Who is this "he"?
Lin Mei and Xu Ying could not determine the gender. Both could only listen quietly. The man's voice sounded very hoarse and distorted, as if he were sixty or seventy years old.
Silence fell in the ward for a long time. Lin Mei heard Zhao Jianghe's voice, "They will all get their comeuppance, and soon."
"A bitch who abandoned her husband and children. I treated her so well, but she only cared about money and status. If that man had nothing, would she still be with him?!"
The sound of something being smashed echoed in the room, startling Lin Mei. She shivered. If Xu Ying had not covered her mouth in advance, she would have cried out in surprise.
Lin Mei quickly exchanged glances with Xu Ying. Xu Ying reminded her to continue listening to the movement inside. Zhao Jianghe said, "The Xing family will soon have nothing. I've already beaten Xing Zheng. Please wait a little longer."
His tone was meant to comfort the other person, but it was subtly tinged with pride. It was likely that snatching the laboratory project from Rong Shi had given him a significant sense of accomplishment.
Lin Mei finally heard a valuable piece of information: the Xing family would soon have nothing... Did the Xing family and the Zhao family have a feud?
Lin Mei fell into doubt again. Whether it was the Xing family or the Zhao family, they were both prominent families in Nanjiang. If there was a long-standing feud between the two families, how could Xing Sha allow Xing Yan to associate with Zhao Jianghe, and how could he have provided Zhao Jianghe with so much help before?
Xu Ying noticed Lin Mei's confusion. He leaned closer to her and said, "Let's go first," and pulled her away. Since they had already heard the key information, it was best to leave. If they were discovered, it would be more trouble than it was worth.
Lin Mei and Xu Ying went to a nearby milk tea shop. She drank her milk tea, racking her brain to think, but still couldn't find a clue.
Xu Ying watched her. He had also heard the conversation in the ward. With Xu Ying's intelligence, he quickly guessed the reason why Lin Mei had acted intimately with him in front of Zhao Jianghe and deduced why Lin Mei had asked him to pretend to be her boyfriend to cover their tracks – his role was precisely that.
Xu Ying asked, "Did they have a conflict?"
Lin Mei shook her head, very bewildered. This matter seemed more complicated than she had imagined. She had initially thought it was just a matter between Xing Zheng, Xing Yan, and Zhao Jianghe, but unexpectedly, it also involved the Xing family...
What's more, Xing Sha and Xie Qin Jia seemed to be unaware of the intricacies of this matter.
"Are you here in Runcheng to help Xing Zheng investigate this matter?" Xu Ying asked again.
As soon as he asked this, Lin Mei knew that Xu Ying had already figured out her purpose. Lin Mei apologized to him, "I'm sorry, there are some things I can't tell you. If you feel uncomfortable..."
"Since I've agreed, I'll see it through to the end," Xu Ying said with a generous smile. "But with the situation so complicated now, we can't alert the enemy. Let's discuss it properly before taking action."
At the very least, they had to act after Zhao Jianghe left. Otherwise, if he discovered them, all her plans would fall through.
Xu Ying's analysis made Lin Mei more rational. It was indeed not a good time to get to the bottom of things. "Thank you."
After leaving the sanatorium that day, Lin Mei did not go back. After focusing on the training at the company for a few days, it was time for Xu Ying's competition. Lin Mei had promised to go with him to the competition.
Xu Ying's teammates also got to know Lin Mei. As soon as they saw her arrive, they offered her milk tea and snacks. Lin Mei was arranged to sit in a VIP seat only accessible to family members and staff.
Behind her sat many little fans who had come specifically to watch Xu Ying's competition. When Xu Ying came out after changing his clothes, they screamed. Their phones and cameras were all pointed at Xu Ying, taking endless pictures. Xu Ying was approachable, smiling at the cameras and waving to them, which made the young girls even more excited.
After greeting his fans, Xu Ying still came to Lin Mei's side. He was wearing the racing suit Lin Mei had given him earlier. "How is it?"
"Very handsome." Lin Mei spoke the truth. If it were a few years ago, she would definitely have liked a man like Xu Ying – intelligent and sunny, with high emotional intelligence, passionate about sports, with no flaws from head to toe.
"Won't you show some affection and take a photo with me?" Xu Ying reached for Lin Mei's phone.
Lin Mei smiled. Holding her milk tea, she went to take a selfie with Xu Ying, leaning close to him. Although Xu Ying was a man, he loved taking selfies even more than Lin Mei.
As they were taking photos with their faces close together, they suddenly heard someone shout, "Mr. Xing." The familiar address made them both turn their heads.
The person who arrived was indeed Xing Zheng, accompanied by Jiang Chu Bi and Zhao Jianghe. Jiang Chu Bi, as usual when attending formal events, affectionately linked her arm with Xing Zheng's. Zhao Jianghe maintained a distance of about one meter from the two of them. The three of them were conversing harmoniously, and anyone who saw them would think they were close friends, not realizing that in private, they wished each other dead.
"This competition is sponsored by Rong Shi and Jiang Corporation," Xu Ying told Lin Mei. "I didn't expect them to come to the competition venue."
Lin Mei replied with an "Mm." She wasn't surprised. Xing Zheng must have also wanted to investigate the people at the sanatorium, and this competition coincidentally provided him with a legitimate reason. However...
As she worried, the three of them had already walked over. Zhao Jianghe saw Lin Mei and Xu Ying and then looked towards Xing Zheng. Xing Zheng was whispering something to Jiang Chu Bi, as if he hadn't seen Lin Mei.
Zhao Jianghe smiled and started talking to Lin Mei, "Manager Lin, what a coincidence! You're here too! It's fate!"
Lin Mei did not look at Xing Zheng or Jiang Chu Bi. She was poised and graceful, taking Xu Ying's arm, and said to Zhao Jianghe, "Accompanying my boyfriend to the competition. Why are you here too, Mr. Zhao?"
After turning the tables, she smiled even more brilliantly. Zhao Jianghe seemed oblivious. He smiled and said, "This competition is jointly sponsored by Ah Zheng and Chu Bi, and they invited me to watch."
"Oh, is that so? I didn't expect Mr. Xing and Miss Jiang to be benefactors to my boyfriend!" Although Lin Mei mentioned Xing Zheng and Jiang Chu Bi, she didn't give them a glance. She kept looking at Xu Ying, their eyes locked as if they were about to spark.
Zhao Jianghe looked at Xing Zheng again. He remained as usual, as if he didn't know Lin Mei. These two seemed to be people who could play along.
"His competition is about to start. I'll accompany him," Lin Mei said, walking away hand in hand with Xu Ying.
Zhao Jianghe smiled and said to Xing Zheng and Jiang Chu Bi, "Manager Lin and her young boyfriend seem to have a good relationship. I didn't expect her to like this type. No wonder I couldn't win her over before."
Jiang Chu Bi smiled and said, "Manager Lin probably likes younger men."
Xing Zheng remained silent throughout. Shortly after the three of them sat down, the competition was about to begin.
Lin Mei sat with Xu Ying's teammates. After Xu Ying got into the car, they cheered for him. Xu Ying blew a kiss to Lin Mei, and his teammates teased them.
Lin Mei did not feel shy either. She generously blew a kiss back to him, "Darling, good luck!"