Zhao Jianghe was speaking with Ruan Yufei, and Lin Mei’s mind hadn’t caught up yet. After a moment, she realized that Zhao Jianghe and Xing Zheng were close friends, having grown up together, so it was normal for him to know about Xing Zheng and Ruan Yufei.
Zhao Jianghe’s attitude towards Ruan Yufei was very good. From this, it seemed Ruan Yufei held a high position in Xing Zheng’s circle of friends, and she must have held special significance for Xing Zheng. Lin Mei clutched her handbag, feeling an inexplicable tightness in her chest, unable to catch her breath.
Upon seeing Zhao Jianghe, Ruan Yufei appeared slightly flustered. She spoke softly, "He's doing well… Yangshuo, say hello to Uncle Zhao."
Ruan Yufei prompted Yangshuo to greet him. Yangshuo seemed unfamiliar with Zhao Jianghe, and after saying "Uncle," he remained silent, his demeanor vastly different from when he met Xing Zheng. Zhao Jianghe didn't mind. He squatted down, like a kind elder, and inquired about Yangshuo's recent life, "How has Yangshuo's studies been recently? I heard Ah Zheng transferred him to a new school. Is he adapting well?"
When Xing Zheng was mentioned, Yangshuo became more talkative. He said, "The school Dad chose is very good."
Zhao Jianghe chuckled, "You, you're still the same. As soon as your father is mentioned, you get happy!"
While speaking with Zhao Jianghe, Ruan Yufei couldn't help but glance at Lin Mei. She recognized Lin Mei, who had always appeared before Xing Zheng. Xing Zheng treated her specially, and even without asking, she knew their relationship was deep. But why was Lin Mei having dinner with Zhao Jianghe today?
Was she playing both sides, clinging to Xing Zheng while also arranging to meet Zhao Jianghe? But Zhao Jianghe was clearly…
Although Ruan Yufei didn't openly stare at Lin Mei, Lin Mei could sense she was being observed, her gaze seemingly carrying a hint of scrutiny. Lin Mei disliked this. She said to Zhao Jianghe, "Mr. Zhao, I'll go find a table first. You chat."
Lin Mei sat down in a booth. After the waiter brought the menu, she began to flip through it. A few minutes later, Zhao Jianghe returned. Lin Mei looked up to see that Ruan Yufei and Yangshuo, the mother and son, had already left. Neither of them mentioned what had just happened, and they began to order food.
While ordering, Lin Mei noticed that Zhao Jianghe was also very knowledgeable about Xiangxi cuisine. Zhao Jianghe told her, "I have a very good friend who is from Xiangxi. Ah Zheng and his brother also stayed in Xiangxi when they were young. After they returned, they often ate together, and I learned about it through osmosis."
Zhao Jianghe's words essentially confirmed all of Lin Mei's previous deductions. She didn't even need to wait for Xiao Yue to ask for Ming Zhe's name. How could there be so many coincidences in this world?
"Mom, I miss Dad," Yangshuo said, holding Ruan Yufei's hand. He counted the days, "I haven't seen Dad since my birthday. I want to have dinner with Dad."
"Dad is busy with work. He'll come to see you when he's not busy," Ruan Yufei said gently to Yangshuo, holding her son's hand as they walked forward. Yangshuo was always obedient and wouldn't contradict Ruan Yufei, but children at this age gradually developed their own thoughts. "Mom, is Dad with another auntie?"
Ruan Yufei's face turned pale, unsure how to answer Yangshuo's question. Yangshuo continued, "That auntie who was with Uncle Zhao just now, I recognize her. Dad is always with her."
"Is she preventing Dad from seeing me? I hate her." That's how it always happened in those TV shows.
Ruan Yufei's lips twitched bitterly as she patiently told Yangshuo, "Dad also has people he likes, Yangshuo. You need to be sensible."
"But I just want Dad to like Mom!" Yangshuo said. "Mom always stares at Dad's photos blankly, and she even calls out Dad's name in her sleep… I heard it all."
The mother and son depended on each other. For Yangshuo, his mother's feelings were more important than his own. If his mother liked his father, he had to help them get together. Anyone who tried to take his father away from them was a bad person.
Because of Yangshuo's words, Ruan Yufei's face turned even paler. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she tightened her grip on Yangshuo's hand. "Mom has you, and that's enough."
Lin Mei finished dinner with Zhao Jianghe, and the business matter was considered concluded.
Upon returning home, Lin Mei messaged Lan Lan and Feng Feng about what Zhao Jianghe had mentioned: "It's basically confirmed, that person is Xing Zheng."
Lan Lan: "Ninety-nine percent. How can there be so many coincidences in the world! Is he jealous because you're getting along well with his brother?"
Feng Feng: "Regardless of the reason, such a grand scheme is terrifying."
Lin Mei strongly agreed with Feng Feng's words. From the night she sought out Xing Zheng to now, everything had been under Xing Zheng's control. Even her going to the hotel to find him was something he had planned in advance. No wonder she had so easily found out his room number back then. Connecting all the dots, the thought was chilling…
No one likes to be manipulated. Lin Mei felt a shiver of revulsion at the thought of these schemes. Just then, Feng Feng sent another message: "I suspect he's involved in his brother's death."
As soon as Lin Mei saw the message, her eyelids twitched. She had had similar suspicions before, but…
Lan Lan: "Actually, I thought so too. Wasn't it said that his parents favored his brother? I suspect this is what drove him to illness."
Lan Lan: "Liang Yufeng said he didn't speak a word in college and didn't socialize with anyone. Would a normal person be like that?"
Lan Lan and Feng Feng's deductions weren't baseless. Lin Mei drifted into sleep, contemplating the complex situation, and indeed, she dreamed of Ming Zhe.
In her dream, she met Ming Zhe as an adult. Ming Zhe, wearing a dark gray sweater, stood before her. The afterglow of the sunset cast a gentle radiance on his face. He said, "Long time no see," and opened his arms to embrace her. Just as she was about to hug him, she saw a knife plunged into his chest.
Blood splattered everywhere, splashing onto his face, and the ground was covered in blood. His tall figure slowly collapsed. The sunset in the sky was as red as the blood on the ground. Then, she saw Xing Zheng's face.
The dagger that was originally in Ming Zhe's chest was now in his hand. He was like a cold-blooded executioner, "You can only be mine."
The dream was so bloody that Lin Mei woke up covered in cold sweat. It was the end of September, yet she was sweating so profusely that her bedsheets were soaked.
The content of the dream was very clear, and recalling it, Lin Mei felt a chill run down her spine. She had never had such a bloody dream. It was probably influenced by the WeChat conversation before she slept, but all the feelings in the dream felt incredibly real…
Lin Mei thought of Xing Zheng's words in the dream, and a chill crept up her spine.