Lin Mei looked at Ming Zhou’s phone, largely understanding. He was about to play a recording for her to listen to. However, before she could agree, Ming Zhou had already started the recording. In the quiet private room, the conversation between Ming Zhou and Xing Zheng could be clearly heard.
Ming Zhou asked, "Ah Zheng, are you serious?"
Xing Zheng replied, "This is between her and me. There's no need to report to you."
Ming Zhou reminded Xing Zheng that he had a fiancée and hoped he would let her go, not play with her feelings. Xing Zheng said, "Even if I am playing with her, it's because she willingly allows me to, because she likes it."
From beginning to end, Xing Zheng's attitude was arrogant. He never showed any signs of guilt, nor did he seem like someone caught doing something wrong. Even though he knew he was doing something illicit, he still acted as if it were natural. Lin Mei could perfectly envision his expression and demeanor during the conversation with Ming Zhou.
The recording ended, and Ming Zhou put away his phone, looking at Lin Mei’s expression. She was still looking down, lost in thought. Ming Zhou saw a hint of sadness in her profile, as if she had been hurt by the recording. "Lin Mei, are you alright?"
Her reaction had already proven Xing Zheng's significance in her heart. If it were merely a transactional relationship without feelings, why would her emotions be stirred by Xing Zheng's words? Yet, in this situation, Ming Zhou couldn't bring himself to expose her.
"I'm fine," Lin Mei said, not surprised by this statement. "He and I have no feelings for each other; it's just a matter of mutual benefit."
Ming Zhou asked, "What do you want to gain from him? If you just need someone to help you, I can also..."
"Senior, I don't have any plans for a serious relationship right now," Lin Mei expressed her deepest thoughts to Ming Zhou. She didn't want a serious relationship. A purely transactional relationship with Xing Zheng meant fewer future entanglements, which was good.
Having just ended her previous relationship, she didn't want to rush into a stable one so quickly. Her needs and Ming Zhou's were not equal. Agreeing to him purely out of friendship would be irresponsible. "I have no expectations of him; it's just adult recreation. I know that's not what you want."
Ming Zhou pondered, looking at Lin Mei. Their eyes met, and looking into her eyes, he finally smiled gently. "Then, when you are ready for a serious relationship, can you give me a chance?"
Lin Mei: "..." Did Ming Zhou intend to waste more time on her?
Lin Mei felt genuinely bad. She opened her mouth, wanting to persuade Ming Zhou, but he spoke before she could. "I've already waited for you for so many years; a few more years won't matter. Don't worry, I won't reject others. If I meet someone suitable, I'll try to develop a relationship. But if not, I still hope you can give me a chance in the future."
Ming Zhou's words were impeccable. Even with a magnifying glass, no loopholes could be found. He had conceded so much that if Lin Mei refused again, she would seem unreasonable. In the end, she could only nod to Ming Zhou.
The two smoothly concluded the topic. Just then, the waiter arrived with the dishes.
While Lin Mei and Ming Zhou were having lunch, Ming Zhou proactively brought up Xing Zheng's university days. "He was in the same department as you in university. Did you really never meet?"
Mentioning this, Lin Mei recalled the suspicious details. Her movements slowed. "No, we never met. Didn't you say he only studied for one year?"
"That's right. He barely attended classes that year either," Ming Zhou recalled Xing Zheng's experiences. "It hasn't been easy for him all these years either."
Lin Mei blurted out, "What happened to him?"
Ming Zhou shook his head, vaguely saying, "His family went through a major upheaval during those years, and his relationship with his mother broke down. She still refuses to let him come home. When he went abroad to study, it was like he was 'exiled'."
Lin Mei frowned upon hearing this. According to Ming Zhou, Xing Zheng had a strained relationship with his family?
But when he had advised her on handling matters related to her parents before, he was so articulate that she couldn't tell his family situation was as Ming Zhou described. She had always thought he had a good relationship with his parents.
Seeing how he interacted with Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue, he seemed to get along very well and should have been liked by elders.
"His relationship with his father isn't that tense. His father helped him a lot with his development abroad over the years, but it was all done behind his mother's back. It took him a lot of effort to return this year. In short, it hasn't been easy for him all these years."
Ming Zhou was a person of integrity. Even after learning about Xing Zheng and Lin Mei's situation, he didn't gossip or badmouth Xing Zheng in front of Lin Mei. His behavior further elevated Lin Mei's impression of him.
After lunch, Lin Mei had gathered some information about Xing Zheng from Ming Zhou. Was his illness related to the breakdown of his relationship with his mother?
Many people seemed to develop mental illnesses due to family problems. The clues about Xing Zheng were scattered and needed to be pieced together bit by bit. Coincidentally, Lan Lan was also meeting Liang Yufeng that evening. If she could get some information from Liang Yufeng, this piece of the puzzle would grow larger.
Lin Mei waited for Lan Lan's WeChat message all evening and fell asleep without receiving one. The first thing she did upon waking up the next morning was to check her WeChat. She still hadn't received any messages from Lan Lan. Lin Mei felt something was unusual, so she sent Lan Lan a message: [Did you find anything out last night?]
After Lin Mei went to work at the bank, she finally received Lan Lan's reply: [I found out a little, but it doesn't seem to be very useful information.]
Lan Lan shared the information she had gathered from Liang Yufeng with Lin Mei. Liang Yufeng and Xing Zheng were not in the same class, but a high school friend of Liang Yufeng's was in the same class and dormitory as Xing Zheng.
It was said that Xing Zheng was very quiet upon enrollment, kept to himself, and usually shuttled between the library and the convenience store at the school gate. When he first arrived in his freshman year, his leg was injured, and he needed crutches. His roommates almost took him for a disabled person. Later, before the final exams, he suddenly stopped using crutches, and everyone realized he was a normal person. He was also good at basketball, but he didn't participate in many school activities.
In the words of others, he was like an invisible person, solitary, with no sense of presence. After Lan Lan relayed this information to Lin Mei, she added: [I suspect he's deceiving me. Could this person he's talking about really be Xing Zheng?]
Solitary, lame, quiet, with no presence – these descriptions didn't match his current demeanor at all. If Liang Yufeng wasn't lying, then was Xing Zheng's current state a result of some trauma?
Lin Mei fell into the same line of thought. She wondered if the Xing Zheng described by others was the Xing Zheng when he was ill, or the original Xing Zheng.
This question was a headache. Lin Mei decided not to dwell on it for now and casually asked Lan Lan: [How was meeting your ex-boyfriend last night?]
Lan Lan's shocking reply was: [He's quite good in bed.]
Lin Mei was astonished and then suddenly understood. No wonder she hadn't heard from Lan Lan last night.