He underwent treatment for over a year in New York."
"Has he recovered then?" Lin Mei recalled Xing Zheng's behavior since his return; he was indeed very different from before. Because he always talked about suggestive topics in front of her, she had overlooked this matter.
"Yes, he's basically recovered." Speaking of this, Wen Ke became more talkative. "His recovery is also due to his strong resolve. The professor had suggested surgery for him before, but he was always unwilling. This surgery was very successful, although he suffered a lot afterward."
After Wen Ke's words, Lin Mei suddenly understood. No wonder Xing Sha had wanted to take Xie Qin Jia for surgery; she was likely inspired by Xing Zheng.
Wen Ke chatted with Lin Mei about many things regarding the treatment. It turned out that after Xing Zheng's surgery, he had experienced a brief period of intellectual regression, even losing the ability to care for himself, like a child under three years old.
Lin Mei was already accustomed to Xing Zheng's commanding presence and couldn't imagine what he would be like with intellectual regression.
Wen Ke could tell. "Hard to imagine, right? At that time, he always said he wanted to eat plum candy."
Lin Mei: "..."
She suddenly remembered that he seemed to have plum candy hidden in his home. Could it be that he had liked eating it since childhood?
"He doesn't want you to know about the treatment, so I'm telling you secretly," Wen Ke winked at Lin Mei. "Don't let him know."
Lin Mei nodded, about to ask Wen Ke more, when Xing Zheng suddenly came downstairs. The conversation was thus abruptly halted.
Wen Ke gave Xing Zheng a meaningful look, signaling that she had completed her task. Then, she "retired victoriously," leaving the two of them alone again.