Did such a dream remind her of anything? Could Ming Zhe's death truly be related to Xing Zheng?
Lin Mei touched the soaked bedsheet beneath her, her delicate brows furrowed, her mouth dry and her lips pale…
The more secrets Xing Zheng held, the more terrifying they became the deeper she delved. If he was the kind of person who could harm his own brother, then being with him would surely lead to a terrible end for her…
Xing Zheng likely calculated against her because of Ming Zhe. She was Ming Zhe's best childhood companion; beyond that, she held no other value to him. To be jealous of someone to such an extent was eye-opening.
Startled awake by the dream, Lin Mei, after her initial fear, only wanted to sever ties with Xing Zheng. It was still not too late; if she lingered, she feared she would be completely consumed, leaving not even a single bone fragment.
Lan Lan and Feng Feng, not working overtime on the weekend, came to Lin Mei's apartment to hang out. The three of them decided to have hot pot at home. Once they agreed, they went to the supermarket to buy ingredients.
While selecting vegetables in the fresh produce section, Lin Mei ran into Ruan Yufei and her son Yang Shuo again. Ruan Yufei was still dressed simply, carrying a tote bag, with no makeup on, looking like the ideal wife and mother. She was gentle and beautiful, yet devoid of any aggression, the type of woman men most favored.
Although Lin Mei had met Ruan Yufei a few times, they had never spoken, and their relationship was quite awkward. Lin Mei certainly wouldn't go up and greet Ruan Yufei, so after her gaze lingered on the mother and son for a moment, she withdrew and continued to choose vegetables.
Lan Lan and Feng Feng also recognized Ruan Yufei and Yang Shuo. Lan Lan whispered, "Enemies meet on a narrow road."
Lin Mei didn't reply. She grabbed a box of mushrooms and put it in the shopping cart. When she looked up, something hit her forehead. Her skin was tender, and the impact caused her to bleed directly.
The incident happened so suddenly that neither Lan Lan nor Feng Feng saw what happened. It wasn't until they saw the bloodstain on Lin Mei's forehead that they realized it was Yang Shuo who had thrown the object!
Yang Shuo had found some toy, metallic and with sharp corners, which hit her forehead. It would be strange if it didn't bleed. Lin Mei was inexplicably hit, and besides the pain from the wound, she felt dizzy. If Lan Lan and Feng Feng hadn't supported her, she likely wouldn't have been able to stand steadily!
"Yang Shuo! What are you doing?" Ruan Yufei had not expected her son to act like this. Upon seeing the injury on Lin Mei's forehead, Ruan Yufei's eyes immediately reddened. She grabbed Yang Shuo's arm and came before Lin Mei, "Apologize to Auntie immediately."
"I won't." Yang Shuo, usually obedient, refused Ruan Yufei this time. His expression was stubborn, as if he would rather die than yield.
Not only did he refuse to apologize, but Yang Shuo also stepped forward and grabbed Lin Mei's clothes, "Give me back my father."
"Daddy belongs only to Mommy. Why are you trying to ruin our family? You vixen!"
He had learned the word "vixen" from television and didn't understand its meaning, but he used it to curse Lin Mei. In his eyes, anyone who competed with Ruan Yufei for Xing Zheng was a vixen.
Hearing such words from a child, Lin Mei didn't know how to respond. She didn't have much experience dealing with children, but she could feel Yang Shuo's hostility towards her. Seeing Lin Mei being "bullied," Lan Lan and Feng Feng both looked at Ruan Yufei. For a child to say such things, it could only mean someone had taught him.
"Yang Shuo, you mustn't speak nonsense," Ruan Yufei was very anxious, but perhaps due to her naturally good and gentle temper, even when reprimanding her child, her voice was soft and gentle, lacking any assertiveness. "Apologize to Auntie."
"I didn't say anything wrong. Why should I apologize? She's the one who stole Daddy!" This was the first time Yang Shuo had been scolded by Ruan Yufei like this, and he felt even more wronged.
When a child's temper flares up, they refuse to back down. No matter what Ruan Yufei said, Yang Shuo refused to apologize to Lin Mei. Finally, Ruan Yufei couldn't persuade Yang Shuo and could only apologize to Lin Mei with red eyes, "Miss Lin, I'm sorry. I haven't taught my child well. I apologize on Yang Shuo's behalf. Your injury... shall I take you to the hospital?"
"You've misunderstood. I have no intention of fighting you for your father," Lin Mei said this to Yang Shuo, then pulled Lan Lan and Feng Feng along as they left.
Seeing this, Ruan Yufei became anxious, "Miss Lin, your injury hasn't..."
"I can handle it myself. I won't trouble you," Lin Mei didn't want to have too much contact with Ruan Yufei. Even if Ruan Yufei truly had no ill intentions, she just wanted to keep her distance.
After walking a few steps, Lan Lan's temper flared. She looked at Lin Mei's forehead injury with concern, knowing it would surely leave a scar. "You believe that child wasn't taught? This Ruan Yufei isn't any good either. She incited her child to hit you and then acts pitiful, playing the innocent to manipulate. She's quite skilled at it."
Feng Feng: "Let's go to the hospital to get it treated first."
After paying, the three of them went to a nearby hospital and registered for emergency treatment. The emergency doctor cleaned Lin Mei's wound. No serious condition was detected for the time being. After applying medicine and bandaging, it was done. However, the injury was on her forehead, making it difficult to conceal. Even with her hair down, it would be noticeable immediately.
Because of the injury on her forehead, Lin Mei needed to avoid certain foods. The hot pot at noon could only be clear broth. Since she was injured, Lan Lan and Feng Feng didn't let her do any work; they prepared lunch themselves.
While eating, they couldn't help but discuss what had happened earlier. Feng Feng asked Lin Mei, "Have you asked Xing Zheng about that mother and son?"
Lin Mei shook her head. Her relationship with Xing Zheng was not at a point where she could ask about such things. However, one thing was undeniable: "He cares about them a lot."
Earlier, someone at Xing Zheng's company had filmed a video of him picking up Yang Shuo from school. The father-son relationship was evident. Xing Zheng was also extremely patient with the child, which could be seen in every aspect.
"Is he really his son?" Lan Lan still couldn't quite process this. Xing Zheng had gotten someone pregnant at nineteen! "How old is the child's mother?"
Lin Mei shook her head. She didn't know anything. She hadn't investigated Ruan Yufei's background before, but judging by her appearance, she was likely around their age.
"The child's mother is also interesting. If she's so unhappy about Xing Zheng having women around him, why doesn't she go after Jiang Chu Bi instead of using her child as a weapon?" Lan Lan expressed her dissatisfaction with Ruan Yufei. "If I were you, I would have thrown something back."
"There's nothing to throw back. The child is quite pitiful too," Lin Mei said. "I've decided to break up with Xing Zheng."
Lan Lan: "Break up? How can you break up with him now?"
Lin Mei's current involvement with Xing Zheng was due to work. If she were to break up, Xing Zheng might go mad and threaten her job again, which was too risky.
"Are you planning to use this incident as an excuse?" Feng Feng guessed Lin Mei's plan, asking as she put a fish ball from her plate into the pot.
Lin Mei nodded. She had thought of this in the morning and was looking for a reason. Ruan Yufei and her son appeared, hitting the bullseye.