Lin Mei had witnessed Xing Zheng's perversion countless times. Having formed a basic judgment of him in her heart, she found it hard to believe when he made such a "casual" request. Was he truly bothered by her not greeting him, or was he just using it as an excuse?
"Good evening, Mr. Xing," Lin Mei said, complying with his request. "May I leave now?"
"Xu Heli is the chairman of Lucheng Yong'an Energy, and he has only one son," Xing Zheng replied, not directly answering her question but instead telling Lin Mei about Xu Ying's family background. "Do you think he would let someone like you, embroiled in scandal, become his daughter-in-law?"
His tone was ordinary, but upon closer inspection, it carried an arrogance. He spoke as if he were a lofty saint, describing her as someone "embroiled in scandal." Lin Mei chuckled, her voice becoming much sharper. "Am I not embroiled in scandal because of you?"
"Since you don't think highly of me, then stay away from me, lest I ruin your image as a model husband." Lin Mei used the title the media had bestowed upon him, but when she said it, it was filled with sarcasm.
Xing Zheng seemed unfazed and said to her, "Then, we shall wait and see."
Lin Mei no longer had the desire to converse with him. She walked around him. This time, Xing Zheng did not stop her. Watching the white car speed away, he glanced into the restaurant and saw Xu Heli and Xu Ying conversing. He touched his tie with his long fingers, a curve forming on his lips.
Xu Heli was a well-known figure in the domestic business circle. Energy was a monopolistic industry, and Yong'an Resources was the leader in the natural gas sector in Lucheng and its surrounding cities. Xu Heli was decisive and ambitious. How could such a man allow his only son to casually date outside?
Lin Mei had previously been involved in such a scandal. Judging by Xu Heli's reaction just now, his attitude was clear. Xu Ying's status had inadvertently resolved a significant problem for him.
Xu Ying and Xu Heli sat together, neither father nor son willing to yield to the other. Xu Heli questioned Xu Ying, "What is your relationship with that woman you were with just now?"
"She's my girlfriend," Xu Ying stated, sensing his father's disapproval of Lin Mei. "Dating and marriage are my private affairs, and you have no right to interfere."
"If you're just playing around, I won't interfere. This kind of woman is not suitable to be brought home. Haven't you seen the scandals surrounding her?" Xu Heli said to Xu Ying. "Neither your mother nor I will agree to your relationship."
Xu Ying seemed to hear a joke and laughed mockingly. "After all these years, you still only know this trick. Does your agreement matter?"
They had also disagreed with him pursuing racing back then, even using his studies and tuition fees to force him to compromise, but ultimately, they hadn't succeeded. Now that he was established and self-reliant, no longer needing to depend on his family, why would he care about their agreement? "She is the one I've chosen. I want to marry her, and no one can interfere with me."
"Just because I can't interfere with you doesn't mean I can't interfere with her!" Xu Heli threatened Xu Ying. "I'll give you a week to break up with her, or don't blame me for taking action against her."
"Is dealing with women the extent of Director Xu's capabilities?" Xu Ying's tone was incredibly sharp.
Xu Heli remained unfazed. Having reached his current position, his psychological resilience was undoubtedly beyond that of ordinary people. "The process doesn't matter; the outcome does. I taught you this when you were very young. Go back and think about it yourself!"
Before going to sleep, Lin Mei received a WeChat message from Xu Ying: [I'll come to find you tomorrow. Goodnight.]
Lin Mei also said "Goodnight" to him and went to sleep. The next day after work, Xu Ying came to pick her up from the bank. After they got into the car, Xu Ying said to Lin Mei, "I'm sorry. I did lie to you about my family matters."
Xu Ying's attitude was very sincere. Lin Mei had noticed yesterday that his relationship with his father was tense, so she didn't blame him. "It's okay. I know now."
Xu Ying remained silent. He rarely found himself at a loss for words. Lin Mei then asked him, "What did you talk about last night?"
"He doesn't approve of me being with you," Xu Ying said after a long hesitation. "His attitude has nothing to do with me. I stopped relying on my family a long time ago, and they can't interfere with my decisions."
Lin Mei "mm-hmm." She wasn't surprised by Xu Heli's attitude. Wealthy families had always placed a high value on social standing and held traditional views. Even if there were open-minded wealthy families willing to accept daughters-in-law from less privileged backgrounds, they still required the other party to have a "clean background."
And she, having been entangled in the "mistress" scandal, was already considered a shameless woman in the public eye. Xu Ying was the only son and the legal primary heir of his family. Xu Heli would certainly not allow him to be with someone like her.
"Do you believe me?" Xu Ying said to Lin Mei. "He is him, and I am me. As long as I like you, that's enough."
His words were reassuring and heartwarming. Lin Mei nodded. "Of course, I believe you."
"Yes, nothing can separate us," Xu Ying's tone was exceptionally firm.
The two went to a restaurant to eat hot pot. While eating, Xu Ying told Lin Mei about his past experiences. When he was born, Xu Heli was already a wealthy entrepreneur. As Xu Ying grew up, Xu Heli became an energy magnate. As the only son, Xu Ying was born with a halo of privilege. Everyone assumed he would follow in his father's footsteps and become a powerful figure in the business world like Xu Heli.
Xu Ying had also been groomed as an heir since childhood. He started learning business English in kindergarten and was proficient in calculus by junior high. The conflict with his parents surfaced the year he took his high school entrance exams.
That year, by chance, Xu Ying watched a car race and subsequently developed a strong interest in racing, aspiring to become a professional race car driver. He stopped studying business courses as his parents arranged and no longer looked at calculus, which angered Xu Heli, who severely lectured him.
After finishing his junior high exams, Xu Ying was supposed to go to the United States for high school. His visa and school arrangements were all made, but he refused to go and had a huge argument with Xu Heli. Xu Heli slapped him that day and told him, "If you still want to race, I won't give you a single cent, and you can forget about your studies!"
"He was trying to scare me into compromising," Xu Ying said with a smile when recalling the incident. Lin Mei saw a stubbornness in his smiling eyes. "So, I ran away from home."
"Did you bring money? How did you live?" Lin Mei asked curiously. "I tutored college students."
Xu Ying said with a smile, "I'm good at calculus."
"You're too modest." Lin Mei had studied calculus herself. The fact that Xu Ying could tutor college students and earn money after graduating from junior high school was enough to show how remarkable he was. She hadn't known Xu Ying was so extraordinary before. "This is almost prodigy-level."
Xu Ying was usually calm when complimented, but Lin Mei's praise made him beam with joy. He smiled and asked her, "So, do you like me a little more now?"