The playful tone, the flippant manner of speaking, who else could it be but that scoundrel Xing Zheng?
Lin Mei found herself circled by him, and they stood facing each other. He was 1.9 meters tall, and even with her seven-centimeter heels, she barely reached his chest. In terms of presence, she was already at a disadvantage.
"Why aren't you dancing anymore? Weren't you enjoying yourself with other men just now?" Xing Zheng sneered when Lin Mei stopped dancing.
He had been watching her since she entered the dance floor. First, he saw her dancing the tango with a man, then she moved through the crowd like a fish in water, captivating all the men.
Lin Mei retorted, "Aren't you, Mr. Xing, also having a good time drinking with beautiful women?"
Xing Zheng suddenly lowered his head, leaning close to her lips, his fingers playing with the hair by her ear as if flirting. "Jealous?"
Lin Mei's ears flushed, and in a moment of panic, she pushed him away. "You lunatic."
Xing Zheng seemed unfazed, still smiling. "Embarrassed and angry."
Lin Mei: "I should be angry. Can't you see you ruined my good time?"
Xing Zheng's dark eyes narrowed, his tone tinged with a hint of danger. "What good time? Trying to snag a rich man?"
Lin Mei: "Yes."
Xing Zheng: "Quite ambitious."
Lin Mei: "It's none of your business."
Xing Zheng pulled Lin Mei back into his embrace. "If you want to dance, come to my place and dance for me alone."
Xing Zheng was essentially asking her out. Given their relationship, meeting up on the weekend wouldn't have been an issue.
But the thought of him being so chummy and drinking with another woman earlier made Lin Mei feel disgusted. She wasn't in the mood to sleep with him. Held in his arms like this, Lin Mei could even smell the women's perfume on him.
Lin Mei: "I'm not interested. Find whoever you want to dance with."
Xing Zheng: "Is that so? It seems you want Manager Chen and the other bank colleagues to admire your wild dancing in the ballroom."
As he spoke, he elegantly took out his phone from his pocket, brought up a video, which was precisely the footage of her dancing intimately with men on the dance floor earlier.
A place like a bank was always rife with gossip. After the incident with Director Zhao, if this video were to be released, Lin Mei's reputation at the bank would be ruined.
Striking where it hurt the most, that scoundrel Xing Zheng was too good at threatening people!
Lin Mei: "What do you want?"
Xing Zheng: "You said you weren't interested. I won't force you."
Lin Mei forced a smile. "I'm willing, alright?"
Xing Zheng broke into a smile, put his arm around Lin Mei, and led her out of the dance floor.
Shen Su and Gu Song were drinking when they saw Xing Zheng return with a petite woman in his arms. Gu Song quipped, "Old Xing, you're something else. A successful conquest! That beauty has a killer figure."
Xing Zheng shot Gu Song a look, telling him not to speak carelessly. Gu Song clicked his tongue. "You're quite protective."
Xing Zheng patted Lin Mei's waist. "Get my jacket for me to wear."
Lin Mei was about to refuse instinctively, but then she remembered the video. She suppressed her annoyance, withdrew from his embrace, and went to get his suit jacket draped over the back of a chair.
As Lin Mei emerged, Shen Su and Gu Song got a clear look at her face.
They exchanged glances and simultaneously gasped.
It was her!
Shen Su and Gu Song had a host of questions for Xing Zheng, but with Lin Mei present, some questions couldn't be asked in front of her.
Xing Zheng noticed. He didn't explain. At that moment, Lin Mei stood before him with the jacket. He smiled faintly, raised his arm, and with her help, put on the jacket.
"I'll take her now. Let me know when her friends arrive," Xing Zheng said briefly, and without further ado, he pulled Lin Mei away.
Shen Su and Gu Song watched their figures disappear into the distance. Shen Su poured Gu Song a drink. "Old Xing has finally fallen for her."
Gu Song: "I haven't seen Old Xing for half a month, and how did he get himself into such a mess?"
Shen Su: "It's not half a month; it's clearly half a lifetime."
Gu Song: "That woman, she's even more alluring in person than in photos. It's no wonder Old Xing couldn't resist."
—
Lin Mei was brought back to Zhuhua Villa by Xing Zheng. It was her first time here. Zhuhua Villa had excellent security, was quiet, and free of any loiterers.
Xing Zheng's home was designed in a minimalist black, white, and gray style. The sofa was black, the floor was gray, and the walls were white. The furniture was predominantly dark, giving off a cold, detached vibe.
It was completely unlike him.
Lin Mei stood at the door, feeling a little awkward. Xing Zheng went to the shoe cabinet to change into slippers and then tossed a pair to her.
Lin Mei took a closer look; they were the same style as the ones he was wearing – couple's slippers.
"Just bought them. No one's worn them," Xing Zheng said, as if he could read her mind, immediately guessing what Lin Mei was thinking.
As Lin Mei bent down to change her slippers, Xing Zheng mischievously slapped her on the backside. She almost lost her balance and fell. Xing Zheng caught her by the waist, and Lin Mei felt like a pet being toyed with by him.
"I'm hungry," Xing Zheng told her. "There's food in the fridge. Cook me a bowl of noodles."
Lin Mei: "Okay." Cooking noodles was better than actually dancing for him.
Lin Mei's cooking skills were decent. In no time, she had the noodles ready. She returned to the living room to call Xing Zheng for dinner, but then she heard his WeChat voice message playing out loud.
"Did you sleep with the student? Does it taste even better after wanting her for so many years?"