The classmate was very understanding and walked away, feeling utterly embarrassed. Lin Mei pushed Xing Zheng away, "Stay away from me. I'm going home tonight. My parents..."
"Oh, going to your place is also a good option," Xing Zheng teased her. Seeing her flustered look, he smiled even more brightly. "You've always liked playing with danger anyway."
After a back-and-forth exchange, Lin Mei was still at a disadvantage. She knew she couldn't gain anything by arguing with someone as shameless as Xing Zheng. In the end, she left the KTV with him.
She expected Xing Zheng to take her back to the hotel, but instead, he drove her to the old town. Lin Mei had lived in this area for almost twenty years. Even though she hadn't been back for many years, she was still familiar with its landmarks. However, she couldn't figure out why Xing Zheng would bring her here. For him, there shouldn't be anything memorable about this place.
Lost in thought, Xing Zheng parked the car in front of a noodle shop. This was a place Lin Mei used to love. Her favorite was the beef noodles. In recent years, only the mysterious shop Xing Zheng had taken her to in Nanjiang could produce such a taste.
But... it was the New Year, were they actually open? They seemed to be doing very good business.
The class reunion hadn't been very satisfying, so after following Xing Zheng inside, Lin Mei unceremoniously ordered a bowl of beef noodles and a fried egg. Xing Zheng ordered the same set meal and had a brief chat with the proprietress. From their conversation, it seemed they had known each other for a long time.
Lin Mei felt a bit confused. Just then, she overheard someone asking the proprietress, "Where is your shop in Nanjiang City? I'm going to Nanjiang after the holiday. I'll come by to support your business!"
Lin Mei thought of something and immediately looked at the man opposite her. He was drinking a bottle of water, and even sitting in such a small establishment, he couldn't hide his inherent nobility. "What are you looking at?"
Lin Mei asked him, "The shop you took me to in Nanjiang last time, was it also opened by this family?"
Xing Zheng replied, "Yes."
Lin Mei continued, "But last time, the waiter said it wasn't open to the public. Why?"
Xing Zheng said, "Because I paid them more than they would earn from operating publicly."
It was a truly arrogant statement. Lin Mei was speechless for a while. She was very curious, "Why did you give them so much money to open a shop in Nanjiang?"
"Of course, it's for you," the man opposite her answered without hesitation, looking her in the eyes as he spoke, with such deep affection, as if he were truly pouring out his heart to her.
Having been tricked by him before, Lin Mei didn't believe him this time. She remained silent, meeting his gaze, her indifferent eyes saying it all. After a moment, Xing Zheng chuckled, "You don't believe me?"
Lin Mei asked, "Is it fun to mess with me?"
"How do you know I'm messing with you? Maybe I really am doing it for you?" He was entangled with her on this meaningless topic.
Lin Mei replied, "I don't have that much confidence."
"Why not? I've never loved a woman like this before," he stopped abruptly.
This was the first time Lin Mei had heard the word "love" from him. A flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared. She assumed it was just another tactic to toy with her.
Xing Zheng witnessed the various emotions in her eyes – surprise, indifference. After a long wait, he didn't see what he wanted to see. He chuckled softly and continued his previous sentence, "...your body."
"I've never loved a woman's body like this before," that was what he had originally intended to say. Cutting off his sentence deliberately was indeed meant to tease her.
Lin Mei was glad she had kept her wits about her and hadn't fallen for his trick.
When the noodles arrived, Lin Mei began to eat them earnestly. They sat facing each other, and she could still see Xing Zheng out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be enjoying his meal as well. Lin Mei asked, "Do you like beef noodles?"
She recalled that he seemed interested in Hunan cuisine. When he had asked her to cook before, he had requested Hunan home-style dishes.
Xing Zheng asked, "Can't I like them?"
Lin Mei frowned, "Why do you always answer my questions with questions?"
She had intended to have a calm conversation with him, but his tone made it sound like an argument. "I'm just chatting with you. When you're so overbearing, I feel like you want to argue with me."
Xing Zheng replied, "Is that so?"
Lin Mei exclaimed, "You're asking questions again!" Indeed, it went in one ear and out the other.
The man, usually eloquent, fell silent after her remark. No one had ever pointed out such a flaw in him before. He did have the capital to be so overbearing.
"Never mind, I'm used to it," he remained silent for a long time. Lin Mei thought he must be angry, as no one likely pointed out his flaws like this. "Forget I said anything."
"I've spoken to the owner. When you return to Nanjiang and crave beef noodles, you can go anytime, and someone will be there to serve you," Xing Zheng said.
Lin Mei replied with an "Oh," and then, "Thank you."
Lin Mei guessed that Xing Zheng was genuinely upset by her words. After leaving the noodle shop, he didn't take her back to the hotel but dropped her off at the entrance of her residential area and left.
For the next few days, Lin Mei didn't receive any messages from Xing Zheng. She spent her time accompanying her parents and met with Ning Rui a few times before it was time to return to Nanjiang. Xiao Yue packed Lin Mei's suitcase to the brim, filling it with all her favorite foods. Lin Mei, holding the heavy suitcase, was deeply touched.
After the holiday, back in Nanjiang, life returned to its usual rhythm. The week after the holiday, none of the colleagues had much enthusiasm for work, and Lin Mei herself wasn't fully focused. Finally, it was Friday, and Lin Mei invited Lan Lan and Feng Feng, who were also suffering from "post-holiday syndrome," to a pub to de-stress.
Q1's performance targets were not yet met, and Lin Mei felt a lot of pressure. After a special cocktail, she went to the dance floor.
She was wearing a fitted high-necked dress today, her body's curves fully displayed. Her waist swayed, alluring and captivating. After just a few minutes of dancing, men kept approaching her, but Lin Mei wasn't in the mood and rejected them one by one.
After dancing on the floor for nearly half an hour, Lin Mei returned to the bar to sit down. Lan Lan teased her, "Little vixen, you really know how to attract men."
As she spoke, she playfully touched her chest. The three of them often joked like this, and Lin Mei was used to it. After Lan Lan finished, she added, "If only I were a man, I'd definitely take you in and give you my life."
Lin Mei laughed, "Don't say that. I'm afraid Mr. Liang would kill me."
Lan Lan scoffed, "Why bring him up? Bad luck!"
Feng Feng, who was fiddling with her phone, froze with a smile after seeing a message on the screen. Lin Mei noticed this and asked, "Did something happen?"
Feng Feng replied, "Some paparazzi photographed Xing Zheng and Jiang Chu Bi choosing wedding dresses. It seems like good news is on the horizon. Have you been in contact with him recently?"