Xing Sha, gazing at Xing Zheng's indifferent back, understood him well. His nature was never to explain himself to others, and in this situation, he certainly wouldn't be able to. Everything would have to wait until Xie Qin Jia's surgery was over. Xing Sha felt a pang of guilt towards Lin Mei but was utterly helpless.
After moving out of Zhuhua Villa, Jiaozi struggled to adapt. The formerly boisterous puppy was now listless, as if deflated. When Lin Mei returned home from work, she found it lying on the sofa, looking dejected.
She changed her shoes and picked up Jiaozi. The dog finally showed some spirit, burrowing into her embrace and whimpering affectionately, as if trying to tell her something. Lin Mei softly asked, "Do you miss home?"
Whether it understood or not, its tail began to wag, and its eyes, like black beans, suddenly lit up. Lin Mei stroked its fur. "Do you miss Lan Lan?"
Upon hearing the name "Lan Lan," Jiaozi became even more excited, its tail wagging incessantly, letting out excited yips and howls, expressing its longing for Lan Lan with its actions.
It was so adorable that Lin Mei smiled as she looked at it. She ruffled Jiaozi's head and told it, "After this period, I'll take you to see her."
It wasn't just Jiaozi who found it difficult to adjust after moving out of Zhuhua Villa. Accustomed to having someone around, returning to a solitary apartment meant she thought of him whenever she did anything. She thought of him but was powerless. She knew that as long as Xie Qin Jia's situation wasn't resolved, Xing Zheng couldn't be with her without reservations.
On the weekend, Lan Lan and Feng Feng came to Lin Mei's apartment for dinner. With guests at home, Jiaozi became very excited, jumping around them.
Lan Lan and Feng Feng took turns petting the dog for a while. At noon, the three of them had hot pot at home.
During the meal, they started talking about Xing Zheng. Feng Feng told Lin Mei, "Shen Su said Xing Zheng went to America to accompany his mother for surgery."
Lan Lan asked, "Did his mother ask him to accompany her?"
"They went at different times," Feng Feng had learned this from a phone call between Shen Su and Xing Zheng.
Lin Mei wasn't surprised. Given his concern for Xie Qin Jia, how could he not be there in person? Even if Xie Qin Jia didn't need him, he would go without hesitation. Thinking of this, Lin Mei gave a wry smile.
She remained silent for a long time. Lan Lan sighed, "He's truly devoted to his mother. It's quite pitiful."
From Lin Mei, Lan Lan and Feng Feng learned a lot about Xing Zheng and Xie Qin Jia. Xing Zheng's twisted personality was undoubtedly linked to his childhood experiences. Even now, he still craved Xie Qin Jia's love.
If he had to choose between Xie Qin Jia and someone else, he would undoubtedly choose Xie Qin Jia. The fact that he broke up with Lin Mei because of Xie Qin Jia's surgery explained everything.
"Have you contacted him? What's your plan?" Lan Lan was curious about Lin Mei's intentions.
"I'll take it one step at a time," Lin Mei didn't have a definite plan yet. She knew Xing Zheng's feelings for her but couldn't help but be bothered by how he had unhesitatingly abandoned her for Xie Qin Jia. Even if he had discussed it with her before making the decision, she could have accepted it. "I don't know what Aunt Xie's attitude will be after the surgery. We'll see then."
"Who cares what her attitude is," Lan Lan said. "As long as the surgery is successful and she recovers mentally, it'll be easier to talk. Xing Zheng is currently worried about her physical health. Would Xing Zheng still listen to her for everything once she's better?"
Feng Feng stirred the tripe. "It's highly likely."
After speaking, she looked at Lin Mei. Lin Mei's thoughts indeed aligned with Feng Feng's. "He probably will."
Xing Zheng craved Xie Qin Jia's attention so much that to get her to look at him more, he would even go to her door to provoke her. He longed for Xie Qin Jia to care about him. If Xie Qin Jia absolutely refused to let them be together, he would probably give Lin Mei up for Xie Qin Jia, not because he didn't love her, but because giving up himself for Xie Qin Jia had long become an ingrained habit.
Lan Lan couldn't understand this behavior. "No way. Listening to you, Xing Zheng sounds like a mama's boy."
"That's not accurate," Feng Feng found a more precise description. "Ms. Xie's existence is more like Xing Zheng's unattainable white moonlight from back then. What he never got, what always hung in the air, out of reach, his obsession won't disappear. As long as the white moonlight needs him, he will appear regardless of the cost."
It was the same principle as male protagonists in novels and TV shows who couldn't let go of their white moonlight. What you can't have is always the most attractive. This saying applies not only to love but also to family affection.
Upon hearing this, Lin Mei wanted to applaud Feng Feng. She had been trying to find a suitable way to describe it, racking her brain but failing. Now, with Feng Feng's explanation, she felt enlightened. "Your description is very accurate. It's pretty much like that."
Lan Lan also found it very reasonable. "However, men like this would be heavily criticized in novels and TV shows."
"He..." Lin Mei hesitated. "He has his difficulties too."
"Look at you, feeling sorry for him. He treated you like this, and you're still defending him!" Lan Lan was disappointed. "If he comes back to reconcile with you, please deal with him properly. Don't agree to reconcile the moment he asks, okay?"
Lin Mei smiled faintly. Reconcile? She hadn't even thought about it. It was too far off. She didn't even know when Xie Qin Jia's surgery was.
Inside a private hospital in New York, late at night, Xie Qin Jia had fallen asleep. The next morning was scheduled for the surgery. Xing Sha couldn't sleep and paced the hallway. A few minutes later, he saw Xing Zheng.
In the past few days since arriving in New York, his complexion had become increasingly haggard, the bloodshot veins in his eyes never fading. Xing Sha looked at Xing Zheng. "Why are you here? You haven't slept well lately."
"Is she asleep?" Xing Zheng didn't answer, his gaze shifting to the closed hospital room door. His deep eyes held suppressed emotions, surging yet controlled.
"She was given a sedative and has fallen asleep," Xing Sha told Xing Zheng. "I'm here. You should go back and rest. It's not too late to come back in the morning."
Xing Zheng didn't speak, nor did he leave, stopping by the door. Xing Sha understood his intent and didn't try to persuade him further. He let out a long sigh. He was also very nervous about tomorrow's surgery. If Xie Qin Jia remembered what happened back then after the operation, would it further stimulate her mentally?
This was a gamble with a huge price. Everything in the future was uncertain. In all matters of his life, he was always in control, but in matters of the heart, he had repeatedly miscalculated...
When Xing Sha went into the room to accompany Xie Qin Jia, he told Xing Zheng, "Go rest in the empty room next door."
Xing Zheng didn't speak. After Xing Sha left, he sat alone in the corridor. The night was very quiet. He took out his phone, the WeChat interface paused at the chat window with Lin Mei.
There, they had their chat records from a few days ago, looking just like an ordinary couple. After breaking up, they hadn't contacted each other again.