Xing Zheng was tall, and being drunk, most of his weight pressed down on Lin Mei. She found it exceptionally difficult to support him, and after placing him on the bedroom bed, Lin Mei was almost exhausted.
Lin Mei had taken care of Chen Qi when he was drunk before, but Chen Qi wasn't as tall as Xing Zheng, so she hadn't been this tired when helping him up.
Xing Zheng's behavior when drunk was considered good; he didn't act out or do anything outrageous. People often said that one's character was reflected in their behavior when drunk, and his drunken state improved Lin Mei's impression of him.
Lin Mei pondered for a moment and decided to make him a hangover soup, considering the high alcohol content of the liquor and the slow speed of natural metabolism. "Lie down and don't move. I'll bring the soup up once it's ready."
Twenty minutes later, Lin Mei returned to the bedroom with the hangover soup. Upon entering, she saw Xing Zheng sitting on the bedroom sofa, smoking. The entire room was filled with the smell of smoke. He had a cigarette in his mouth, his back leaned against the sofa, and his eyes were looking upwards. Coupled with the injury on his forehead, his posture appeared both decadent and degenerate. For a fleeting moment, Lin Mei couldn't believe it was him.
Lin Mei placed the hangover soup on the coffee table and went to snatch the cigarette from Xing Zheng's hand, extinguishing it. "The hangover soup is ready. Drink it and get some rest."
"Ayan..." Just as Lin Mei threw the extinguished cigarette butt into the waste bin, the man beside her suddenly hugged her tightly, resting his face on her shoulder and murmuring the name with a touch of vulnerability.
Due to the alcohol, his speech was even less clear, and Lin Mei could only faintly make out the pronunciation.
Ayan? Ayen? Ayan? It sounded like a woman's name.
"Happy birthday, Ayan... I'm sorry." This time, Lin Mei heard "Happy birthday" and "I'm sorry" again.
She furrowed her delicate brows. Seeing Xing Zheng's vulnerable state, seeking comfort, Lin Mei couldn't help but recall her earlier speculation. Could it be that her guess was correct? Xing Zheng's injury and颓废 (tuífèi - decadent/depressed) state today, drinking to drown his sorrows, was all because of this "Ayan" he mentioned?
Could this woman be the "white moonlight" in his heart, the woman who had hurt him deeply, as the group at the alumni reunion had said? These clues were enough to weave a story.
If her assumption was correct, then this "Ayan" must hold an extraordinary position in Xing Zheng's heart.
Lin Mei found herself intrigued by this person. She had once read a saying that men's downfall was often due to women. She hadn't expected that even someone like Xing Zheng couldn't escape such a fate.
Indeed, every prodigal son has a story behind him.
Although Lin Mei was interested in Xing Zheng's past, she wouldn't try to pry while he was drunk. She let Xing Zheng lean on her shoulder for a moment before starting to feed him the hangover soup. In his current state of despair, it was impossible for him to drink it himself. Fortunately, he was cooperative, even seeming obedient.
Seeing the man, who usually commanded respect and held immense power, in such a vulnerable state, Lin Mei felt a hint of mischievousness. As he cooperated, Lin Mei praised him like one would a child, saying, "So good."
Normally, he was the one who said those words to her. Now that the roles were reversed, Lin Mei felt a sense of satisfaction. Perhaps no one would have imagined that the esteemed CEO Xing had such a side.
"Say it again, okay?" The man suddenly grasped her arm. He looked at her eagerly, but his eyes remained hazy, not focused on her, as if he were looking at someone else through her.
Lin Mei guessed it was the "Ayan" he had mentioned. To think he would be so humble for a woman. Lin Mei put down the bowl. "You should go to bed."
It was said that sleep could mend emotions, and he should get a good night's sleep now.
As Lin Mei helped him up, the man suddenly bent over, clutching his stomach in pain. He broke out in a sweat almost instantly.
Seeing his condition, Lin Mei was sure he had a stomachache. Unable to get him to bed, Lin Mei had him lie down on the sofa first and then rushed to find medicine.
Lin Mei didn't know Xing Zheng's habits, so she had to start by looking in the bedside cabinet. After searching through two drawers, she finally found stomach medicine. Without taking the time to organize, she checked the dosage and gave Xing Zheng two pills before returning to tidy up.
When she came back to organize, Lin Mei noticed that Xing Zheng's bedside cabinet contained many medicines. Lin Mei casually picked up a bottle and glanced at it, only to be shocked.
A whole bottle of tranquilizers. She had never seen so many in her life.
The medicine bottle was already open. Lin Mei unscrewed it and saw that only half the contents remained, meaning Xing Zheng had likely been taking tranquilizers.
Amidst her surprise, Lin Mei felt that this situation was somewhat normal. The financial industry was inherently stressful, and for someone at the pinnacle like Xing Zheng, who had many things to worry about, insomnia at night was not uncommon. It was likely medication prescribed by a doctor.
Lin Mei continued to organize and found many other medicines. These were not common household medications. She didn't recognize any of the boxes. Curious, Lin Mei picked up one box; the packaging was entirely in English.
Lin Mei didn't recognize the drug name. She then looked at the drug instructions, which stated "Adrenergic Blocker." Lin Mei initially thought she had made a translation error and used her phone to search for the drug name, which brought up detailed Chinese explanations.
[Alpha-adrenergic blocker, can be used for high blood pressure, anxiety, and panic disorder, etc.]
Lin Mei put down her phone and turned back, looking at the man on the bed with a complex expression. Tranquilizers, and then this pile of medicine – what was wrong with him?
Lin Mei put the medicines back in the drawer and closed it. When she returned to the sofa, Xing Zheng's complexion was no longer as pained as before.
Having inadvertently learned his "secret," Lin Mei's attitude towards him became complicated. She gazed at him for a long time before reaching out to help him, her voice gentler than ever before. "Does it still hurt? I'll help you to bed."
Lin Mei helped Xing Zheng onto the bed and pulled the covers over him. She sat by the bed, her gaze fixed on him, not moving for a long time.
After an unknown amount of time, the man on the bed fell asleep, but he seemed to be having a nightmare, muttering in his sleep.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm the one who wanted to die."
"I know, I'll never be as good as him. You all love him."
"I only deserve to be in places that can't see the light..."
"Ayan, I should have died."
The man's voice was filled with pain. Even in his sleep, Lin Mei could deeply feel the desolation emanating from him. He repeatedly said, "I should have died." Lin Mei didn't know what he had been through and wanted to comfort him, but she felt her words were powerless. She didn't have the right to do so.
However, Xing Zheng's repeated mention of "Ayan" was enough for Lin Mei to confirm one thing: this person was very important to him, and by deduction, it was likely a woman.
Xing Zheng called out the name again. Lin Mei looked at his pained expression in his sleep and let out a soft laugh.
She raised her hand and covered his brow, smoothing his furrowed brows. She said softly, "Someone will love you too. Have good dreams from now on."