Lin Mei considered for a moment before nodding in agreement. Her relationship with Xing Zheng had completely ended, so why should she refuse Zhao Jianghe to avoid suspicion? It was partly out of spite, too. The drastic change in Xing Zheng's attitude towards her that day still bothered her.
When men choose a partner, their brains seemed to function like a precision instrument, always able to pick the most advantageous person from a crowd. Talking to them about feelings was utterly baseless. One moment they were flirting with her, the next they could personally drive her out of their home!
Lin Mei agreed, and Zhao Jianghe was naturally overjoyed. He chatted with Lin Mei about Xing Zheng, his tone familiar, as if he were truly talking about his own brother. "He's been at odds with the family for so many years, and now he's finally settled down. His career is stable, and he's about to get married. I'm happy for him too."
Oh, so the news of the marriage was already common knowledge. Lin Mei curled her lips in a mocking smile. "Mr. Xing and Miss Jiang are quite a match, their family backgrounds are comparable."
Zhao Jianghe smiled and said, "Yes, now Ah Zheng has Shuang Mu and Rong Shi. It's a strong alliance with the Jiang family. Not to mention in Nanjiang City, even across the country, there are few people who can rival him."
So he was that formidable, Lin Mei mused, smiling. Indeed, how could there be men without ambition in this world? Throughout history, from kings to commoners, there were countless examples of sacrificing wives and concubines for profit. Loving beauty over kingdoms was merely a fleeting illusion. Someone like Xing Zheng would be even less likely to be so "naive."
As the dinner progressed, the conversation never strayed from Xing Zheng. Zhao Jianghe told Lin Mei a great deal about Xing Zheng and Jiang Chubbi. Lin Mei listened, feeling increasingly annoyed, and almost interrupted him several times. Fearing she might be discovered, she had to hold back.
It was normal for Zhao Jianghe, who had a good relationship with Xing Zheng, to be happy for him. If she showed any sign of abnormality, it would easily arouse suspicion.
After finishing dinner with Zhao Jianghe and arranging to meet on Saturday evening, Lin Mei parted ways with him. Upon returning home, Lin Mei opened her phone app and searched. As expected, she found numerous news articles about Jiang Chubbi and her fiancé's affectionate relationship.
Xing Zheng's identity had not yet been fully revealed. The news still described him with terms like "Shuang Mu CEO," implying that Xing Zheng was the one benefiting from the match with the Jiang family. Lin Mei smiled; after tomorrow, the media's tone should change.
This week, Xing Zheng and Jiang Chubbi had been photographed frequently, shopping together, going on sweet dates. Even in places like underground parking lots, they were intimate, disregarding others. Xing Zheng would open the car door for Jiang Chubbi, and when they walked, Jiang Chubbi's arm was always around Xing Zheng's. The two were like conjoined twins…
It seemed they were getting along very harmoniously!
Lin Mei went to take a shower. She had been wavering about whether to go with Zhao Jianghe tomorrow, but after seeing the news and photos, her resolve was strengthened. She would go, she absolutely had to go. Was she going to hide from him for the rest of her life because of that absurd relationship?
The relationship between Xie Qin Jia and Xing Sha had entered a downturn after Rong Shi was completely handed over to Xing Zheng. Xie Qin Jia threatened divorce daily, but Xing Sha refused, leading to endless arguments.
Xie Qin Jia no longer allowed him to sleep in the master bedroom. Xing Sha needed to attend a banquet tonight and came to the master bedroom to find a suit. The moment he entered, Xie Qin Jia turned her body away, refusing to even look at him. Xing Sha said to her, "I'll be back as soon as possible tonight. Remember to come down for dinner, don't make it difficult for the servants."
Xing Sha took a custom suit from the wardrobe. Xie Qin Jia looked at the suit and asked him, "You have to go tonight, don't you?"
Her tone was relatively calm, perhaps because she had accepted the reality and knew that her struggles could not change anything.
Xing Sha: "I'll come back after the announcement. You wait…"
Before Xing Sha could finish, Xie Qin Jia found a pair of scissors from somewhere and cut open the custom suit he had placed on the bed. Her movements became increasingly frantic. Xing Sha frowned, watching his expensive suit being completely ruined in her hands.
Xing Sha was not angry. As long as Xie Qin Jia did not harm herself, he could accept it. "Are you feeling better now?"
Xie Qin Jia threw the scissors at Xing Sha. Xing Sha caught them without getting hurt. "I'll be back early to accompany you."
"Xing Sha, if you leave, I'll divorce you. I'll make sure you can never find me again!" Xie Qin Jia shouted from behind Xing Sha.
Xing Sha was not threatened by her. After he left, Xie Qin Jia sat on the edge of the bed in a daze and threw everything on the bed!
The matter of Rong Shi's equity change had been mentioned in financial news for the past few days. However, Rong Shi's confidentiality was very good, and the outside world could not find out who the new owner of Rong Shi was. Today's press conference attracted media outlets of some repute in Nanjiang City.
The banquet was held in the banquet hall of the Chuan Gu Hotel. Chuan Gu was the only seven-star hotel in Nanjiang City, with astonishingly high fees. Lin Mei was also visiting for the first time. She and Zhao Jianghe got out of the car together. Zhao Jianghe's hand was gentlemanly placed around her waist but not fully touching her.
They arrived at the banquet hall, and Lin Mei saw many faces she usually only saw in financial news. These people were usually the ones being flattered, but their early arrival here showed how much influence Xing Zheng had.
"Nervous?" Zhao Jianghe asked Lin Mei with concern. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just think of it as attending a friend's wedding."
Lin Mei smiled. None of her friends could afford such an extravagant wedding. Zhao Jianghe exchanged a few words with Lin Mei before spotting Jiang Fu. "Uncle Jiang, you're here." Zhao Jianghe led Lin Mei forward and greeted Jiang Fu.
Upon seeing Jiang Fu, Lin Mei also recognized him immediately. This was Jiang Chubbi's father, a director of the Jiang Corporation, and Xing Zheng's future father-in-law. Jiang Fu nodded in greeting to Zhao Jianghe, and they chatted about work matters for a while. Jiang Fu then noticed Lin Mei beside Zhao Jianghe. "Girlfriend?"
Zhao Jianghe smiled and said, "Still working on it. It depends on when she agrees."
Jiang Fu: "You should consider it too. Chubbi and Ah Zheng are younger than you and have made much faster progress. Hurry up!"
Zhao Jianghe glanced at Lin Mei. "Ah Zheng and Chubbi have been in love for so many years; it's hard for ordinary people to compare."
Jiang Fu laughed heartily, clearly pleased. Lin Mei witnessed all of this, feeling a touch of irony. Even she could find out that Xing Zheng and Jiang Chubbi were seeing other people. Wouldn't Jiang Fu, as a father, know? It was simply a matter of prioritizing interests. People in their circle likely shared the same mindset.
As she was thinking, a commotion suddenly erupted in the banquet hall. Before Lin Mei could see what was happening, she heard Zhao Jianghe's smiling voice, "Ah Zheng and Chubbi are here."
Lin Mei looked across and saw, not far away, Jiang Chubbi intimately linked with Xing Zheng's arm, smiling and talking as they walked towards the center of the banquet hall. They were openly showing their affection.
Lin Mei's gaze fixed, unable to look away for a long time.