Lin Mei went to the restaurant with Xing Zheng. He opened the insulated box, and the aroma of pork rib soup immediately wafted out. Lin Mei hadn't eaten much for lunch and hadn't eaten dinner either. Smelling this, her stomach rumbled.
The sound happened to reach Xing Zheng's ears. He smiled playfully, staring at her lips, "Hungry?"
Lin Mei: "..."
No matter how serious the words were, they changed flavor the moment they came from his mouth.
Although the ribs were fragrant, eating only ribs wouldn't fill her up. Lin Mei opened the refrigerator and took out a few dishes. Xing Zheng watched her with his arms crossed, "Does 'door-to-door service' include cooking?"
Lin Mei: "How can I exert myself for the patron if I'm not full?"
She had already given up, knowing she could never win an argument with Xing Zheng. It was better to go along with him to avoid trouble. "Are there any noodles?"
"In the cabinet," Xing Zheng pointed to the opposite side.
Lin Mei placed the dishes on the cutting board, returned to the restaurant, opened the cabinet, and took out the noodles. Just as she was about to close the door, she saw a small tin of plum candies inside. She wanted to grab a candy but felt it wasn't appropriate, so she turned to look at Xing Zheng.
Her hesitant expression piqued Xing Zheng's curiosity. "Want to say something?"
Lin Mei: "Where did you buy the plum candies?"
Xing Zheng: "Want to eat them?"
Lin Mei: "..."
Xing Zheng: "Eat them if you want."
Lin Mei said "Thank you," opened the candy jar, and took out a few candies.
Lin Mei simply stir-fried okra with eggs and shrimp with celery, and boiled two bowls of noodles. She put the noodles in the pork rib soup. After eating, her stomach felt warm. Lin Mei was truly hungry and finished a whole bowl of noodles.
After dinner, Xing Zheng left the restaurant. Lin Mei naturally stayed to clean up, taking nearly twenty minutes to restore the restaurant and kitchen to their original state.
As Lin Mei was walking towards the living room, she heard Xing Zheng on the phone, "I'm fine, it's just a minor injury. Oh, take care of yourself. I'll go to Yangshuo's birthday."
She hadn't known who he was talking to until she heard Yangshuo's name. Lin Mei immediately understood. It was likely that woman calling. She curled her lips. Xing Zheng was truly adept at handling women, able to appease each one perfectly. This was probably a skill in itself.
Perhaps because of what had happened in the car, Lin Mei's boundaries had been refreshed. Facing the current situation, she was numb and no longer felt the discomfort she used to.
Just as Xing Zheng had said, she should recognize her identity. Their relationship was merely a transaction, each taking what they needed. Even if she were to date someone else in the future, it wouldn't be him. If Jiang Chu Bi, his official fiancée, wasn't bothered, why should she be?
—
News of Lin Mei's suspension and investigation spread quickly within the industry. Some said she would be dismissed and fired. She had been in the spotlight, and now that she was in trouble, many were eager to kick her while she was down.
However, after this incident, the most arrogant and triumphant was Chen Qi. Because Lin Mei was taken away for investigation, President Sun deleted the photos on the internal network yesterday. Those photos were also considered Lin Mei's technical revenge against Chen Qi.
Even though everyone knew that the photos were unlikely to be fake, Lin Mei had already been taken away, and few dared to stand up for her at such a tense moment.
Chen Qi returned to his office triumphantly. He sat with Zong Zong, drinking coffee. "Fortunately, I listened to you and reported her to the higher-ups, otherwise this woman would have really ruined me!"
"With this incident, she won't be able to continue in the bank," Zong Zong said leisurely, drinking his coffee. "President Sun, that old fox, won't protect her. He's afraid of getting himself involved."
Chen Qi: "Heh, who told her to be so overconfident and break up with me? If she breaks up with me, she shouldn't expect to be with another man. I'll see which rich man would want a tainted person like her."
—
Lin Mei returned to her apartment in the morning, packed a few things, and drove to the hospital. As soon as she got out of the car, she saw Ming Zhou, who had been waiting for her. Upon seeing Lin Mei, Ming Zhou hurried towards her.
"I heard about the suspension and investigation," Ming Zhou said, placing his hand on Lin Mei's shoulder. His usually gentle face showed a rare sternness, "Was it Chen Qi?"
Lin Mei nodded, "It should be him, but I'm fine. It's already resolved, I just need to stop cooperating with the investigation for a while."
Lin Mei voluntarily told Ming Zhou about her situation, intending to let him know that the matter wasn't serious and he didn't need to get involved.
Ming Zhou: "Resolved?"
Lin Mei: "Yes, there's nothing wrong with my work, so they won't find anything. I'll use this suspension period to accompany my father for surgery."
"I'm sorry," Ming Zhou still felt guilty. "Ultimately, this matter started because of me."
Ming Zhou took the suitcase from Lin Mei. "Let me take you up, and I'll formally visit your parents."
Ming Zhou's gaze was sincere, and Lin Mei had no reason to refuse him. So, they entered the elevator together.
As they entered the ward, Lin Mei was in front, and Ming Zhou followed. Xiao Yue, who was cutting fruit, saw Lin Mei first. "Why aren't you at work?"
After asking, Xiao Yue saw Ming Zhou behind her. She had seen him before and recognized him immediately. Xiao Yue gave Lin Mei a meaningful look.
Lin Mei brought Ming Zhou in and formally introduced him to her parents again, "Dad, Mom, this is Ming Zhou, my senior from my master's program."
"Hello." Compared to their last meeting, Xiao Yue and Lin Zhengde's attitude towards Ming Zhou had improved considerably. Lin Zhengde, being a righteous person, even took the initiative to explain to Ming Zhou, "Our attitude towards you last time wasn't very good due to some misunderstandings, so I apologize."
Xiao Yue also said, "We are truly sorry." "Uncle and Aunt are too kind, I didn't take it to heart."
Ming Zhou smiled at the elders, speaking confidently, "It's good that the misunderstanding is cleared up now."
"I'll consider this my first visit to you both. I'd like to formally introduce myself. My name is Ming Zhou, I'm twenty-seven years old, and I'm currently running an internet finance company. Besides being Lin Mei's senior, I am also her suitor."
Ming Zhou's introduction not only included his basic information but also revealed his feelings for Lin Mei to the elders. Even Lin Mei hadn't expected him to be so direct.
Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue exchanged glances, then both looked at Lin Mei, asking for her thoughts with their eyes.
Ming Zhou, seeing through their intentions, stepped forward and explained with a smile, "I've been pursuing her all along, and she hasn't given me an answer yet."
Lin Mei: "..."
Ming Zhou: "The most important thing now is Teacher Lin's surgery. Other matters can wait."
Ming Zhou's words struck a chord with Xiao Yue. "You're right, you're very thoughtful."
Ming Zhou chatted with Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue for a while. Later, he had to attend to work and left.
Lin Mei saw him off. As soon as she returned, Xiao Yue pulled her aside.
"What's going on?" Xiao Yue pointed at her suitcase. "Why did you come over with Ming Zhou carrying a suitcase? You two wouldn't be..."