The tone instantly brought Lin Mei back to when they first met. Back then, she had overestimated her abilities and sought him out, only to be toyed with by him every time. When he was flirting, he would speak to her in this manner, always leaning in close to her ear. His damp, warm breath would always make her legs go weak.
Lin Mei bit her lower lip softly. Why was she thinking about these things again…
The man did not put her down from the car. Lin Mei knew she couldn't win an argument with him, so she chose to let it go. She turned to look at the scenery outside the window, treating him as her driver.
As Xing Zheng drove, he kept observing her in the rearview mirror. He had expected her to be nervous and flustered, but to his surprise, she was calmly enjoying the view. She had indeed changed a lot compared to before, or perhaps, she no longer cared about him at all…
Thinking of this, the curve of his lips gradually disappeared, and his once passionate heart began to cool.
As if to spite him, Lin Mei's phone rang at that moment. It was Xu Ying calling again. The car was so quiet that even from the front seat, every word from the other end of the phone was clear. "I've set off, the driver said it'll be about forty minutes."
Lin Mei replied with an "Mm," and "I might be a little later than you."
When she spoke to Xu Ying, her tone was very gentle and obedient, the way he used to like it most.
"It's okay, I'll wait for you at the registration desk. How did you sleep last night?" Xu Ying's concerned words were also heard by Xing Zheng. He drove, his gaze becoming deeper.
Lin Mei was busy talking to Xu Ying and naturally didn't notice him. "Pretty good, maybe I was just too tired, my back and legs are a bit sore."
"After the wedding, let's go soak in a hot spring to relax!" Xu Ying suggested.
Lin Mei agreed, "Mm, okay, see you later."
"Okay, I really want to see you in your wedding dress, I haven't seen it yet, I'm looking forward to it." The two ended the call harmoniously.
As soon as Lin Mei put down her phone, the car braked sharply. Unprepared, she was thrown forward, almost hitting the seat in front. Fortunately, she managed to grab the handle behind the passenger seat in time.
The violent braking forced Lin Mei to look forward. She saw that the man in the driver's seat was as calm as ever, as if the reckless braking was just her hallucination. Lin Mei could only hope that this road would end soon, otherwise, she might very well die at the hands of this mentally unstable driver.
The rest of the journey was much smoother. Lin Mei admired the scenery all the way. When the car stopped at the registration desk, she saw Xu Ying through the car window.
Xu Ying was also dressed formally today, in a suit and leather shoes, looking very handsome. As soon as Lin Mei saw him, she smiled, eager to get out of the car and meet him.
However, the car door remained closed. Before she could ask the man in front to open it, he started the car again and drove a few hundred meters before stopping.
Lin Mei was displeased. After getting out of the car, she hurried towards Xu Ying. Xing Zheng followed closely behind, maintaining a distance of a few meters, but they looked like they had arrived together.
Upon seeing Xing Zheng, Xu Ying's smile turned into concern. He took Lin Mei's arm and pulled her into his embrace. Lin Mei immediately understood his doubts and leaned in, explaining, "The driver had a sudden issue, he changed drivers."
Xu Ying was still uneasy and checked her. "He didn't bully you, did he?"
"Mm, he didn't say a word." Lin Mei linked her arm through Xu Ying's. "Let's go in."
Xu Ying glanced at Xing Zheng. As their eyes met, a rare possessiveness and desire for rivalry appeared in his gaze. As fellow males, Xing Zheng naturally saw it clearly. He gave no response and walked towards Li Xun, who was getting out of the car.
Ning Rui and Li Xun's wedding proceeded very smoothly and was grand. Li Xun seemed eager to let the outside world know of his marriage to Ning Rui, inviting many media outlets. In front of the guests, he constantly held Ning Rui, looking affectionate, like a knight guarding a princess.
If Lin Mei hadn't known that he was the true culprit behind Ning Rui's family's ruin, she would have believed his deep affection, just like the other guests.
The day after Ning Rui's wedding, Lin Mei and Xu Ying, along with Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue, went to soak in a hot spring.
After the hot spring trip, it was time for the couple to return to Kyoto. Upon their return, they each became busy. By the end of the year, Lin Mei's training also temporarily concluded.
The leaders of the Kyoto branch wanted to keep Lin Mei, making three visits to persuade her, but Lin Mei did not stay, choosing to return to Nanjiang. Xu Ying also followed her back to Nanjiang to prepare for his graduation thesis.
No one within the bank knew about Lin Mei's miscarriage, but her past relationship with Xing Zheng was already common knowledge. One day, Xing Zheng came to the bank. Those colleagues who had previously disliked Lin Mei started a new round of cold sarcasm towards her. When they went to the pantry, they were all mocking her.
Xing Zheng emerged from Director Sun's office and happened to pass the pantry, overhearing the few people mocking Lin Mei. "You say, will she still follow through with the Shuangmu cooperation?"
"She definitely will, she's so shameless, maybe she's still dreaming of climbing the ladder. I don't know who gave her the confidence, does someone like CEO Xing even fancy her?"
"Her seductive methods are quite impressive, men all fall for that. I even saw her and her little boyfriend in the car yesterday…"
Before this person could finish speaking, he saw Xing Zheng outside the window and was terrified, almost spilling the coffee in his hand. His companions also saw Xing Zheng and quickly called out to him. Xing Zheng looked at them expressionlessly, his gaze sharp, "You all seem very interested in my private life."
"No, no, CEO Xing, it's all a misunderstanding…" Xing Zheng looked at the person who had spoken. "What were you just saying about Lin Mei?"
The person trembled with fear, unsure of Xing Zheng's intentions, and nervously repeated his previous words. "Lin Mei has many seductive methods, and her little boyfriend, I saw them kissing in the car yesterday." He became incoherent with nervousness.
Xing Zheng's gaze was peculiar and dangerous, and the surrounding air pressure was extremely low. The few people were intimidated by his aura and lost the courage to flatter him. The powerful man in front of them warned, "If you bother her again, you can leave directly."
With that, he turned and left, leaving the others staring at each other in place. What… did that mean?
If he hadn't misunderstood, he was speaking up for Lin Mei just now?
Could it be that Xing Zheng was still interested in Lin Mei?
Lin Mei had arranged to have dinner with Xu Ying after work today. At five o'clock, Lin Mei got off work on time. As soon as she came out, she saw Xu Ying. They chatted as they walked towards the parking lot.
"The thesis topic and framework are finally decided, I'm so tired." Xu Ying showed a childish side and asked for a kiss. "Kiss me, and I'll have the strength."
Lin Mei laughed. She wrapped her arms around Xu Ying's neck and was about to lean in to kiss him when a car suddenly stopped opposite them and honked its horn urgently.