Lin Mei had a habit of experiencing painful periods since her first menstruation. She had taken painkillers the previous night to hold it off for a while, but the pain returned the next day. It felt as if a blender was operating inside her abdomen, with waves of sharp pain. She lay in bed, too weak to even get up for a meal.
Lin Mei called Xu Ying. Her hoarse and sickly voice frightened Xu Ying. "Are you sick? Are you at the hotel? I'll come find you right now!"
"I'm hungry, please bring me something to eat. Thank you," Lin Mei said weakly.
Xu Ying replied, "Okay. I'll buy you the red date soy milk and xiaolongbao that you like. I'll ride my bike over, it'll be quick!"
Xu Ying was as good as his word. What he said was quick, and he arrived in less than half an hour. The morning rush hour traffic was bad, so riding his bike was actually more efficient than taking a taxi. When he arrived, the red date soy milk was still warm.
Seeing Lin Mei's pale face, Xu Ying was quite alarmed and wanted to take her to the hospital. It wasn't until Lin Mei explained that she had her period that he suddenly understood. "Do you have sanitary pads? I'll go buy them for you."
His open demeanor further elevated Lin Mei's impression of him. Not every man would be willing to do such a thing. "I brought some, and I have enough."
"Have you taken painkillers? I heard that if it's too painful, you need to take medicine, otherwise you might pass out."
Lin Mei replied, "Mm. I've taken them, but the second day is always more painful. I can't go out with you today, I need to lie down and rest."
Xu Ying smiled. "Even if you wanted to go out with me, I wouldn't take you. Rest well."
Xu Ying didn't stay long, fearing he would disturb Lin Mei's rest. After she had eaten breakfast, he left. Lin Mei lay listlessly on the bed. She was browsing her WeChat Moments and saw that Xing Zheng had liked a news article forwarded by Shen Su. It must have been a recent like.
Was he looking at Moments now?
Lin Mei's head felt hot, and she posted a Moment visible only to Xing Zheng: "Stomach hurts."
It was only three words. If Xing Zheng was still browsing Moments, he would surely see it. However, she waited for a long time and received no reply, nor any WeChat message.
Lin Mei deleted the Moment, a bitterness clouding her mind. When she was first dating Chen Qi, she had never done anything so sentimental and awkward. Even though she knew why he pushed her away and kept his distance, she still couldn't face his coldness with complete indifference.
It is human nature to crave a response when one is smitten. She was no saint and could not escape this common human failing.
Lin Mei fell asleep in disappointment. When she woke up again, it was already evening. While having dinner, Lin Mei saw a news push and only then realized that Xing Zheng and Jiang Chubai had returned to Nanjiang together. They had also had dinner together that evening and were photographed by paparazzi. Lin Mei felt disgusted and lost her appetite for dinner. She returned to her bed and lay down. Xing Zheng's actions towards Jiang Chubai were a pretense, but what about Jiang Chubai towards Xing Zheng? If it were just an act, why would she have to sacrifice so much? A pampered young lady, for him, sleeping with different men...
She must truly love Xing Zheng to the extreme, hadn't she considered this before...
The day after returning to Nanjiang City, Xing Zheng went back to the Xing family. When Xie Qin Jia saw him, although she didn't chase him out as usual, she still wouldn't speak to him, and the disgust in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
Xing Zheng knew very well that Xie Qin Jia no longer chased him away not because she had changed her mind, but simply because she knew that even if she chased him, it would be in vain. She was always like this; even wishing for her to scold him was a luxury.
"Why are you back today? Aren't you busy?" Xing Sha was slightly surprised to see Xing Zheng at home on a weekday. "Is there something you need?"
Xing Zheng replied, "Mm. Let's talk in the study."
The father and son entered the study together. Xing Sha asked Xing Zheng, "You're in such a hurry, did something happen with Rong Shi?"
"No," Xing Zheng asked him, "Did my mother date anyone before you?"
"Why are you asking this again?" Xing Sha said helplessly. "Didn't I tell you last time? She only dated me."
"I remember you saying that when my grandparents were alive, they disagreed with you being together. Why?" Xing Zheng's gaze became increasingly sharp.
Even an old hand like Xing Sha couldn't hide from his gaze and could only pretend to be calm. "The medical examination report showed that she has a genetic predisposition for mental illness. Your grandparents were afraid it would affect the children."
A very plausible reason. If Xing Zheng hadn't seen that photo, he would have believed it. "Do you have any grievances with the Zhao family?"
"What's wrong with you today?" Xing Sha was completely confused. "The Zhao family only has a few juniors left in the country now, and Zhao Jiang He is good friends with Ah Yan, so how could there be any grievances?"
Xing Zheng did not respond. He looked at Xing Sha intently, as if a single movement could reveal his thoughts. The father and son rarely communicated, but Xing Zheng could still tell that Xing Sha was deliberately concealing something when discussing Xie Qin Jia's past.
Xing Zheng looked at the wall of the study, where a photo of a young Xing Sha and Xie Qin Jia was hung. In the photo, Xie Qin Jia was around thirty years old. She had already given birth to two children. She was graceful and elegant, dressed in a custom cheongsam, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xing Sha. No matter how one looked at them, they were incredibly well-matched.
After a long look, Xing Zheng said to Xing Sha, "Then let me ask differently, did she ever cheat?"
"What kind of absurd things are you thinking? Although she is willful and has a bad temper, she wouldn't do such a thing. Who has been spreading rumors about you?" Xing Sha defended Xie Qin Jia, his tone becoming displeased.
For the first time, Xing Zheng clearly perceived Xing Sha's anger. He doted on Xie Qin Jia so much. If he didn't clarify things, Xing Sha wouldn't admit it. "My brother's car accident was designed by Zhao Jiang He. He wanted to bring down the Xing family."
Xing Sha frowned. "You can't just say things like that. He's so good friends with Ah Yan, how could he possibly?"
Xing Zheng found the photo and handed it to Xing Sha. Xing Sha, who had been questioning, stopped abruptly. His face turned pale, and he had never lost his composure like this before. Without needing to ask further, Xing Zheng could confirm that he recognized the man in the photo.
"This is a photo found in Zhao Jiang He's house. My mother, with another man. How could it be in Zhao Jiang He's house? Hmm?"
Xing Sha was speechless, but his reaction indicated that this statement had a significant impact on him. Xing Zheng put away his phone. "Is the man in the photo Zhao Jiang He's biological father? Is Zhao Jiang He her son with the Zhao family?"
"Not from the Zhao family!" Xing Sha denied.
He began to murmur to himself, his usually calm face showing an expression of disbelief. He shook his head, "How could it be the Zhao family? How could it be..."
That man was an idle criminal, long since shot dead by the police. That child had also been sent away long ago...
Bang!
The study door was suddenly pushed open, and Xie Qin Jia burst in, slapping Xing Zheng across the face!