Lan Lan was not flustered. Even with the man pressing down on her, she maintained her usual composure. Liang Yufeng lowered his head to bite her lips, consuming all the lipstick she had just applied.
Lan Lan did not respond, nor did she push him away. The one-sided assault did not last long. Liang Yufeng stopped and looked at the cynical, unruffled face before him. "Come find me tonight."
"Oh, I thought President Liang wanted to have a go at it right here," Lan Lan said with a smile. "Not coming? I thought Young President Liang was interested."
"I'm not that desperate."
Liang Yufeng's tone was cold. If anyone else heard it, they would likely be intimidated, but Lan Lan was not. She even smiled more brightly. "Yes, President Liang is a man of integrity, unlike those dogs who are always ready to mate."
It seemed like a compliment, but anyone who understood language would discern the mockery. Liang Yufeng's tiger-like grip tightened on her chin.
"Don't provoke me." With that, he left.
Lan Lan laughed mockingly. Why was he putting on airs in front of her? No matter how successful or aloof he was now, it couldn't change the fact that she had dumped him in the past!
Lin Mei and Xing Zheng attending such an event together was tantamount to publicly announcing their relationship to the circle. Although the news was not widely publicized, those who needed to know, knew. This included Xie Qin Jia.
Xie Qin Jia could not accept it and had a falling out with Xing Sha at the hospital. Previously, she had spoken with Lin Mei without success. Xie Qin Jia then insisted on meeting Xing Zheng. This was the first request she had made in many years, wanting to see Xing Zheng, which was enough to prove her persistence in this matter.
As Xie Qin Jia continued to make a scene and refused to listen to anyone's advice, Xing Sha and the doctors' combined efforts to calm her down were futile. In the end, Xing Sha had no choice but to compromise and called Xing Zheng. Upon hearing the news, Xing Zheng rushed to the hospital.
When Xing Zheng arrived, Xie Qin Jia commanded him, "You break up with Lin Mei right now and stop ruining her!" She spoke with righteous indignation and arrogance, her usual demeanor.
"I won't break up," Xing Zheng replied calmly. His two words clearly stated his position and infuriated Xie Qin Jia to the point of blushing.
She screamed, "You selfish thing! The person she likes is Ming Zhe, why do you have to compete with Ming Zhe?"
"He is already dead," Xing Zheng said to Xie Qin Jia in a way he never had before. "Even if he were alive, Lin Mei might not have chosen him."
"You should die too!" Xie Qin Jia picked up the thermos cup beside her and hurled it at Xing Zheng's head. Xing Zheng dodged it. In fact, he could have dodged it every time before, but he simply didn't want to.
Failing to hit him, Xie Qin Jia became even more enraged and slapped him. Xing Zheng's nose bled, indicating the extent of her fury. Xing Sha could not bear to watch and said to Xie Qin Jia, "Getting angry like this is useless. This is their choice. Ah Zheng is right; even if Ah Yan were still alive, Lin Mei has the right to choose to be with Ah Zheng."
Xing Sha rarely took such a clear stance in support of Xing Zheng, which Xie Qin Jia could not accept. "Fine, you want to stand with him, do you? Then let's get a divorce! I've had enough of you both!"
"I will not break up with her. You can hit me a few more times, and it will be the same," Xing Zheng said again, reiterating his stance and attitude to Xie Qin Jia.
After speaking, he exchanged a glance with Xing Sha and then left, leaving Xing Sha to deal with the emotionally distraught Xie Qin Jia alone. Xie Qin Jia smashed many things, continuously shouting about divorce. She couldn't calm down, so Xing Sha had to call the doctor to administer a sedative. She hadn't used this medication for a long time and thought she had completely quit it, but recently she had started again.
The sedative took effect quickly, and Xie Qin Jia soon fell asleep peacefully. The caregiver came in to tidy up, and Xing Sha was called out by the doctor. The doctor's expression was grave. "Her condition is not optimistic. You need to be prepared."
Xing Sha asked, "Prepared for what?"
"I mentioned before that if her condition relapsed, it would be due to similar triggers as before, or even more direct stimuli. The relapse will be more severe than the last time. This is her third relapse, and I can't guarantee she will make it through this time."
Although the doctor's words were euphemistic, Xing Sha understood the meaning. Having accompanied Xie Qin Jia through her illness for so many years, he had become something of an expert. He had seen many cases of death from mental illnesses.
Bipolar disorder was inherently complex and prone to recurrence. If Xie Qin Jia couldn't pull through...
"What is your recommendation?" Xing Sha's voice was exhausted and hoarse.
The doctor told him, "Proceed with surgery as soon as possible. This is the best control method so far. The team you contacted is the most professional in the world, and the success rate of the surgery is very high."
Previously, Xing Sha had discussed the possibility of surgery for Xie Qin Jia with the doctor, who had been very supportive. Not every patient had such an opportunity and conditions. However, Xing Sha had suddenly decided not to proceed with the surgery, which was perplexing.
"Besides surgery, there are no other options, right?" Xing Sha confirmed with the doctor.
The doctor nodded. "You've seen her condition."
Xing Sha responded with an "Mm," and said, "I understand."
In the evening, when Lin Mei returned home, Xing Zheng was already there. He was sitting on the sofa, Legs comfortably sprawled out in a relaxed manner. His long fingers stroked the rabbit fur. Jiaozi lay beside him, gazing enviously at Lan Lan. Upon seeing Lin Mei return, Jiaozi rushed towards her.
After changing her shoes, Lin Mei carried Jiaozi to Xing Zheng's side. As she sat down, she noticed the marks of a slap on his face. She immediately put down Jiaozi and touched his face, her mind already piecing together what had happened. "Did you go to see Aunt Xie?"
In this world, perhaps only Xie Qin Jia could slap him so recklessly. Lin Mei had witnessed it many times before; Xie Qin Jia always struck with great force, never considering the consequences.
Thinking of this, Lin Mei's chest felt a pang of sorrow. She stroked his face. "Does it hurt? What did Aunt Xie say to you?"
"It doesn't hurt." He held her hand and pulled her into his embrace. "What, are you worried about me?"
"I'm having a serious conversation with you, can you not interrupt?" Lin Mei couldn't accept his feigned nonchalance. "Did Aunt Xie tell you to break up with me?"
How could she not know Xie Qin Jia's intentions?
Xing Zheng gave a vague "Mm" and said nothing more. Since he had been hit, Lin Mei knew what answer he had given.
She felt a surge of joy, but also sadness for him. "Aunt Xie is ill. Don't dwell on her angry words. Once she has the surgery, she will be fine."
Lin Mei was unaware of the agreement between Xing Zheng and Xing Sha. She thought Xie Qin Jia would undergo surgery in America soon. "She will get better, just like you."
Xing Zheng lifted her chin and kissed her as if venting his frustration.
Lin Mei felt a sting from his kiss but did not pull away. Instead, she clung to him. She understood that he was in despair and needed her comfort.