Xing Zheng didn't give Ming Zhou much chance to ask questions. He seized the initiative and asked, "What about you? You've got your eye on a married woman, and you're quite the player yourself."
Ming Zhou quickly waved his hands, explaining for Lin Mei, "She's not married yet, and her relationship with her boyfriend has been having some problems."
"Oh, really?" Xing Zheng took another sip of wine. "At the bank gathering last time, their branch manager said she and her boyfriend were the model couple in the bank."
Ming Zhou replied, "You can tell from Chen Jing's attitude towards Lin Mei that Chen Qi isn't good enough for Lin Mei."
Thinking of Chen Jing's overbearing demeanor made Ming Zhou uncomfortable. "It's only because Lin Mei has such a good temper that she can tolerate her like that."
"Look at how you worry about her," Xing Zheng said with a half-smile. "If you like her that much, why didn't you pursue her back then?"
Speaking of that, Ming Zhou felt regret. "By the time I wanted to pursue her, it was already too late. We were in the same master's program, and she and Chen Qi had been together since their undergraduate days. They had already been dating for a few years then."
"Speaking of that, you should have been in the same year as them for your undergraduate studies. Lin Mei was quite famous in school. Have you heard of her?" Ming Zhou suddenly remembered that Xing Zheng had also attended Nanjiang University for his undergraduate degree, only going to Binzhou for his master's.
Xing Zheng seemed uninterested, as if he hadn't taken Ming Zhou's words to heart. "Really? I haven't heard of her."
Ming Zhou added, "That's true, you were always busy with your uncle's company during college, so it's normal you wouldn't have heard."
---
Chen Qi contacted Chen Jing. After leaving the pub, Chen Jing went to eat. The siblings met at a restaurant.
As soon as Chen Qi saw Chen Jing, he immediately asked, "What were you doing last night? Why would a young lady go to a place like that? I've told you many times not to cause trouble and worry Mom and Dad!"
Chen Qi's expression was very serious, but Chen Jing was unconcerned. She ate her pasta and said, "I'm fine, aren't I?"
Chen Qi retorted, "You still have the nerve to say that. If it weren't for your sister-in-law, you would now be..."
"Hmph, who cares about her? She didn't save me at all, it was Mr. Xing." Chen Jing's tone was dismissive upon hearing Lin Mei's name, showing no gratitude.
Although she was his sister, Chen Qi felt she was ungrateful. He lectured her, "Mr. Xing saved you because of her. Mr. Xing is a client of our bank, and Lin Mei is responsible for their company's affairs. He was doing it as a favor to Lin Mei."
"No, it wasn't. Mr. Xing came for me." Chen Jing denied it, a hint of shy affection appearing on her face when she mentioned Xing Zheng.
Chen Qi saw this and immediately understood Chen Jing's thoughts. He couldn't help but advise her, "Don't think about those unrealistic things. You can't handle a man like that."
"But he's interested in me. He took me home alone last night, and today he even took me to meet his friends!" Chen Jing proudly showed off to Chen Qi. "He must have never seen someone like me before."
Chen Qi was incredulous. "You're saying Mr. Xing took you home and then introduced you to his friends?"
"Yes," Chen Jing said. "I even added him on WeChat."
Chen Qi didn't quite believe it at first, but after Chen Jing said so much, he began to waver. Could it be that Xing Zheng was actually interested in Chen Jing?
"Then you need to be more sensible. A man like him is not to be trifled with. What if he's just trying to trick you and take advantage of you!" As a brother, Chen Qi still had to caution Chen Jing.
Chen Jing said impatiently, "Stop worrying about me. You should spend more time keeping an eye on Lin Mei, lest she goes around seducing people!"
Chen Qi asked, "What do you mean?"
Chen Jing explained, "Last night, while I was having a good time with Mr. Xing, Lin Mei came to find me. The man who brought her was someone she called 'Xuezhang' (senior). They were acting all lovey-dovey, exchanging meaningful glances. There's definitely something going on."
"I called her promiscuous, and she didn't deny it!" Chen Jing complained relentlessly. "Brother! You need to watch her!"
Chen Qi was already suspicious of Lin Mei, and Chen Jing's words made him even more so. He asked Lin Mei, "What's that man's name?"
Chen Jing didn't know the man's name, but she had a way. "I'll send Mr. Xing a WeChat message to ask."
---
After saying goodbye to the group, Xing Zheng got into his car. He had drunk alcohol that night, so a driver came to pick him up. He sat in the back seat, licking the teeth marks on his lips and savoring the memory, when a message arrived on WeChat.
It was from Chen Jing.
[Mr. Xing, what was the name of the man who brought my sister-in-law tonight?]