Lin Mei turned and looked over, her gaze immediately falling on the little boy opposite her. His face bore such a striking resemblance to Xing Zheng’s. Hadn’t she met him by chance a few times before?
However, today, the child was accompanied not by his mother, but by another middle-aged woman who appeared to be a nanny. But how could Xie Qin Jia know this child?
As Lin Mei pondered, the nanny brought the little boy over. Xie Qin Jia exchanged a few words with the nanny, then sent the child off to buy a cake with the nanny. Lin Mei observed Xie Qin Jia’s exceptional kindness towards the child, realizing their relationship must be significant if she was accompanying him on errands.
“That’s my eldest nephew’s son,” Xie Qin Jia said, noticing Lin Mei’s puzzled expression, and introduced Yang Shuo’s identity. She then sighed, lamenting, “He’s a pitiful child.”
Eldest nephew…?
This child was Xing Zheng’s son, which meant Xing Zheng and Xie Qin Jia were related?
Lin Mei suddenly recalled that Xie Qin Jia’s husband also had the surname Xing. It was likely that Xing Zheng was related to him in some way. Lin Mei hadn’t expected such a coincidence – the person she had unintentionally saved was related to Xing Zheng.
Xie Qin Jia’s comment about Yang Shuo being a pitiful child was probably due to his status as an illegitimate son.
If that were the case, this child was undeniably a result of Xing Zheng’s indiscretion. For some reason, Lin Mei felt a complex mix of emotions. She sipped her coffee, her expression clouded, remaining silent for a long time.
Lin Mei felt an urge to ask Xie Qin Jia about the child, but then she thought it unnecessary. The child’s identity had nothing to do with her. Even if he truly was Xing Zheng’s illegitimate son, it wasn’t her place to inquire.
Her relationship with Xing Zheng was merely a transactional arrangement of mutual needs. Even though she had broken up with Chen Qi, she shouldn’t harbor any illusions about a man like Xing Zheng.
Before long, the nanny returned with Yang Shuo. Seeing the child’s features and contours so similar to Xing Zheng’s, Lin Mei’s heart felt even more unsettled.
“Auntie Xie, I have to go out on business today, so I’ll be leaving now. I’ll treat you to dinner again next time,” Lin Mei used work as an excuse to bid Xie Qin Jia farewell for the time being.
Xie Qin Jia didn’t suspect anything and, before Lin Mei left, told her she would keep an eye out for a suitable partner for her. Xie Qin Jia’s enthusiasm was beyond Lin Mei’s imagination; she hadn’t expected a wealthy woman like her to also enjoy playing matchmaker.
When Lin Mei arrived at Shuang Mu, she happened to encounter Xing Zheng. As Xing Zheng walked towards her, about to speak, Lin Mei pretended not to see him and directly entered the elevator, avoiding him as if he were a plague.
Xing Zheng stared at the closing elevator doors, his eyebrows slightly raised. Was she deliberately avoiding him for fear of being discovered?
“Mr. Xing,” Assistant Zhuang Wan approached and pressed the elevator button for him.
Xing Zheng entered the elevator, casually adjusting his tie. His movements, though nonchalant, carried a hint of danger. “Instruct the finance department to bring Manager Lin to my office after today’s tasks are completed. No need to knock.”
Zhuang Wan replied, “Yes.”
Zhuang Wan had already gone to find Lin Mei on Xing Zheng’s behalf once before and was well aware of the relationship between his boss and Manager Lin.
At three o’clock in the afternoon, Xing Zheng was working in his office when a knock sounded at the door. He instinctively assumed Zhuang Wan had brought Lin Mei, so he said, “Come in.” Upon looking up, he saw it was Jiang Chu Bi.
Jiang Chu Bi wore a wine-red dress, her slightly curled long hair falling casually over her shoulders, exuding a radiant yet languid aura, the very picture of a refined young lady. She walked in her heels and stopped before Xing Zheng.
Xing Zheng had no inclination to admire her beauty. “What are you here for?”
Jiang Chu Bi could sense his displeasure. She walked around the desk, came to his side, and affectionately linked her arm with his. “You haven’t forgotten what day it is, have you? You promised before that you would accompany me.”
“I remember,” Xing Zheng reminded her. “It’s not time yet.”
Jiang Chu Bi smiled charmingly and said considerately, “I’ve prepared a suit for you. Come over to my place later to try it on.”
As she spoke, Jiang Chu Bi leaned closer. “It’s been a while since we attended such a formal event together. We can’t let people make a mockery of us, can we?”
“Take the clothes to the hotel, and I’ll go ten minutes early to change,” Xing Zheng remained indifferent to Jiang Chu Bi’s overtures, his tone unwavering.
This reaction made Jiang Chu Bi feel somewhat awkward. She sat on Xing Zheng’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “We’re still engaged, after all. It’s not appropriate for you to be so cold to me.”
Xing Zheng narrowed his eyes as he looked at Jiang Chu Bi, a dangerous glint gradually gathering in his gaze. Jiang Chu Bi smiled coyly and whispered in his ear, “At the very least, I did send her to your bed, didn’t I? Hmm—”
Before Jiang Chu Bi could finish speaking, Xing Zheng grabbed her by the neck. “You’d better know what you should and shouldn’t say.”
Lin Mei was eager to visit Lin Zheng De at the hospital after work, so she worked with exceptional diligence throughout the day. The tasks she had originally planned to complete by five o’clock were finished before four.
After handing over her work to the finance department, Lin Mei prepared to pack up and head to the hospital.
Unexpectedly, as she was leaving the finance department, Zhuang Wan intercepted her. Lin Mei recognized Zhuang Wan and felt a vague sense of foreboding as he approached.
Indeed, Zhuang Wan said, “Manager Lin, Mr. Xing asked me to bring you up.”
Lin Mei frowned. The incident at Xing Zheng’s office last time was still vivid in her memory. When she left, she had already been the subject of gossip among Shuang Mu employees. If this happened a few more times, the rumors would be unavoidable. “Did Mr. Xing say what it was about?”
Zhuang Wan replied, “Mr. Xing didn’t mention it, but it’s likely something important.”
Lin Mei: “……”
It seemed she had no choice.
Zhuang Wan walked ahead, leading the way respectfully. “Manager Lin, please follow me.”
Lin Mei walked with Zhuang Wan into the private elevator and arrived at Xing Zheng’s office door. Just as Lin Mei was about to raise her hand to knock, Zhuang Wan said to her, “Mr. Xing instructed that Manager Lin doesn’t need to knock; you can go straight in.”
Her hand, which had been poised to knock, stopped in mid-air. Lin Mei reached for the doorknob and pushed the door open, stepping inside.
However, the scene that greeted her caused her steps to freeze.
On the chairs opposite sat a man and a woman. The woman, dressed in a red dress, was seated on the man’s lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. Their bodies were pressed together without any space between them, and the man’s hand was on the woman’s neck…
From Lin Mei’s perspective, it appeared even more intimate.
Perhaps disturbed by her presence, the couple stopped. The woman turned her head to look at her. Lin Mei immediately recognized Jiang Chu Bi. Her red lips parted slightly, her eyes hazy, indicating clearly what they had been doing moments before.
At that moment, Lin Mei felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation, as if she had been slapped across the face, her cheeks burning.
Upon seeing Lin Mei, Jiang Chu Bi’s gaze shifted to her with a suggestive look, her tone tinged with feigned surprise. “Isn’t this Manager Lin? Are you here to see Ah Zheng?”