Xing Zheng returned to Zhuhua Villa but did not see Lin Mei in the living room. He called her name several times, but there was no response. He went upstairs. The bedroom door was closed. He gently pushed it open and felt a slight sense of relief when he saw the person on the bed.
Lin Mei was not asleep, but she did not speak to him when she saw him. Xing Zheng took the initiative to speak, "I'm back."
Lin Mei glanced at him, her expression indifferent, and remained silent. Xing Zheng's brow furrowed. She seemed not quite right, as if she were in a bad mood or unwell. "What's wrong?"
"I want to eat barbecue," Lin Mei's response was a little nonsensical. It was the first time she had made a demand of him so self-righteously.
Lan Lan had said earlier that one should act out when necessary, as men were perverse and liked it deep down. Lin Mei, having been educated in being "understanding" since childhood, had never tried this before.
Xing Zheng probably hadn't expected Lin Mei to suddenly make such a request. He didn't respond for a long time. Lin Mei became impatient, her temper flaring unprecedentedly, "I said I want to eat barbecue! Go find a way!"
"Which place do you want to eat at?" he finally spoke. "I'll take you."
The outcome was easier than she had imagined. Lin Mei had prepared many lines, but they all remained unspoken as Xing Zheng took her out for barbecue.
They went to a roadside food stall. Xing Zheng was dressed casually today, and sitting there, he didn't seem out of place. Making the best of the situation, Lin Mei ordered a lot and ate happily, also ordering many beers.
Xing Zheng had no intention of stopping Lin Mei from drinking, but after she had drunk seven or eight bottles, he could no longer stand by and watch. He snatched the cup from her hand and handed her a skewer of meat, "Eat, don't just drink."
Although he had intervened in time, Lin Mei still drank a bit too much. When they left the food stall, her steps were unsteady, and she almost fell. Fortunately, Xing Zheng supported her. "You drunkard."
The woman's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were red and dewy. Her beautiful eyes were captivating. Xing Zheng, smelling her fragrance mixed with alcohol, felt a heat surge in his lower abdomen.
As if that weren't enough, after he called her a drunkard, she actually punched his chest.
It was less of a hit and more of a scratch, a playful pout, a coquettish gesture, and even more so, a flirtation. It struck him right in the heart, intensifying the unbearable itch, and he held her hand, "Don't move around." His voice had already become hoarse.
Xing Zheng had not drunk any alcohol. He put Lin Mei into the car. On the way back, Lin Mei chattered incessantly, causing a fuss the entire way.
Xing Zheng had seen her inebriated state before, but this was the first time she had been so talkative. She was usually a woman of few words, but her continuous rambling was almost endearing. She lowered her head, her hands sometimes propping up her chin, sometimes resting on her lap, and when excited, she would point at him with a finger.
After a period of rambling, she noticed the dog food in the car. "Why did you... bring it back?"
"Wasn't this what I bought last time?"
"Haha, Xing Zheng, are you a dog transformed?" she giggled slyly, as if she had discovered a great secret. Her demeanor was like that of a child who hadn't grown up, and no one could say anything harsh to her, much less Xing Zheng.
The corners of his mouth turned up, and he pinched her ear with one hand, coaxing her, "Yes, I was transformed from a dog. You saw through it."
"Hate it, you're always pulling my ear!" She got angry and unhappily slapped his hand away, huffing, "I'm not a rabbit!"
Xing Zheng smiled without speaking. She said she wasn't, but when she got angry, she became even more like one. She thought she was fierce, but in reality, she had no deterrent power at all.
"I'm talking to you, why aren't you responding?" Lin Mei picked up the dog food. "If you don't talk to me, you'll starve!"
She was probably truly drunk and out of her senses, thinking of talking to him all the time. Xing Zheng asked, "What do you want me to say?"
"Praise me." She hid the dog food to the side, threatening, "If I'm not satisfied, I won't give it to you."
Xing Zheng had never praised her. Being asked to do so suddenly, his usually quick-witted brain paused for a moment. Having liked her for over ten years, he must have known her good qualities.
In his heart, she was like a white moonlight, a perfect and flawless existence. He could use all the beautiful words for her, but saying them out loud was difficult.
After much hesitation, he finally said, "You are intelligent, kind, beautiful, and gentle."
"Is that all?" Her tone was not very satisfied, and she hummed softly, "Perfunctory!"
Xing Zheng rubbed his temples. "You are capable at work, have a good personality, are responsible, have a pleasant voice, and cook well."
Under her persistent questioning, Xing Zheng praised her all the way, saying all the words he could think of.
After parking the car, she took out a small handful of dog food from the bag and fed it to him. Xing Zheng helplessly ate it and heard her say, "You have to be good to me, or you won't get to eat."
A drunkard, Xing Zheng thought to himself. Had her alcohol tolerance declined in the past year or two? Seven or eight bottles of beer had made her go this crazy.
Xing Zheng slung Lin Mei over his shoulder and carried her to the bedroom. As soon as she lay on the bed, Lin Mei started to fuss, wanting to take a bath. Drunkenly, she grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom alone.
Xing Zheng's gaze darkened. After a moment, he followed her in. She was taking off her dress, and her hair got caught in the zipper, causing her to whimper in pain. His Adam's apple bobbed violently, and the veins on his neck bulged.
He stepped forward and pulled her small body into his arms, helping her take off her dress. Her fair skin came into view. He gritted his teeth, desire raging within him, wild and unrestrained, about to burst his veins.
"Can you wash yourself?"
"Mmm-hmm," she nodded, "I want to wash myself."
"Are you sure?" She was so drunk that she had an accident just taking off her clothes. He found it difficult to let her bathe alone, ultimately not feeling at ease, and stayed. "You wash, I'll stay by your side."
If he didn't physically intervene, the impulse wouldn't be so strong. He had promised her he wouldn't act recklessly. He had broken his promises too many times before, and he didn't want to break his word again, lest she wake up tomorrow and cause more unpleasantness.
"Then you're not allowed to peek!" Lin Mei warned him weakly, her tone lacking any authority. Afterward, she began to wash.
This process was like a purgatorial torment for Xing Zheng. He felt as if he were trapped on a cross, being roasted by fire, his entire body burning, about to explode, yet unable to move.
After finishing her bath, Lin Mei's eyes closed from sleepiness. She refused to blow-dry her hair, so Xing Zheng had to carry her out, get the hairdryer, have her lie on the bed, and blow-dry her hair for her.
After drying her hair, Xing Zheng left the bedroom.
Lin Mei opened her eyes and touched her long hair, as if the warmth of his fingertips still lingered among the strands.
She had seen his restraint, his gentleness, and his indulgence just now. He hadn't taken advantage of her drunkenness.
The first test was very successful.