The seed of suspicion, once sown, quickly took root and sprouted branches.
After Zong Zong reminded Chen Qi that day, Chen Qi found everything Lin Mei did suspicious. He watched her from the moment she left work to when she arrived, for several consecutive days. Lin Mei also noticed something was amiss.
On Friday, after work, Lin Mei, Lan Lan, and Feng Feng, who had a rare day off, planned a girls' night out. Feng Feng worked in investment banking and traveled year-round, rarely getting a break.
Lin Mei chatted with her friends in their group chat while packing up to leave work.
As she reached the door, Chen Qi blocked her path.
Chen Qi questioned, "Where are you going?"
Lin Mei replied, "I'm meeting Lan Lan and Feng Feng for a night out at the pub. What's wrong?"
Chen Qi's expression turned serious. He grabbed her arm and lectured her, "You have a boyfriend now, don't keep going to places like that with them!"
Lin Mei frowned at his chauvinistic remark. She used to go to pubs with her girlfriends often, and Chen Qi had never said anything. "Chen Qi, what's gotten into you today?"
Chen Qi's face grew even more sullen. "What do you mean, 'what's gotten into me'? Is it wrong for me to care about you?"
As he spoke, he became increasingly agitated, his voice growing louder, sounding like a father scolding his son.
Lin Mei was inherently proud and couldn't tolerate this. With the office colleagues gone, she didn't need to worry about her image. "Do you think restricting my personal freedom is caring about me? Chen Qi, you're being unreasonable!"
Chen Qi grabbed her shoulders. "What's so great about pubs? Don't you know what kind of women Lan Lan and Feng Feng are? What good can you learn from those two gold diggers, learning to pick up men everywhere like them?"
"Chen Qi, show some respect for my friends!" Lin Mei pushed him away in anger. "I don't want to hear words like that again. I haven't commented on the character of your friends, so don't you point fingers at mine."
Seeing Lin Mei angry, Chen Qi finally realized he had lost his composure. He sighed and softened his tone. "I'm just looking out for you. You have a boyfriend, and if you go to places like that, what will people say about you? What if you run into bad people?"
Lin Mei understood. Chen Qi didn't want her to go to the pub; in simpler terms, he was afraid she would get involved with other men.
Someone once said that men are like dogs; wherever they consider their territory, they'll mark it with their urine to claim ownership. Chen Qi now seemed to consider her his territory.
Heh, he didn't want her to go? Then she would deliberately attract other dogs.
Lin Mei stopped arguing with Chen Qi and decided to fight fire with fire. "If you don't want me to go to the pub, that's fine. As long as you don't go either, I won't go."
Chen Qi retorted, "How can I not go? Are men and women the same?"
——
The pub was filled with a clamor, loud and energetic music blared, and men and women writhed together on the dance floor.
On a Friday night, shedding the shackles of work, everyone was like beasts returning to the forest.
Lin Mei had already downed three drinks. As she snapped her fingers to signal the bartender for a fourth, Lan Lan and Feng Feng collectively stopped her.
"You have a problem." Feng Feng and Lan Lan sat on either side, surrounding Lin Mei. They stroked their chins, studying her as if she were a new stock model.
"Talk to us, sis," Feng Feng said, looking at her leisurely. "I've been away on business for months, and you seem so down. Did you fight with Chen Qi?"
Hearing Chen Qi's name, Lin Mei let out a cold laugh. This immediately told Feng Feng and Lan Lan the answer.
Lan Lan became agitated. "Damn it, that idiot Chen Qi still has the nerve to argue with you? Look at what a scumbag he is!"
"How come I feel like I've missed a lot?" Feng Feng asked, confused. "Tell me about it."
Lan Lan said, "Damn it, I forgot to tell you earlier. Wait, let me summarize..."
"To put it simply, there are three points. First, Chen Qi cheated. His affair was with Xing Zheng's fiancée. Second, someone sent Lin Mei a video, and she slept with Xing Zheng using the video. Third, they are now both cheating on each other."
Feng Feng was stunned. "You said who, Xing Zheng?"
Lan Lan replied, "Yes, Xing Zheng from Wall Street. Our Lin Mei slept with him and even developed a friends-with-benefits relationship. Impressive, right!"
Feng Feng, true to being a close friend, reacted the same way as Lan Lan and first gave Lin Mei a thumbs-up.
However, Feng Feng quickly calmed down and asked Lin Mei, "What are your plans? Are you just going to keep compromising with Chen Qi?"
Lin Mei was also troubled by this matter. "I won't compromise with him, but I haven't figured out how to tell my parents."
Her parents liked Chen Qi. Her father had a heart condition and underwent bypass surgery a couple of years ago. The doctor had advised him against any shocks.
Feng Feng and Lan Lan were well aware of Lin Mei's parents' situation, and it was indeed not a relationship that could be ended lightly.
Feng Feng offered a suggestion. "Then you should start preparing your parents. Don't drag it out too long; it has to be said eventually."
Lin Mei replied, "I know. I'll listen to you. CEO Feng is the most reliable."
Lan Lan felt a bit jealous and leaned in. "What about me? Am I not reliable? I was the one who helped you come up with the idea of sleeping with Xing Zheng, but you haven't praised me."
Speaking of Xing Zheng, Feng Feng's smile faded, and she asked Lin Mei seriously, "Do you like Xing Zheng?"
Lin Mei was about to say "no" when Lan Lan suddenly grabbed her arm. "Damn it, speak of the devil, Xing Zheng is here."
Lin Mei: "..."