The maid looked troubled, about to explain, when Xie Qin Jia reprimanded her again, "It seems none of you remember what I said!"
"Madam, the second young master came to see you and the master. The master even saw him… the second young master misses you. No matter what, he is still your son." The maid bravely spoke up for her second young master, hoping their mother-son relationship could be mended.
However, Xie Qin Jia said resolutely, "I only have one son. He has nothing to do with me. From now on, anyone who mentions him in front of me will be kicked out of this house!"
The maid was so intimidated that she fell silent, not daring to say another word.
Lin Mei was quite surprised to witness Xie Qin Jia's attitude. When Xie Qin Jia spoke to her on the way, she had been so gentle and polite, making her seem like a well-bred, respectable wealthy lady.
This made Lin Mei a little curious. What exactly was the relationship between Xie Qin Jia and the second young master the maid mentioned?
On the way back, Xie Qin Jia kept talking about her son. Lin Mei had thought she only had one son.
It seemed she had two sons… Had that second young master done something outrageous?
Although curious, Lin Mei didn't dare to ask too much. After all, she had only just met Xie Qin Jia, and this was someone else's family matter. It was not her place as an outsider to interfere.
"You're back?" A man came down from upstairs. He looked about Xie Qin Jia's age, tall, and carried an imposing presence.
Lin Mei took one look at him and knew his status was extraordinary. Also, this aura felt somewhat familiar…
"You let him in?" Xie Qin Jia walked towards the man and questioned him, "What did you promise me earlier?"
"Alright, alright." The man put his arm around Xie Qin Jia's shoulders. His gaze swept over Lin Mei. "We have a guest. Don't let the guest witness a scene."
His reminder made Xie Qin Jia remember Lin Mei's presence. She put away her temper and introduced Lin Mei, "This is my husband, Xing Sha."
"Hello, Mr. Xing." Lin Mei bowed slightly and greeted the imposing man.
Xing Sha appeared to be a serious and taciturn person. He nodded at Lin Mei and said nothing.
Xie Qin Jia patted Xing Sha's arm. "Don't always wear a stern face. You're scaring Lin Mei. She helped me a lot today."
Xing Sha: "You ran into trouble?"
Xie Qin Jia explained, "I was coming out of the cemetery, and my heart ached. She helped me and brought me back."
After Xie Qin Jia's explanation, Xing Sha's attitude towards Lin Mei finally became a little warmer. He said, "Thank you for helping my wife."
"It was just a small gesture. You two are too kind." Lin Mei didn't think it was a significant favor.
No one mentioned the matter of the second young master at home. Xie Qin Jia had returned to her previous gentle and virtuous demeanor.
Lin Mei, being accustomed to social engagements, was quite at ease when she stayed for dinner. Xing Sha, seeing Lin Mei's composed demeanor, became somewhat curious about the young lady before him. "What is your profession, Miss Lin?"
Lin Mei replied, "I work at a bank."
Xing Sha commented, "No wonder. I can see you're someone who interacts with people often."
Lin Mei said, "Mr. Xing has sharp eyes."
"You're always concerned about people's work. You can't even let me eat in peace," Xie Qin Jia playfully chided her husband. Xing Sha did not respond to her words, quietly picking up his wine glass and taking a sip.
Lin Mei could tell their relationship was very good.
Xing Sha spoke little. During the meal, it was mostly Xie Qin Jia who conversed with Lin Mei. Seeing Lin Mei consistently eating the dry-fried green beans, Xie Qin Jia smiled and said, "This is my son's favorite dish. I didn't expect you to like it too."
"What a coincidence…" This dish was a specialty from Xiangjiang, a dish Lin Mei had eaten since childhood. Xie Qin Jia also recalled this and added, "My son lived in Xiangjiang with his maternal grandparents for many years when he was little. They often made this dish at home. After he returned, he always talked about wanting to eat it."
Xie Qin Jia's words were full of love for her son. Lin Mei smiled and nodded. At such times, there was no need to say much; quiet listening was enough.
However, Lin Mei was still somewhat curious about Xie Qin Jia's scolding of the maid and who that mysterious "second young master" was.
Therefore, while Xie Qin Jia spoke of her son, Lin Mei intentionally observed Xing Sha's expression. She saw no clues, and he didn't seem particularly sad.
After having dinner at Xie Qin Jia's home, Lin Mei prepared to leave. Xie Qin Jia was very fond of Lin Mei. Before she left, she gave her a large bag of freshly picked green beans and exchanged WeChat and phone numbers with her.
Lin Mei got into her car with the large bag of green beans, thinking she would have something to eat over the weekend.
The green beans were indeed fresh, likely from their own garden, far superior to those from supermarkets and vegetable markets.
Xie Qin Jia liked Lin Mei immensely. After Lin Mei left, she was still telling her husband, "If only A Yan were here. Lin Mei and A Yan would be such a good match."
As Xie Qin Jia spoke, her eyes welled up again. She leaned her head on her husband's shoulder, "My A Yan is so wonderful. Why is Heaven so cruel to him…"
"It was all an accident. Natural and man-made disasters are unavoidable. It's been so many years, don't overthink it." Xing Sha, for once, spoke at length to comfort his wife. His expression was also very serious. "A Yan would not want you to be like this if he knew. What happened back then has nothing to do with A Zheng. You mustn't…"
"How can it have nothing to do with him?! If it weren't for him, how could A Yan have died!" Xie Qin Jia refused to listen. Tears in her eyes, she questioned her husband, "You've always liked him and disliked A Yan since you were little. Are you going to divorce me for him?"
Xing Sha was helpless. "How could I divorce you? It's just that A Zheng hasn't had an easy time these past few years. He is also your son. Even if you no longer acknowledge him, it doesn't change that fact."
—
At eight o'clock, Lin Mei parked her car in the apartment's underground garage and took the bag of green beans Xie Qin Jia had given her upstairs. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Chen Qi waiting for her in the hallway.
Chen Qi's expression was gloomy, as if he had come for revenge. Lin Mei, though not frightened, frowned at his appearance. "What are you doing here?"
Chen Qi ignored their location in the hallway. His mind was filled with what an old classmate had casually mentioned. Chen Qi rushed forward, grabbed Lin Mei's wrist forcefully, and demanded, "Who did you go to see today, you slut?"
"Chen Qi, are you sick?" Lin Mei reminded him, "I was out on business today. Didn't you see the schedule?"
"Fine, fine, it was business today. Then what about yesterday!" Chen Qi was aggressive. "Where did you go when you took leave yesterday morning?"
"I don't need to report my whereabouts to you." Lin Mei no longer wanted to tolerate Chen Qi's temper. She shook his hand. "Stop throwing a tantrum and let go of me!"
Chen Qi refused to let go, gripping even tighter. He pulled Lin Mei back and slammed her against the wall, looking down at her stomach. "Feeling guilty, are we? Whose bastard is in your belly? Is it Ming Zhou's! How long have you been colluding with him behind my back! Speak!"