Lin Mei received a WeChat message from Feng Feng just after she finished showering. Feng Feng's question seemed rather nonsensical; Lin Mei didn't understand. What abnormal behavior?
Aside from his fondness for teasing her and watching her make a fool of herself, Xing Zheng didn't seem to exhibit any overly abnormal behavior…
No, that wasn't right!
Lin Mei suddenly recalled the drunken ramblings Xing Zheng had uttered that time he was injured and drinking, and the medications kept in his bedroom drawer… Could Feng Feng have found out something?
Lin Mei decided to call Feng Feng for a voice message. Feng Feng answered quickly. Lin Mei asked her, "Why are you suddenly asking me this?"
At that moment, Feng Feng had already gotten into a taxi. She told Lin Mei, "Tonight, I'm attending Jiang Chu Bi's parents' wedding anniversary celebration with Shen Su. Xing Zheng will be there too."
Lin Mei clutched her phone, the scene she had witnessed in Xing Zheng's office earlier that day flashing through her mind again.
She figured Jiang Chu Bi must have gone to his company to see Xing Zheng that afternoon for the same reason. Regardless of their separate lives, they were still engaged. For such a formal occasion, only Jiang Chu Bi could openly attend with him.
Feng Feng told Lin Mei, "The banquet wasn't even halfway over when Xing Zheng suddenly got injured. I went to the hospital with them… It was Nanjiang University Affiliated Third Hospital."
Anyone who had studied at Nanjiang University knew what kind of place the Third Hospital was. Lin Mei's brow twitched. She thought again of the medicine she had found in Xing Zheng's drawer: a whole bottle of adrenaline blockers, and a bottle of tranquilizers…
"How… how is he?" Lin Mei asked.
Feng Feng replied, "It seems his injury was self-inflicted due to being provoked. I checked some information; the doctor who treated him at the Third Hospital is named Zhou Yue. Xing Zheng definitely has a problem."
Lin Mei: "…"
The word "self-inflicted" felt so distant from her own life. Lin Mei found it difficult to put herself in their shoes and understand. Lin Mei remained silent. Feng Feng assumed she was scared and told her, "For safety, don't get too close to him until we figure out what illness Xing Zheng has."
Mentally ill patients can be unrecognizable to their loved ones when they have an episode. If Xing Zheng could be so cruel to himself, he certainly wouldn't hold back with others.
"I saw his medication at his house last time," Lin Mei told Feng Feng about the Zhuhua Villa incident, including the details of Xing Zheng drinking after his injury. "But he was fine the next morning, so it probably wasn't too serious."
After Lin Mei finished her call with Feng Feng, her mind was still in a state of chaos. She had suspected Xing Zheng might have some psychological issues, but she hadn't expected them to be so severe. He usually seemed no different from a normal person. In fact, in the eyes of most people, he was calm, composed, and the least likely to show emotional fluctuations—a man at the pinnacle of success.
Lin Mei searched for information about Zhou Yue. After seeing the types of illnesses Zhou Yue specialized in, Lin Mei went on to search for information on those conditions… However, she knew very little about such diseases. After reading through the encyclopedic entries, she still had no clues and couldn't pinpoint which illness Xing Zheng might have.
Perhaps it was due to overthinking before sleep, coupled with a busy day, Lin Mei dreamt all night.
She dreamt of her childhood.
A neighbor boy from the same street brought her a large jar of preserved plums. She held the jar and thanked him. Afterward, they went to read together and swing on the swings. The sun was bright. He wore a white T-shirt and jeans, standing in the light, looking just like a poster from a campus drama.
"If you come to Nanjiang in the future, bring this jar of preserved plums to find me. I'll definitely recognize you," he promised her as he pushed her swing.
The young girl sitting on the swing giggled secretly, a blush spreading across her cheeks, with a shy, hesitant demeanor. The preserved plums in her mouth were sour and sweet, much like the raw, tender affection of youth.
When Lin Mei woke up in the morning, thinking about the dream, it felt somewhat surreal. Her childhood memories were no longer clear. If not for the dream, she would have likely forgotten that period entirely.
While washing up and applying makeup, Lin Mei racked her brain and finally managed to recall his name. It seemed to be Ming Zhe…
Elementary school was too long ago. Even if she had a vague affection for him back then, it wasn't easy to remember his name clearly. Somehow, she could still dream about it.
And that jar of preserved plums… she wondered if it was still around.
Indeed, promises made in youth were often naive. Nanjiang was so vast; even holding a jar of preserved plums, what good would it do? They hadn't met in so many years.
Because of this dream, Lin Mei suddenly craved preserved plums. However, the kind with paper packaging she used to eat as a child was no longer common. The convenience store downstairs from the bank only had dried plums. Lin Mei casually grabbed a pack while buying breakfast.
As Lin Mei returned to the office, she happened to run into Chen Qi. Chen Qi's expression was extremely gloomy upon seeing her. Lin Mei ignored his unfriendly gaze, sidestepped him, and returned to her office.
During lunch, Lin Mei ate with several colleagues in the bank's cafeteria. The colleagues had somewhat heard about Lin Zhengde's hospitalization. During the meal, they inevitably asked, "Manager Lin, how is your father? Has the surgery been scheduled?"
Lin Mei replied, "Yes, the surgery is in a few days."
A colleague then asked, "Which hospital is he staying in?"
Lin Mei answered, "Anzhen."
The colleague exclaimed in surprise, "Manager Lin has great connections! You managed to get a bed at Anzhen! Whose connection did you use? I have a relative who also wants to have surgery at Anzhen but can't find a way."
Lin Mei said, "A friend of mine helped with the arrangements."
"Was it Manager Chen who helped? I remember Manager Chen knowing many clients from the medical group!"
A colleague mentioned Chen Qi, and as soon as they did, someone immediately chimed in with praise, "I must say, Manager Chen is truly good to Manager Lin. I've never seen a couple as good as you two."
"Exactly. If my husband were half as considerate as Manager Chen, I wouldn't have to argue with him every day."
Listening to her colleagues' words, Lin Mei could tell how perfectly Chen Qi disguised himself at work. Even if he harbored many dissatisfactions with his colleagues privately, his outward appearance was always friendly. Lin Mei used to think this was a sign of good upbringing and demeanor, but now she found it truly laughable.
Without the inclination to listen to her colleagues praise Chen Qi, Lin Mei directly told them, "Chen Qi and I have broken up."
The colleagues who had been praising Chen Qi fell silent instantly. Everyone looked at Lin Mei with disbelief, their expressions all asking why.
Lin Mei was not surprised by their reaction. After all, she and Chen Qi had been a "model couple" for so many years; the colleagues had grown accustomed to it.
"Did you have a fight? Oh, it's normal for couples to have disagreements. Just talk things through properly, and you can always…"
"It wasn't a fight, we broke up," Lin Mei corrected her colleague. Her tone was firm, but she didn't elaborate on the reason.
The colleagues were curious about the reason but hesitant to pry into others' privacy, so they could only speak haltingly.
However, after this lunch, the news of Lin Mei and Chen Qi's breakup spread throughout the bank.
Within just one afternoon, it reached Director Sun.