Lin Mei answered Lu Qi’s question without hesitation. She had no intention of falling in love now; her only hope was for Lin Zhengde’s surgery to be successful, leaving her with no extra energy to spare.
Lu Qi asked again, “What if someone pursues you? Won’t you consider it?”
Lin Mei replied, “We’ll see.”
Lin Mei had originally intended for Lu Qi to leave after dropping her off at the hospital. To her surprise, Lu Qi was a dedicated driver, waiting until she had finished dinner with her parents and then offering to drive her home.
Lin Mei arrived at the underground parking lot at half-past eight and was startled to see Lu Qi waiting by the car. “Why haven’t you gone back yet?”
Lu Qi smiled and said, “I promised to be your driver. I must see this through to the end.”
Lin Mei felt bad. “You’re troubling yourself too much.”
Lu Qi replied, “It’s not trouble. I usually go out with friends after work, so this isn’t late.”
Thus, Lin Mei ended up letting Lu Qi continue to act as her driver. Lu Qi quickly noted down Lin Mei’s home address, and a smile involuntarily curved his lips.
Late summer transitioning into early autumn, the nights in Nanjiang City occasionally carried a cool breeze, rustling the dense leaves with a soft whisper.
Xing Zheng stood beneath a tree, a cigarette held between his right fingertips, exhaling plumes of smoke. His palm was wrapped in thick bandages, with traces of blood still visible. This state only added to his wild aura. His eyes were red as he lurked in the shadows, like a wolf hunting for prey.
When he saw the white Audi pull over, his smoking motion paused slightly. Just as he was about to step forward, he saw a young man get out of the driver’s seat, chatting and laughing with Lin Mei.
“Thank you for today,” Lin Mei said to Lu Qi after getting out of the car, not forgetting to express her gratitude. “Be careful on your way back.”
Lu Qi maintained his usual smile. “Alright, I’ll be going then.”
Lu Qi had already called for a car on the way. Lin Mei walked with him to the pick-up point and saw him into the car before turning back.
As Lin Mei swiped her access card, she was suddenly grabbed by a powerful force that covered her mouth and eyes. The tall, burly man subdued her with ease, pressing his knee against her leg and shoving her into the elevator! “Mmph, mmph!”
With her mouth covered, Lin Mei couldn’t make any sound. Unable to see, she couldn’t determine who this person was.
Her hearing and sense of smell were all she had left. However, the man hadn’t spoken a word from beginning to end. Lin Mei could only smell the scent of damp, cool cypress roots mixed with the metallic tang of blood.
Lin Mei’s heart began to beat faster. Could it be him?
Ding, the elevator stopped. Lin Mei was pulled out of the elevator by the man in the same position. When they stopped at the door, the man behind her leaned down and bit her ear, “Open the door.”
Hearing this familiar voice, Lin Mei didn’t know whether to feel relieved or tense. The hot breath enveloped her, and her fingers, as she raised her hand to input the password, trembled slightly.
As the door opened, Lin Mei was pushed inside by him. Xing Zheng released his grip, and Lin Mei saw him now—
Still in a perfectly tailored custom suit, impeccably dressed, his expression no different from usual. However, Lin Mei immediately noticed the bandages wrapped around his palm and then recalled what Feng Feng had told her on the phone that day.
Self-harm… Could someone like him also self-harm?
“Your injury… Mmph!”
Lin Mei intended to inquire about Xing Zheng’s hand injury, but before she could finish speaking, he kissed her with almost frantic intensity. His injured hand gripped her neck. While the force wasn’t great, it made it difficult to breathe.
Lin Mei opened her eyes and saw a look of determination to the death in his eyes. At that moment, her heart trembled, and she felt as if she were about to die at his hands.
Fortunately, just as she was on the verge of suffocation, Xing Zheng released her neck. Lin Mei then smelled a stronger scent of blood. As she lowered her head, she saw that the bandage on his hand was already half-reddened!
“Your hand!” Lin Mei called out to him, dodging his kiss, and said indistinctly, “Don’t move it around anymore, it’s too dangerous.”
“Are you concerned about me?” Xing Zheng kissed her with every word he spoke. “We haven’t seen each other for two days, do you miss me?”
The man’s seductive skills were too superb. As Lin Mei was held and kissed by him, her body turned to water. She clung to Xing Zheng’s neck, “There’s blood…”
“Say you miss me,” the man commanded forcefully, squeezing her waist.
Lin Mei was dizzy and confused, no longer knowing what she was doing. “Miss, miss.”
Xing Zheng picked her up, slung her over his shoulder, and walked directly into the bedroom.
Throughout the entire process, Lin Mei never saw Xing Zheng’s face, nor did she know his expression. She could only hear his suppressed breathing, smell his unique scent, and feel his sweat dripping from his forehead onto her shoulder blades.
Lin Mei glanced sideways and could see his forearm and palm. The gauze on his palm was soaked with blood, and the veins on his forearm were still bulging.
When it was over, the man held her body completely in his embrace. Lin Mei finally looked up at his face. He was sweating profusely, with beads of sweat on his chin, making him incredibly sexy.
Just after it ended, the corners of his eyes were very red. Anyone unaware would think he had been crying.
Xing Zheng’s state tonight was very unusual. He gave the impression of a cornered beast, venting his frustration and grievances through the most primal means, or perhaps, seeking his own existence.
Lin Mei, for once, didn’t push him away, letting him hold her for a long time. Later, when he seemed to have calmed down a bit, he released her and went to the bathroom to shower. Lin Mei rolled over on the bed, too weak to bother washing herself.
Buzz, buzz, buzz. Lin Mei heard her phone vibrate. It wasn’t hers; it was Xing Zheng’s.
She should have ignored it, but considering Xing Zheng’s unusual behavior today, Lin Mei picked up the phone and saw that it was Shen Su calling.
After some hesitation, Lin Mei answered the phone.
Shen Su: “Where did you go? Zhou Yue said you shouldn’t be running around now. Old Xing, let’s not mess around…”
“It’s me.” Lin Mei could tell Shen Su was very worried about Xing Zheng, so she interrupted him and explained, “He’s with me right now.”
Shen Su recognized Lin Mei’s voice and breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s good that you’re okay.”
Lin Mei didn’t ask further, only saying, “I’ll have him call you back later.”
After finishing Shen Su’s call, Lin Mei glanced at the bathroom. What did Shen Su mean by saying Xing Zheng shouldn’t be running around now?
Before she could think further, Lin Mei’s phone rang. She fumbled for her phone and saw the four characters “Mingzhou Senior.” Lin Mei guessed the reason.
As soon as Lin Mei answered the phone, she heard Mingzhou’s apologetic voice, “I heard about the incident with your bank’s internal network. This matter started because of me, and I will…”
“I implicated you,” Lin Mei interrupted Mingzhou. “Chen Qi wanted to ruin my reputation. I’m the one who should apologize.”
“But I want to pursue you,” Mingzhou said. “Let me handle it.”
*Click.*
As Mingzhou finished speaking, the bathroom door also opened.