Lin Mei clicked her tongue in admiration, "Liang Yufeng is doing so well now." They weren't from the same department, and Liang Yufeng hadn't been a prominent figure in school. After breaking up with Lan Lan, they lost contact. After graduation, his whereabouts were unknown. To think that he had surpassed everyone now. Lan Lan had reached a middle management position in a foreign company, and Liang Yufeng could actually threaten her.
Lan Lan replied, "His father's company."
Lin Mei was speechless.
Feng Feng raised an eyebrow, "I wouldn't have guessed. He was quite low-key in college."
"Low-key my foot. He just hadn't been acknowledged back then," Lan Lan shared some gossip about Liang Yufeng with them. "He's his father's illegitimate son. He was later acknowledged and studied abroad for a few years. When he returned, he seized the family fortune. His methods are incredibly cunning."
Lin Mei and Feng Feng looked at Lan Lan with sympathy, realizing her future days wouldn't be easy. Lan Lan didn't want to dwell on it, so the three of them changed the topic. Lan Lan asked Lin Mei, "Why haven't you gone to see Xing Zheng? How was he after he went back that night?"
"Same as usual. They probably argued again," Lin Mei was more curious now. "I wonder what misunderstanding there is between him and his mother."
"Maybe Xing Zheng really killed his brother!" Lan Lan said, drinking her coffee and offering Lin Mei advice. "Why don't you look for evidence? If it wasn't him, it would be a good way for them to reconcile."
"If there was evidence, Xing Zheng would have presented it to prove his innocence long ago. It wouldn't be my turn to look for it." Lin Mei had already considered this. If it had nothing to do with Xing Zheng, given his personality, he would definitely find evidence. So many years had passed, and he hadn't said anything...
Feng Feng asked Lin Mei, "You also think it was him?"
"I can't be sure either," Lin Mei said. "Their relationship should be quite good, but Xing Zheng is indeed very jealous of him. He was the one driving that day, and his mental state..."
"If he happened to have an episode that day, leading to this accident, it would make sense." Lin Mei didn't want to believe that Xing Zheng had deliberately planned to kill Xing Yan, so she thought of his condition. Patients with mental illnesses often lose control of themselves.
This way, it was easier to accept, but all of this was just Lin Mei's personal speculation.
Lan Lan stirred her coffee thoughtfully, "What illness does Xing Zheng have? They've been investigating for so long and haven't found anything. It's kept quite secret."
"I suspect it's bipolar disorder," Lin Mei hadn't discussed this with them before. That night at dinner, with Shen Su and Gu Song present, it wasn't convenient to talk about it. "I had dinner with Aunt Xie mid-week. That night, she suddenly wasn't herself. Later, Xing Zheng's father arrived. I went to the car to get her medicine. The medicine she took was exactly the same as what I saw at Xing Zheng's house."
Lin Mei also told them about the research she had done, which was well-founded, especially the genetic theory. Feng Feng added, "That Zhou Yue is most skilled in bipolar disorder."
Lan Lan remarked, "Xing Zheng is truly pathetic. Not only does his mother dislike him, but she also passed this illness on to him."
Lan Lan's comment made Lin Mei think again of Xie Qinjia's actions towards Xing Zheng and her dream that night. She fell silent. Feng Feng asked her again, "Could his brother have had this illness too?"
"Impossible," Lin Mei said firmly. "They are different."
Lan Lan agreed, "Yes, from what you've said, it doesn't seem like it. Not every child inherits this illness. However... you like his brother so much, you should mention him less in front of Xing Zheng, lest he goes crazy again."
Lin Mei couldn't leave Xing Zheng for now. Offending him wouldn't lead to good days. Lin Mei knew Lan Lan meant well for her, but...
"He's already gone crazy," Lin Mei said with some helplessness, telling them about Xing Zheng taking away all the gifts Xing Yan had given her.
Feng Feng was speechless.
Lan Lan stated directly, "Why is he like a mad dog?"
Lin Mei felt a headache coming on, "All I want now is to get my things back quickly."
"Then you'll have to live with him," Lan Lan said. "He's petty beyond measure. Who knows where he put them? You won't find them unless you live with him for a while."
Living together? This was a risky approach, but it seemed like there were no better options. However, she and Xing Zheng had parted on bad terms yesterday. How could they live together? Lin Mei wasn't someone who could swallow her pride and suggest living together. If Xing Zheng brought it up, she could go along with it, but how could she get him to suggest it...
For the next few days, Lin Mei kept thinking about this matter. Xing Zheng hadn't contacted her for days. She wondered if he was still angry about what happened that day. Before she could think of a solution, Lin Mei had no plans to contact him proactively. Lin Mei hadn't expected that this "opportunity" would come so unexpectedly and suddenly.
One day, after work, Lin Mei went to the supermarket to buy some things and returned to her apartment. As soon as she got out of the car, she was forcefully pulled into a blind spot of the surveillance cameras. Lin Mei was terrified, and the shopping bag in her hand dropped, its contents scattering on the ground.
Lin Mei wanted to scream for help, but her mouth was covered, and she couldn't make a sound.
At this moment, the man circled around and came in front of her. Lin Mei finally saw clearly that the person was Zong Zong!
Last week, Lu Qi had found emails between Zong Zong and people from a competing bank and handed them, along with photos, to Branch Manager Sun. Upon learning of this, Branch Manager Sun fired Zong Zong from the bank. This was a serious violation of discipline. Unlike the previous fight, the bank couldn't keep him this time.
Lin Mei had felt a moment of satisfaction upon hearing about Zong Zong's dismissal and hadn't wasted much time on him, thinking their paths would no longer cross.
However, Zong Zong's actions today proved he didn't think so. "Bitch."
Zong Zong glared at Lin Mei ferociously, his eyes filled with a desire to kill her. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been fired by the bank. You're just a slut who only knows how to seduce men. I'll take you down with me today!"
Zong Zong's logic was simple: if it weren't for Lin Mei, he and Lu Qi wouldn't have had a falling out. Lu Qi dealt with him only to please Lin Mei, that vixen!
Lin Mei wanted to argue with Zong Zong, but her mouth was covered by him, only allowing her to make muffled sounds. Zong Zong now felt like he had nothing to lose. He dragged Lin Mei, intending to force her into his car. This time, he wanted to find people to gang-rape her. Even if he died, he would take someone down with him!
Lin Mei struggled with all her might, which angered Zong Zong. He grabbed Lin Mei's hair and forced her to move forward.
Lin Mei cried out in pain, tears welling up in her eyes. In her despair, the first person who came to mind was Xing Zheng...
Zong Zong dragged Lin Mei to the car. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a man with a sinister expression standing nearby. Zong Zong froze and released Lin Mei.
Seeing Xing Zheng, Lin Mei thought she was hallucinating due to the intense pain, until the man opened his arms towards her, "Aren't you coming over?"