The moment Lin Mei opened her eyes, she saw the white wall opposite her. The smell of disinfectant filled her nostrils. It was daytime. How long had she been unconscious?
"Awake?" It was Feng Feng's voice. She asked, "Are you still dizzy?"
Lin Mei shook her head. At least it didn't hurt now. "Did the traffic police notify you?"
Feng Feng replied, "Mm. Lan Lan had a meeting this morning, so she went back to the company. I'm on annual leave."
"You have a few abrasions, but nothing serious. The other party involved is not in life-threatening condition. Their arm is fractured. The other party agreed to a private settlement. You ran a red light, so you'll be responsible for the medical expenses."
Hearing that the other party was not in life-threatening condition, the stone in Lin Mei's heart finally fell. Paying for medical expenses was not difficult for her. Feng Feng asked Lin Mei, "The traffic police said you had the accident near Zhuhua Villa. Did you go to find Xing Zheng?"
Mentioning this, Lin Mei reflexively grabbed the corner of the quilt. The image of Xing Zheng stuffing a bank card into her chest flashed before her eyes again. She bit her lower lip in embarrassment. Feng Feng immediately understood. "What did he say to you?"
Lin Mei hesitated for a long time before telling Feng Feng about yesterday's events, not missing a single detail. As Lin Mei spoke, Feng Feng's expression grew increasingly serious. After Lin Mei finished, Feng Feng concluded, "Xing Yan's car accident back then must have been related to Zhao Jianghe. Xing Zheng must have evidence, otherwise, he wouldn't be so determined to deal with him."
Lin Mei shared the same guess as Feng Feng, but neither of them was directly involved. They didn't know the specifics, nor did they know what evidence Xing Zheng had. "But why would Jiang Chubai be dealing with Zhao Jianghe with him?"
"Perhaps for the interests of the Jiang family, or perhaps there are other reasons. I'm afraid only they themselves know for sure." Feng Feng didn't speculate further on this matter. "You just need to know that they are cooperating. You don't need to worry or feel upset about this anymore."
Although Feng Feng said this, Lin Mei still felt down when she thought of Xing Zheng's attitude. She lowered her head, looking at the white bedsheet. Her eyes stung, feeling incredibly sore. Feng Feng wiped her eyes with a wet wipe and told her, "He probably did those things to you because he didn't want to drag you into this matter."
Including his past attempts to prevent her from interacting with Zhao Jianghe, it was likely out of concern that Zhao Jianghe might have ulterior motives towards her. "The further you are from him at this time, the safer you will be. Has Zhao Jianghe contacted you recently?"
Lin Mei thought carefully. Zhao Jianghe hadn't contacted her for a long time. They had exchanged blessings during the Spring Festival, but they were all polite words. It seemed that Zhao Jianghe had not contacted her much after Xing Zheng distanced himself from her.
If Feng Feng hadn't said this, she probably wouldn't have thought so deeply. If Xing Yan's car accident was indeed orchestrated by Zhao Jianghe, then hadn't Xie Qinjia devoted her whole heart to her son's killer for all these years?
Thinking of Xie Qinjia's comments about Zhao Jianghe, and the difference in her treatment of Zhao Jianghe and Xing Zheng, Lin Mei felt indignant for Xing Zheng. No wonder he had been diagnosed with so many illnesses. If it were her, she wouldn't be any better.
Xing Zheng learned of Lin Mei's car accident from Shen Su. His expression instantly became solemn. He gripped his pen tightly. "Where?"
"The hospital, but don't worry, it's all external injuries," Shen Su had already called Feng Feng to inquire. "She just scraped some skin, and the CT scan showed no major issues. She'll be discharged in two or three days."
Xing Zheng remained silent. Shen Su, however, understood his thoughts. "Do you want to go and see her?"
Xing Zheng shook his head, saying "No," and then returned to his busy work.
On the second day of Lin Mei's hospitalization, Xu Ying learned the news from Lan Lan. After class, he bought many things and came to the hospital to visit Lin Mei. Upon meeting her, Xu Ying asked, "How could you be so careless? Does it hurt?"
The concern in his eyes was undeniable. Lin Mei was not heartless. Being cared for like this, she was deeply moved. She smiled, "It doesn't hurt anymore. They are minor injuries."
Talking with Xu Ying was relaxing. Xu Ying told Lin Mei a lot about the competition. Lin Mei listened attentively, infected by his cheerfulness. As they went downstairs together to bask in the sun, they unexpectedly encountered Zhao Jianghe.
Knowing what Zhao Jianghe had done, Lin Mei could no longer politely greet him as she usually did. Zhao Jianghe was unaware of her inner thoughts. He stepped forward and greeted her, then his gaze fell on Xu Ying beside her. Zhao Jianghe smiled and teased, "Your relationship with your boyfriend is very stable."
Lin Mei smiled. Under Zhao Jianghe's gaze, she exchanged a smile with Xu Ying. They looked extremely in sync. "It's alright. I wish Mr. Zhao a tacit partner in the future."
"Thank you for your kind words." Zhao Jianghe chatted with Lin Mei for a while, inquired about her condition with concern, and then left in a hurry. Lin Mei saw that he was carrying some medicine, but the bag was opaque. She had looked at it for a long time but couldn't see clearly what medicine was inside.
As Lin Mei frowned in thought, Xu Ying beside her asked, "Were you putting on a show for him just now? Is he your admirer? He seems to have a lot of news recently."
When Zhao Jianghe had called him her boyfriend earlier, she hadn't denied it. Although Xu Ying knew it was just an act, he was incredibly happy. Lin Mei apologized to him, "I used you. I'm very sorry."
Xu Ying replied, "What's there to be sorry about? I'm the one who benefited. I didn't have to dream, and I got an opportunity to be your boyfriend."
His humorous words made Lin Mei laugh. The two of them chatted and continued their walk. Just as they were happily chatting, they suddenly heard people discussing Xing Zheng and Jiang Chubai's marriage. This union was highly anticipated, so it was normal to be discussed.
Xu Ying, however, was worried about Lin Mei. He pulled her aside and led her a few steps forward, away from the place of gossip. But her expression remained unchanged. Xu Ying cautiously asked her, "Did you tell him?"
Lin Mei replied, "Mm." The deep sense of loss infected Xu Ying. He pulled Lin Mei into his arms. There was no need to ask anything else. After that, Xing Zheng publicly announced his marriage. Such a man would surely prioritize interests. He probably didn't care about Lin Mei's feelings either. Xu Ying felt it was unfair to her and comforted her, "Find someone else to like. He's not worth your feelings."
Lin Mei was embraced by Xu Ying. She lowered her head, looking at the young man's strong, muscular arms. After a long hesitation, she finally asked him, "Can you, pretend to be my boyfriend for a while?"
Xu Ying was extremely surprised, even a little flustered. He couldn't answer the question for a long time.
The long silence made Lin Mei's reason gradually return. She realized what an excessive request she had made. "I'm sorry, if you're unwilling, just pretend I didn't..."
"I'm willing, of course, I'm willing," before she could finish, Xu Ying hurriedly agreed. "I was just too surprised. I didn't expect such a good thing."
Lin Mei asked, "Aren't you going to ask why?"