Chen Jing went to the same pub as last night. Lin Mei guessed that Xing Zheng was probably a regular there. He hadn't been back in the country for long, but he was already familiar with the nightlife, truly living up to the rumors.
Afraid of being discovered, Lin Mei had to keep her distance as she followed Chen Jing. She saw Chen Jing head to a private room on the second floor, which was the VIP area. Lin Mei didn't have a VIP membership card and was stopped at the foot of the stairs.
With no other options, she could only watch helplessly as Chen Jing entered the room.
Lin Mei stood at the foot of the stairs and saw a man with his arm around a woman, being overly familiar. The people around them paid no mind.
Lin Mei often frequented pubs and had heard from her two best friends what kind of place the second floor was.
If Xing Zheng took Chen Jing upstairs, was he planning to… take advantage of her right there?
Although Lin Mei and Chen Jing didn't get along well, she couldn't just stand by and watch something like this happen right before her eyes.
Just as she was getting anxious, Lin Mei bumped into an acquaintance. She saw that tall, handsome figure and quickly called out, "Senior!"
The man called "Senior" had just finished a phone call and was about to return to his private room. Upon hearing her voice, he immediately looked over, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Lin Mei? What are you doing here?"
"Senior, can you take me in first? I'm looking for someone," Lin Mei asked Ming Zhou for help.
Ming Zhou readily agreed and led Lin Mei in. After a few steps, Ming Zhou asked her, "Who are you looking for? You seem very anxious, you're even sweating."
Ming Zhou raised his hand to wipe the sweat from Lin Mei's forehead, his gesture intimate and gentle.
"Chen Qi's sister is here. I'm afraid she'll be tricked…" Ming Zhou knew about her relationship with Chen Qi, so Lin Mei didn't hide anything from him.
However, Ming Zhou didn't know Chen Qi had a sister. From Lin Mei's words, it seemed like she was prone to causing trouble.
Ming Zhou raised an eyebrow, "Why are you cleaning up his sister's mess?"
Hitting the nail on the head, Lin Mei smiled and deflected, "She's staying with me. It would be difficult to explain to our parents if something happened."
Ming Zhou: "Do you need me to help you find out where she is?"
"No need, she's over there. I'll go find her myself." Lin Mei had noted the room Chen Jing had entered earlier and pointed it out to Ming Zhou.
Ming Zhou glanced at it and said with a smile, "What a coincidence. I was just going over there to find friends. Let's go together."
Lin Mei: "…?"
Ming Zhou: "It's a gathering of some old friends. One of them just returned to the country, so we're welcoming him back."
Could it be this cliché? Just returned to the country, wouldn't that be Xing Zheng?
Lin Mei didn't have time to think before Ming Zhou put his arm around her waist and led her over.
Ming Zhou pushed open the door to the private room. Lin Mei looked up and saw Xing Zheng directly opposite her. Chen Jing had one hand on his shoulder, whispering in his ear, their bodies close together, looking like they were flirting.
"How come Ming Zhou brought someone back after going out!" Someone in the room saw Ming Zhou return with a woman and assumed he had gone out hunting.
At this teasing remark, everyone in the room turned to look at Ming Zhou and the woman in his arms. Xing Zheng was no exception.
Upon seeing Ming Zhou's arm around Lin Mei's waist, Xing Zheng smiled playfully, "Ming Zhou, do you know her?"
Ming Zhou, with his arm around Lin Mei, introduced her, "This is my junior from graduate school, Lin Mei. She works at Nanjiang Bank now."
Xing Zheng picked up his wine glass, swirling it, his gaze fixed on the two of them, his expression ambiguously knowing. "More than just a junior, isn't she."
"I knew you weren't decent, you promiscuous woman!" Chen Jing, who had been sitting next to Xing Zheng, walked over to Lin Mei excitedly and yanked her out of Ming Zhou's embrace.
The scene became awkward. Apart from the two involved and Xing Zheng, everyone else was bewildered.
Ming Zhou stepped forward to protect Lin Mei, "Who are you? Speak with respect!"
Chen Jing: "She's my brother's girlfriend, so who do you think I am!?"
Ming Zhou understood. Lin Mei had come looking for her, but this girl had just been sitting with Xing Zheng.
"Why aren't you speaking? Feeling guilty? I knew you were no good, messing around behind my brother's back." Chen Jing grabbed a glass of wine and splashed it onto Lin Mei's face. Lin Mei couldn't dodge in time, her face and clothes a mess.
The room erupted in another uproar.
Only Xing Zheng remained calm, even taking a sip of his wine as if watching a good show.