Lin Mei held her phone, tilting her head to look at the man before her.
The tall, slender man was wearing only a bathrobe. When she knocked, he had just finished showering, his hair still wet and not yet blow-dried.
Lin Mei watched a droplet of water fall into the open collar of his robe and couldn't help but swallow.
The man held a cigarette between his long fingers, brought it to his lips, and took a puff, exhaling smoke. His gaze roamed over her shamelessly, as if appraising a piece of merchandise.
"Mr. Xing," Lin Mei said, using her phone to bring up a video. "I have something to show you."
Lin Mei held the phone up to Xing Zheng's eyes. The video played, showing a man and a woman entangled in a passionate embrace, the scene utterly explicit.
Lin Mei, being rather shy, blushed furiously within a minute of the video playing. Her hand trembled, and she nearly dropped the phone.
Xing Zheng used the hand holding the cigarette to grip Lin Mei's wrist. He lowered his gaze and looked at her with amusement. "You haven't finished watching."
Lin Mei couldn't understand how Xing Zheng could speak so casually. She reminded him, "Mr. Xing, the female lead in the video is your fiancée."
"You know me very well," Xing Zheng said, not looking at the video. He acted as if he couldn't hear the sounds from it. "Then you should also know that she and I have always gone our separate ways."
The video wasn't long, ending in a few minutes. Xing Zheng released Lin Mei's hand and took another drag from his cigarette. "Is the man in the video your boyfriend?"
Lin Mei's expression froze. Xing Zheng stubbed out his cigarette and walked closer to her. "Did you come to me just to show me the video?"
Lin Mei was enveloped by Xing Zheng's presence, the scent of his hormones filling the air. This reminded her of the purpose of her visit.
Lin Mei wrapped her arms around Xing Zheng's neck, pressing her body against his. Mimicking the women in the videos, she boldly seduced him.
Like a kitten, Lin Mei traced circles on his chest with her finger. "I came to sleep with you."
The man's hand suddenly grabbed her waist and then forcefully slapped her bottom.
The sound of the slap was exceptionally clear in the quiet room. Lin Mei bit her lower lip, her face growing hotter.
"You came to sleep with me, and this is all you've got?" Xing Zheng's hand moved from her tailbone upwards. Lin Mei's competitive spirit was ignited. She immediately reached for his bathrobe tie and untied it, then pulled the collar down with her mouth, her fox-like eyes fixed on him.
—
Once the game between consenting adults began, there was no turning back. Everything settled down well into the latter half of the night.
Lin Mei lay on the bed, her hair plastered to her forehead, her body bearing the marks of his attention. Xing Zheng sat beside her, smoking a post-coital cigarette, his fingers, holding the butt, stroking her thigh. Lin Mei lifted her leg to kick him, a futile gesture.
Xing Zheng lightly patted her face with a teasing tone. "Utterly uninteresting. No wonder your man goes looking for others."
Lin Mei stood up to retrieve her clothes and retorted, "Mr. Xing's technique is also rather poor. No wonder your fiancée goes her own way."
As soon as she finished speaking, the man sitting on the edge of the bed suddenly kicked her calf.
Lin Mei slumped to the floor, her legs weak. The bra she had just put on fell at Xing Zheng's feet.
Xing Zheng kicked the black lace towards her, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He smiled, "So what if it's poor? It still made you unable to stand."
Lin Mei picked up her clothes, hastily put them on, grabbed her bag, and limped out of the hotel.
Xing Zheng finished his cigarette and saw the work ID badge lying in the corner.
He bent down to pick it up.
Name: Lin Mei; Gender: Female; Position: Account Manager.
There was a passport photo on it. Xing Zheng held the ID badge, his index finger brushing over the photo, and let out a faint, enigmatic chuckle.
—
The previous night had been so wild that Lin Mei felt sore all over and her legs ached throughout the entire day at work. Walking in high heels felt like torture.
After the morning meeting, Chen Qi came to the pantry to check on Lin Mei. "Honey, did you not rest well?"
Lin Mei looked at him. Chen Qi's face was unchanged, and his concerned tone was as gentle as ever. But now, seeing him, her mind was filled with images of him entwined with another woman, and she felt utterly disgusted.
"I had some trouble sleeping last night, but it's nothing," Lin Mei said, suppressing her nausea.
Chen Qi: "Then you should get some good rest during your lunch break. Tonight, we have to meet a major client... Honey, what happened to your wrist?"
Before he could finish, Chen Qi noticed the marks on Lin Mei's wrist.
Lin Mei hid her hand behind her back. "Nothing, I just carried too many things when I went grocery shopping yesterday. I'm going back to work now."
Lin Mei hurried back to her office. She walked to the mirror, unbuttoned her shirt, and saw the intertwined hickeys. She then remembered Xing Zheng's fierce demeanor last night.
Lin Mei quickly buttoned her shirt, then suddenly realized something was amiss.
...Her work ID was missing!
Lin Mei racked her brain, trying to recall, and finally came to a conclusion: Xing Zheng had knocked her bag over last night, and it must have been left at his place.
It seemed she would have to go find him again.