“Yes, he won’t be back.” Xing Sha only learned that Xing Zheng was going back to America on the day Xing Zheng departed. Unable to rush to see him, father and son could only talk on the phone. Xing Sha naturally asked about Xing Zheng’s return date, but he replied, “I’m not coming back.” His disheartened tone was heartbreaking. At that moment, Xing Sha had a sudden realization: he had returned only to investigate the past.
“You won’t see him again,” Xing Sha asked Xie Qin Jia, “Are you satisfied with this outcome? Can you come back with me?”
Xie Qin Jia was eventually taken back by Xing Sha. Lin Mei saw them off downstairs and watched the car drive away, her heart still heavy with the news of Xing Zheng’s departure.
A few days later, when Lin Mei went to the hospital to find Zhou Yue, she hesitated to speak several times and still couldn’t bring herself to ask about Xing Zheng.
Lin Mei’s long leave lasted for over three months. Once she could sleep for six hours a day, Lin Mei returned to work. As soon as she resumed work, she encountered the bank’s cooperation with Ming Zhou Company. That evening, Lin Mei met Ming Zhou at the Ru Feng Club.
Ever since Lin Mei decided to distance herself from Xing Zheng’s circle, her contact with Ming Zhou had gradually ceased. Now, when they met again, Lin Mei’s attitude was much more reserved. Ming Zhou smiled and said to her, “It’s just the two of us, you don’t need to be so formal with me.”
Lin Mei felt embarrassed by his words. “I’m sorry, Senior.”
The moment she used this address, the distance between them seemed to shrink considerably. Ming Zhou’s smile brightened. “Yes, you can call me that in private. Even though I didn’t win you over, we can still be friends, right?”
“Of course,” Lin Mei replied.
They had talked enough about work, so Ming Zhou shifted to personal matters. “How have you been with your boyfriend recently?”
The boyfriend Ming Zhou referred to was Xu Ying. The news of her breakup with Xu Ying had not been made public. Apart from Lan Lan and Feng Feng, no one around her should have known. Now, Lin Mei was making Ming Zhou the third person to know. “We broke up a while ago.”
Ming Zhou paused. “Why did you break up?”
From the messages she had seen, she and Xu Ying seemed very much in love. Ming Zhou had also looked into Xu Ying’s background. He was successful at a young age, and despite his youth, he seemed very considerate towards Lin Mei. Ming Zhou was not as possessive as Xing Zheng. Even if Lin Mei didn’t like him, he still wished for her happiness.
When discussing the reason for the breakup, Lin Mei inevitably thought of Xing Zheng. She picked up her water glass and drank anxiously. Ming Zhou, with his quick mind, guessed, “Did Xing Zheng do something?”
Lin Mei remained silent, but her expression said it all. Ming Zhou then said to her, “You don’t need to be afraid. He has already returned to New York and won’t be back. If you like Xu Ying, then be bold and be with him. No one will trouble him in the future.”
Ming Zhou was unaware of Xu Ying’s background and thus assumed that Xing Zheng had held Xu Ying’s future hostage, threatening them into breaking up. Lin Mei did not explain but merely asked him, “He returned to New York?”
“Yes, I only found out yesterday,” Ming Zhou said. “Shen Su told me. I tried to contact him again, but I couldn’t get through.”
Lin Mei murmured, “Mm.” She gazed at the food on the plate, her throat dry, unsure of what to say.
Xing Sha had said Xing Zheng wouldn’t return, which she could have dismissed as a comfort for Xie Qin Jia. But Ming Zhou had no reason to fabricate such a story.
Time passed by, and another month went by. Lin Mei got off work from the bank and was surprised to see Xu Ying waiting outside. “Why are you here?”
“I’m here on a business trip, sneaking out for a meal with you.” Despite the breakup, Xu Ying’s attitude towards Lin Mei was no different than before. “Do you have time?”
Lin Mei nodded. “Let’s go, I’ll treat you!”
Lin Mei and Xu Ying hadn’t seen each other since their breakup. She had thought Xu Ying might be a little angry, so she hadn’t taken the initiative to contact him. Today, as they sat down for a meal, Lin Mei learned that he had been brought back to Lucheng by Xu Heli and entered the company’s management. This time, he was accompanying Xu Heli on a business trip.
“Why did you go back so suddenly?” Lin Mei found it peculiar, as Xu Ying had previously stated he had no interest in business.
“Experiencing a different life,” Xu Ying joked.
Lin Mei, however, was concerned. “Then what about your competitions and training? Do you still have time?”
“Yes, the company isn’t busy, I’m just playing around.” After explaining his situation over the past few months, Xu Ying asked Lin Mei, “What about you? Have you been sleeping well recently?”
“I took a long leave a while ago, and it’s much better now,” Lin Mei omitted the complications in between, only telling Xu Ying the outcome. “I’m reducing my medication now.”
“Mm, your complexion looks much better,” Xu Ying recalled some news. “I heard my dad say that Xing Zheng is no longer in Nanjiang City.”
Lin Mei replied, “Mm, it seems so.”
Xu Ying observed her, not speaking immediately. Lin Mei’s face grew warm under his gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You haven’t let go yet,” he stated with a smile.
Lin Mei was speechless, unsure how to retort. She thought she had hidden it well, but with just one sentence, she had exposed herself in front of Xu Ying.
Xu Ying said to Lin Mei, “Even though you haven’t let go, I want to tell you that he’s not worth your love.”
Lin Mei replied, “I know. It’s impossible between him and me.”
However, she might still need some time, and she didn’t have a plan for how long.
Without Xing Zheng, Lin Mei’s life seemed to have undergone no significant changes. She continued to work. Having completed her EMBA training, her position at the bank was further promoted. By the end of the year, she received a six-figure bonus.
Lin Mei invited Lan Lan and Feng Feng to a bar, and all three drank quite a bit. When Liang Yufeng came to pick up Lan Lan, he drove Lin Mei and Feng Feng home separately. Lin Mei wasn’t drunk, just tired. She leaned against the back seat, half-asleep, and overheard Liang Yufeng on the phone in the front seat. He seemed to have called Xing Zheng’s name.
Lin Mei opened her eyes and concentrated on listening. “When are you coming back?”
Coming back…?
Lin Mei clutched the pillow. She wanted to hear what was being said on the other end, but it was difficult. She could only hear Liang Yufeng say, “Then I’ll wait for you,” after which the call ended.
Lin Mei and Liang Yufeng were not well acquainted, so she couldn’t ask him. However, Liang Yufeng’s words, “I’ll wait for you,” suggested that the day wouldn’t be too far off. Was he coming back?
After that day, Lin Mei would constantly check the news for Shuang Mu and Rong Shi. On the surface, everything was calm, but inwardly, she secretly hoped to see news of his return. This waiting lasted for a year and a half.
Autumn turned to winter, and another four seasons passed. By the end of another spring, Lin Mei still hadn’t seen any news about Xing Zheng.
After she broke up with Xu Ying, Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue became anxious and kept arranging blind dates for her. This Friday, Lin Mei was arranged for another blind date.
After dinner, they went for a stroll and unexpectedly ran into Jiang Chu Bi.
The moment she saw Jiang Chu Bi, Lin Mei looked around her, instinctively searching for that familiar figure.