In the master bedroom of the Zhuhua Villa, Xing Zheng gazed at the woman on the bed who had not yet woken. His eyes were heavy, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly. It seemed the recent ordeal had frightened her. Normally, when she slept in his arms, she was in a similar state.
As he pondered, his phone buzzed. It was Lin Mei's phone, and the screen displayed Xiao Shu's name. Xing Zheng silenced the phone and paid it no further mind.
Knowing Xiao Shu's intentions, he could not simply stand by and watch her interact with him. Xiao Shu was no good person, and he was constantly stirring up trouble between them, which was very dangerous.
When Lin Mei woke up, the pain in the back of her neck still lingered. After encountering such an event, her first thought was that she had been kidnapped. However, the scene before her was incredibly familiar. The master bedroom of Zhuhua Villa, where she had been countless times, how could she mistake it? So, this time, it was Xing Zheng's people who had brought her here?
How could she have forgotten how much he enjoyed these "kidnapping games"? In the past, he had also sent people to kidnap her to a villa in Anning City...
However, this time, her body was not restrained, and her movements were still free. Lin Mei did not know Xing Zheng's purpose. She got out of bed and was about to leave the bedroom when Xing Zheng appeared.
He was wearing dark homewear, and without his usual sharp edge and fierceness, he looked very amiable. However, Lin Mei could not treat him in the same manner. Her eyes held anger, mixed with hatred.
He naturally saw this and felt a pang of sadness. "Come downstairs to eat. I made Tremella soup."
This casual tone only fueled Lin Mei's anger. He was the one who had unreasonably kidnapped her, and now he was pretending to be good to her. "Is it fun?"
"What?" Xing Zheng blurted out.
"Is it fun to kidnap me?" Lin Mei asked. "Do you think it's interesting to toy with me? Do I have to be your subordinate, doing whatever you say? When you're happy, you beckon, and I have to run over. When you're unhappy, I have to disappear."
"I never thought that," Xing Zheng denied. "And I never toyed with you." He had never explained himself to her like this before. He was pushed to his limit by her now, and her mocking expression made his chest ache, a suffocating pain.
Lin Mei clearly saw the pain and disappointment in his deep eyes. She drew a breath and felt a sense of suffocation herself. "Then why did you tie me up?"
"Xiao Shu is approaching you with ill intentions," Xing Zheng told her. "Someone will handle the bank's business for you. You'll stay here for now. Wait until I've resolved things, then you can go back to work." His tone was very patient.
At least, he wouldn't have been this patient explaining so much to her before. He was always domineering and unreasonable, only giving orders, never wasting his breath to comfort her emotions.
But what did his so-called resolution mean?
"What do you mean by your resolution?" If Xiao Shu was retaliating against Xing Zheng because of his ex-wife, could Xing Zheng make his ex-wife remarry him?
"Xiao Shu won't retaliate against you through me, and I'm not that important to you!" Lin Mei's voice trembled as she spoke of this. The scenes of him hurting her in the past flashed through her mind again.
"I don't want to force you," Xing Zheng told her. "Staying here is your safest option. I won't do anything to you."
He knew in his heart why she was so resistant. It was probably because his image in her mind had been fixed. She was worried he would touch her as he always did. "I'll sleep in the study."
Lin Mei said "Oh." Although it was just one word, it clearly conveyed her attitude.
Xing Zheng was slightly surprised. When he had discussed this with her a few days ago, her resistance had been so fierce. He had expected another big argument today, ending with him forcing her to compromise. To his surprise, she had agreed so readily.
He didn't know the reason, but Lin Mei did. She had carefully considered Feng Feng's analysis from that day. While she couldn't be sure if Xing Zheng truly had such deep feelings for her, she was certain that Xiao Shu's approach probably had a purpose. Even if she was angry with Xing Zheng, she didn't need to risk her own safety.
"Are you coming down to eat?" Xing Zheng finally asked after a long pause.
Lin Mei nodded slightly and went downstairs with him. As soon as they entered the living room, they saw Lalan "acting like a tyrant" on the sofa. Xing Zheng had placed her专属 pillow on the sofa, and Lalan was lying on it, looking very comfortable. She seemed to have gotten much fatter since the last time they visited, likely because Xing Zheng was back and in a better mood, eating more.
Xiao Shu called Lin Mei several times, but there was no answer. Soon, another person from the bank contacted him. Director Sun personally called to apologize.
According to Director Sun, Lin Mei had some urgent family matters and had to rush back, taking a long leave of absence. She would not be able to continue following up on his work during this period. Xiao Shu had his own judgment on how much of this was true and how much was false.
Nanjiang Bank had a deep cooperation with Shuangmu, and Director Sun was Xing Zheng's man, which Xiao Shu had known for a long time. Now, Director Sun saying this further solidified Lin Mei's position in Xing Zheng's heart. Xiao Shu smiled slyly and sent a message to that number.
Lin Mei ended up staying at Zhuhua Villa inexplicably. Since she was relatively cooperative, Xing Zheng returned her phone. Lin Mei could maintain contact with the outside world, but she did not respond to Xiao Shu anymore. Her work had been handed over, and as for her personal matters...
She had no romantic feelings for Xiao Shu. Previously, it was because Xiao Shu had helped her, and she felt indebted to him, so she thought of "repaying the debt." Then, Xing Zheng's repeated warnings had provoked her rebellious nature, leading her to frequently interact with Xiao Shu.
Xing Zheng was still gentlemanly this time, not going back on his word as he had before. They slept in separate rooms. He was very restrained, so restrained that it was unlike him.
One night, Lin Mei felt thirsty and went downstairs to get some water in her nightgown. She happened to run into him smoking downstairs. He was sitting on the sofa, and she stood at the top of the stairs. In the dim light, he could still see her bare shoulders and alluring collarbone.
A restless heat surged in his chest. He tightened his grip on the cigarette butt. "Why did you come down?" he asked, his voice hoarse as if he were sick.
"Thirsty, getting water," Lin Mei replied.
"Hot water or warm water?" he actually asked.
Lin Mei pretended not to hear and said, "Warm water."
Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, the man stubbed out his cigarette and got up from the sofa. "Wait, I'll get it."
Before she could refuse, Xing Zheng had already headed towards the kitchen.
A moment later, he came out with a glass of warm water and handed it to her. Lin Mei lowered her hand and saw his strong forearm and his distinctly jointed fingers. Perhaps it was the light, but the atmosphere suddenly became ambiguous.
Lin Mei said "Thank you" and took the glass of water from his hand. Her fingers accidentally brushed against his.
In the quiet villa late at night, it felt as if the sound of electricity surging could be heard. Lin Mei's face and ears were burning hot.