Lin Mei had told him she was single. "If you say so? Give her the phone. If I can't hear her voice, I'll call the police to gather evidence immediately."
"Mr. Xiao," Xing Zheng teased, "haven't we just met on the forum? Is your memory that bad?"
There was a long silence from the other end, as if he were thinking, but still, he couldn't believe it. "You are... Mr. Xing?"
"It seems Mr. Xiao's memory isn't that bad after all." With that, Xing Zheng smiled and hung up. He casually returned Lin Mei's phone to her. Seeing her displeased expression, he asked, "What, did I say something wrong?"
Lin Mei simply ignored him. With his shamelessness, no matter what she said, he would always find a way to taunt her into silence.
Half an hour later, Lin Mei saw a familiar scene and realized that Xing Zheng had brought her to Zhuhua Villa, a place filled with many memories of their past. "Get out of the car."
Xing Zheng unbuckled her seatbelt but did not step back. His captivating eyes were fixed on her, his ambition and possessiveness unconcealed. Lin Mei knew what would happen if she got out of the car. "I'm not getting out."
"Get out of the car," he repeated.
This time, Lin Mei remained silent, her neck stiff, her determination conveyed through her silence. Xing Zheng grabbed her ear. "Still not getting out?"
Lin Mei didn't move. Xing Zheng moved to the passenger side and picked her up. "If you want to play in the car, that's not impossible either."
With that, he began to kiss her neck and collarbone passionately.
The atmosphere was about to ignite when Lin Mei's stomach rumbled, shattering the intimacy and tension.
Lin Mei blushed with shame. Xing Zheng stopped kissing her and looked at her, smiling. "Hungry?"
She hunched her neck, her eyes moist. Her shy and wronged expression made her look even more like a rabbit.
"None of your business!" Lin Mei grabbed her phone, intending to call for a ride back. The moment she opened the ride-hailing app, Xing Zheng snatched her phone away again.
He returned to the driver's seat and stepped on the accelerator. Lin Mei quickly fastened her seatbelt. "Where are you taking me?"
"Aren't you hungry? I'll find a place to fill you up," he said, steering the wheel. "Or would you rather eat me?"
After more than a year apart, his skill at dirty talk had only increased, and his thick skin seemed even thicker than before. She had no choice but to surrender.
Lin Mei was surprised when she saw the restaurant. She hadn't expected Xing Zheng to bring her here, to the restaurant run by the Xiangxi owner. She had only been here once with Xing Zheng before. The restaurant still had no information on delivery or review apps, and Lin Mei thought it had long since closed down. Sitting in the restaurant, listening to the conversation between the waiter and Xing Zheng, she finally felt a sense of reality.
"Beef noodles, with pickled beans and eggs as side dishes, and a hot bowl of yuanzi." Xing Zheng ordered for her before she could even speak.
The noodles and yuanzi arrived shortly. Lin Mei buried her head in her food, and indeed, it was the familiar taste. Not wanting to let her meal affect her mood, Lin Mei ignored Xing Zheng, who also didn't disturb her.
Midway through, his phone rang. Perhaps it was because they were the only table in the restaurant, or perhaps she was too sensitive, but she immediately recognized the voice on the other end as Jiang Chubai.
"Are you leaving again after coming back this time? Where are you? I'll come find you tomorrow."
"Yes, Zhuhua Villa." Xing Zheng's tone was normal, and it was clear he trusted Jiang Chubai implicitly.
Lin Mei's heart sank further. The food she had enjoyed became tasteless. She heard their conversation; Xing Zheng was asking Jiang Chubai to come to Zhuhua Villa to find him tomorrow.
Even though their cooperation had ended, Jiang Chubai could still freely enter and exit his private domain.
"Why aren't you eating?" Xing Zheng asked, seeing Lin Mei stop eating. "Not hungry anymore?"
Lin Mei had no desire to answer his question. In fact, hearing his voice made her feel incredibly angry. She stood up and turned to walk out.
Xing Zheng followed her closely, quickly catching up and pulling her back. "Tell me, what did I do to upset you?"
Her anger must have been caused by something he said. He had refrained from talking to her during the meal precisely because he feared she would get angry and not eat.
"You upset me the moment you appeared in front of me," Lin Mei struggled against him. "I don't want to see you. Stay away from me."
"You're getting more temperamental," his patience was wearing thin. He picked her up again. "Since you're full, let's go back and I'll feed you properly."
Everything in Zhuhua Villa remained unchanged. Upon entering, she was overwhelmed by a sense of familiarity. Every corner held memories of their entangled past.
Lanlan was still there. Lin Mei didn't know how the cat had fared in Xing Zheng's absence, but the little thing seemed thinner than before. Its loyalty to its owner, however, had not wavered. The moment it saw Xing Zheng, it ran up to him. But Xing Zheng, holding Lin Mei, simply nudged Lanlan with his foot. "Hold your sister. I don't have time to pet you."
Lin Mei: "..."
Her struggles were in vain. Lin Mei was taken into the bedroom by Xing Zheng. He pressed her down, and they rolled around on the large bed for a few turns, finally trapping her beneath him. His tall body loomed over her. "Do you miss me?"
"What nonsense are you talking about," Lin Mei frowned. "Why would I miss you?"
"Oh, you don't miss me, yet you're having so much fun playing with the things I gave you?" He recalled the notification on her phone. "Playing for three days straight, do you miss me that much?"
Lin Mei's face turned from red to pale. She had forgotten such an important thing. It was the only item she had at home, and she hadn't thought much of it at the time, only for him to see it again.
His dry fingers caressed her thigh, lightly tapping. "I even helped you out a bit, didn't you feel it?"
Lin Mei's expression became even more dramatic. How could she not remember? So it wasn't a system error, it was him!
She decided she had to throw that thing away the moment she got home, immediately!
"Today, let the person himself have a good chat with you." His fingers touched her shoulder blade, and his teeth gnawed at her earlobe. "From now on, if you wear that black dress to see another man, I'll be careful how I..."
The latter half of his sentence was unspeakable. Lin Mei angrily pushed him. "You lunatic!"
"Yes, I am," he admitted. "But I'm also the only one who can make you think of me like this, aren't I?"
In the morning, Lin Mei woke up with sore fingers. The space beside her was empty, and the bedsheets had lost their warmth, indicating that Xing Zheng had already gotten up. Only his phone remained beside her.
Lin Mei curled up, recalling the events of the previous night. Apart from calling herself pathetic and him shameless, she didn't know how else to describe it.
The black box on the bedside table was now empty. They had never been like this before. He acted as if he had been starving, tasting the sweetness and knowing its flavor.
Buzz, buzz, buzz. Xing Zheng's phone vibrated. Lin Mei looked over, and the screen clearly displayed "Wen Ke."
For some reason, the moment she saw the name, she thought of the woman at the airport.
Lin Mei, her mind racing, answered the call for him. A clear and capable female voice came through, "Are you coming to my place tonight?"