Lin Mei was not tall to begin with, and she was wearing slippers. Even when she jumped, she couldn't snatch the phone from Xing Zheng's hand. Her bouncing and hopping made Xing Zheng laugh. If she had two more ears, she would truly be a rabbit.
Xing Zheng's playful smile infuriated Lin Mei. "Give me my phone!"
"A kiss, and it's yours," Xing Zheng threatened.
"Shameless." Lin Mei was certainly not going to cooperate. She had already been taken advantage of by him last night, so what was there to kiss? This scoundrel's skin was truly thick, not only thick-skinned but also perverted!
Xing Zheng seemed to have anticipated her refusal. He wasn't angry and said slowly, "Oh, so you want me to answer the phone for you? Coincidentally, I haven't seen your parents for months, and it's time to show some concern."
As he spoke, he reached to answer the phone for her. Lin Mei hurriedly yelled at him, "You're not allowed to answer it!"
"Come, kiss me." Xing Zheng bent down slightly, offering his face to her lips.
Lin Mei steeled herself, leaned in, and lightly touched his lips before pulling away. "Is that enough?"
The scoundrel stuck out his tongue, licked his lips, and said as if savoring it, "Actually, I meant for you to kiss my cheek."
"I didn't expect you'd want to kiss my mouth so much." He smiled, took back the phone, and handed it to her.
Lin Mei shot him a glare and ran to the balcony to take the call. Xiao Yue was calling to ask if she was coming home for dinner. Lin Mei found it difficult to answer this question, so she told her to see how things went and not to prepare dinner for her for now.
After finishing the call, she heard Xing Zheng say, "Let's go."
Lin Mei couldn't maintain a good attitude towards him at this moment and asked warily, "Where are we going?"
"Aren't you hungry?" Xing Zheng looked down at her face, teasing, "Or did I misunderstand, and you want me to satisfy you in a different way."
Xing Zheng's choice of words each time managed to lower Lin Mei's perception of his limits. Many normal words and phrases he could utter with a suggestive tone. "Get lost."
Lin Mei couldn't help but curse him. This was the most offensive word that came to her mind, but it caused no damage to Xing Zheng. He walked over, casually put his arm around her, and took her to the buffet restaurant downstairs.
During breakfast, Lin Mei was quiet. Watching her chew on the toast, Xing Zheng couldn't help but think of Lazy at home. He picked out the carrots from his salad and put them onto Lin Mei's plate.
Lin Mei: "?"
Xing Zheng: "For you to eat."
Lin Mei: "I don't like carrots."
Xing Zheng: "What rabbit doesn't like carrots?"
Lin Mei: "..."
If she had not been well-bred, she feared she would have thrown the carrot at the scoundrel's face. "Do you really have some special fetish?"
Earlier, she had jokingly said he liked rabbits, and at the time, it was just a joke. But Xing Zheng's series of outrageous actions made it hard not to overthink.
"You've seen through me, yes, I do." The man opposite her not only felt no shame but smiled calmly. "Tonight, wear a bunny girl outfit to satisfy my fetish? Hmm?"
Lin Mei: "Get lost! Mmph..."
As she opened her mouth to curse, Xing Zheng, taking advantage of her inattention, stuffed the carrot into her mouth, effectively silencing her.
Lin Mei took a few bites of the carrot, all the while glaring at him angrily. Xing Zheng's smile grew even brighter. "After breakfast, accompany me out."
Lin Mei reflexively wanted to refuse, but then she thought that refusal would be useless, so she ate her breakfast quietly. After breakfast, Xing Zheng took her outside the hotel, where a driver was already waiting.
A stretched Mercedes-Benz commercial van. The driver got out and opened the doors for them. "Mr. Xing, Mrs. Xing, please."
"I don't..."
"Thank you for your trouble."
Their voices sounded simultaneously. Lin Mei wanted to deny the driver's title, while Xing Zheng seemed unbothered. He pushed Lin Mei into the car.
Lin Mei watched the roads flash by outside the window, her lips pursed, saying nothing. Thinking of the title the driver had just called her, she felt incredibly awkward. Mrs. Xing? She would never be Mrs. Xing in this lifetime. She wasn't that desperate!
The car drove for about twenty minutes before finally stopping in Xiangxi's most famous and most expensive villa district. Lin Mei was suspicious. Did Xing Zheng also have a residence here? But the person who appeared dispelled that thought.
Li Xun already knew Xing Zheng would be coming and was waiting in the yard. After Xing Zheng and Lin Mei got out of the car, Li Xun walked up and stared at Lin Mei for a long time. He had only seen photos before; this was the first time he was seeing her in person.
She was indeed much more lively than in the photos, clearly a typical Xiangxi woman, with a small frame, fair skin, an oval face, and delicate features. Standing beside Xing Zheng, she was a perfect match for him.
Although Li Xun had a smile on his face, his aura was powerful, giving off a considerable sense of pressure. Being looked at like that made Lin Mei extremely uncomfortable. Xing Zheng put his arm around her and said to Li Xun, "Stop looking, she's shy."
Li Xun chuckled and said to Lin Mei, "Don't misunderstand, I mean no harm. Let me introduce myself, my name is Li Xun, I'm Xing Zheng's classmate from Penn."
Li Xun introduced himself, and Lin Mei naturally had to respond. "Hello, Lin Mei."
She could only utter her name, not knowing how to define her relationship with Xing Zheng. It was unclear, and saying anything more would only invite ridicule. Li Xun, however, didn't mind and smiled, saying, "Seeing you is better than hearing about you a hundred times."
Lin Mei was confused, not knowing where Li Xun had heard about her a hundred times. Then she thought, he was probably just making polite conversation, and she didn't need to take it so seriously.
Li Xun invited them into the villa. As soon as she entered, Lin Mei saw a husky energetically jumping around in the living room. The husky was large, and upon seeing strangers in the house, it bounded forward. Lin Mei was startled and, as a reflex, hid behind Xing Zheng.
"Little Chestnut, go back and stay put." Li Xun said, and the husky immediately became obedient, sitting down on the spot.
It was so large that even sitting down, Lin Mei was still a little scared. Xing Zheng, seeing her so timid, teased, "Weren't you quite brave when you were cursing me? Why are you so timid now?"
Lin Mei pointed at the husky and asked, "Are you the same breed as it?"
Coincidentally, Li Xun, who was nearby, heard their conversation and chuckled, covering his mouth slightly. He hadn't expected that the person Xing Zheng fancied would be so sharp-tongued. Having known Xing Zheng for many years, it was truly the first time he had seen someone dare to speak to him like this, yet Xing Zheng himself wasn't angry, smiling as if he had eaten honey. He had never seen him smile like this during their years abroad.
For the first time, Lin Mei managed to render Xing Zheng speechless, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Just as she was feeling pleased, there was a commotion from the stairs.
Li Xun had already gone upstairs and grabbed the woman coming down, his face turning slightly dark. "I told you not to cause trouble today."
"I want to go home for the New Year." The woman shook off his hand. "You have no right to keep me locked up."
Lin Mei found the voice incredibly familiar. She focused her gaze and, upon seeing the woman's appearance, blurted out, "Ning Rui?"