Chapter Fifty-One: The Vase—Fragile!

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Bai Bing followed Wang Zheng’s chopsticks to see Lin Xiaolei sitting across from them, her face filled with confusion.

“Her?” Bai Bing, hearing Wang Zheng’s words, looked at him with equal bewilderment and asked, “Why her? What would make anyone want to follow her?” A woman whose company was on the brink of bankruptcy, who had once even contemplated suicide—Bai Bing simply couldn’t imagine who would be so bored as to stalk Lin Xiaolei. Could it be… could one of the other three company bosses have doubled back?

“I really can’t stand talking to women who are slow on the uptake and so lacking in experience!” Wang Zheng said bluntly, belittling Bai Bing right in front of Lin Xiaolei, giving her no chance to save face. After scolding Bai Bing, Wang Zheng turned to look at Lin Xiaolei, and his face instantly softened into a gentle smile as he said, “There are usually three kinds of people around a beautiful woman: flower thieves, flower guardians, and gardeners. Literally, a flower thief is someone who picks the flower, a flower guardian protects it, and a gardener is one who appreciates the flower, tending to it with care and affection every day—in other words, a man like me.”

“I need to go to the restroom before I throw up!” Bai Bing looked at Wang Zheng with a face full of disgust.

Ignoring her, Wang Zheng continued to speak to Lin Xiaolei. “The first time I saw you at the bar, I noticed someone was following you. Of course, in a place like that, it could have been just some lowlife. But when I saw you again on the roadside, I spotted the same person, so I could be sure someone was stalking you. But since you’ve been unharmed these past few days, he clearly means you no imminent danger. Yesterday and today, I saw this person again… Do you want to hear my final deduction?”

“Yes!” Lin Xiaolei nodded vigorously, simultaneously glancing around cautiously, searching for the person Wang Zheng had mentioned had been secretly watching her all this time. Unfortunately, she saw nothing.

“A woman, in her moment of hardship, seeks help from a man. That man uses the opportunity to demand one thing in return—her body. She’s lost and confused by his demand, but after a brief struggle, she resolutely turns away. The man then sends someone to keep her under surveillance, both to watch the drama unfold and to wait for the moment when she has nowhere else to go and is forced to return to him…”

Lin Xiaolei was stunned by Wang Zheng’s words. She stared at the man before her—his eyes were bright, sparkling with a kind of enigmatic power. What he said wasn’t exactly how it happened, but the gist of it fit her situation.

“How… How do you know all this?” Lin Xiaolei interrupted, asking in surprise. She even started to doubt if Wang Zheng was in league with that man; otherwise, how could he possibly understand so well?

“These days, every television drama has this kind of idiotic plot. I was just making a casual guess, but from the look on your face, I must have guessed right!” Wang Zheng replied with a smile.

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Lin Xiaolei lowered her head, her heart full of frustration, struggle, and confusion. Her good mood had once again been clouded by this matter, and she didn’t know what to do.

“There’s no danger, right?” Bai Bing said from the side. “I’ll go teach him a lesson!” Although she wasn’t particularly close to Lin Xiaolei, her hatred of evil wouldn’t allow her to let a scoundrel go unpunished, especially one of this sort.

“Wait!” Wang Zheng reached out to stop Bai Bing as she stood up, saying, “If there was any danger, it would have happened by now. Don’t worry.”

When Bai Bing sat down again, Wang Zheng continued, “He’s been waiting for an opportunity—waiting for the moment when Xiaolei is truly desperate and comes to him for help. But now that Zhongtian’s situation has improved so much, his hopes have come to nothing. I doubt he’ll give up, though. While he may not stoop to snatching Xiaolei by force, he’ll almost certainly use some underhanded tactics in the business world to strike at Zhongtian and push it back to the brink. So instead of worrying about Xiaolei’s safety, we should focus on the company and make sure we don’t give him any leverage.”

“You’re right!” Bai Bing said, nodding in agreement as she pinched her chin.

“Stick with me, you’ll learn a thing or two—this is all knowledge!” Wang Zheng finished, then turned to Lin Xiaolei and asked, “Who is he? If you were to disappear one day, I’d at least know where to look for you.”

Wang Zheng considered himself rather fortunate—last time he had dinner with Su Xue, someone was tailing them; now, dining with Lin Xiaolei, it happened again. Was following people the trend these days?

“He… He’s the chairman of Fuhai International. His name is Zhang Xu. We met at an entrepreneurs’ networking event. At first, he seemed like a decent person, but I never imagined… He’s over forty, yet he wants me to be his mistress!” Lin Xiaolei’s voice trembled as she spoke, gripping her chopsticks so tightly they bent. The expression on her face was a mix of anger, sadness, and something more complex.

“A wife is like plain water—simple, unremarkable, and impossible to live without once she’s gone; a confidante is like green tea—refreshing, sincere, and soothing to the soul; a lover is like red wine—intoxicating, overwhelming, and all-consuming,” Wang Zheng mused. “Seems this bastard really knows how to enjoy life!”

“I knew you were no good!” Bai Bing snapped, glaring at Wang Zheng. “Just whose side are you on, anyway?”

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“Definitely not yours!” Wang Zheng shot her a look. This woman dared talk about ‘sides’? Who was it who betrayed whom last night?

After learning she was being followed, Lin Xiaolei was deeply frightened. The man had money and power, while she had nothing with which to fight back. What could she do? She couldn’t help but look up at the man before her. In her darkest, most helpless moments, this man had ‘saved’ her. Now she instinctively hoped he would help her again, her plea for help almost unconscious.

Wang Zheng noticed Lin Xiaolei’s gesture and her eyes seeking his aid, but he pretended not to see, choosing instead to continue exchanging barbs with Bai Bing. In his mind, he could give Lin Xiaolei confidence, be there for her when she was most helpless, and do his duty as a subordinate by offering advice and support. But the road ahead for Lin Xiaolei was long—if she couldn’t face these minor hardships without seeking help, then perhaps Wang Zheng had misjudged her.

It was clear that Zhongtian’s recent crisis had dealt a huge blow to Lin Xiaolei’s confidence and self-assurance. Always accustomed to smooth sailing, she now felt timid and lost, her fragile and sensitive side laid bare. Her strength wasn’t as unshakeable as it seemed.

Everyone walks a different path, but the only force that can guide us forward is the strength in our own hearts. If the heart is not strong, no matter which road you choose, you’ll eventually stop.

Wang Zheng had the ability to help Lin Xiaolei overcome any difficulty—money wasn’t a problem; he could fill a bathtub with diamonds if he wanted. But in the end, what would Lin Xiaolei truly gain?

Would it be the helpless look in her eyes every time she ran into trouble? Or would she become just another decorative vase for others to admire? If Wang Zheng only cared for pretty ornaments, he wouldn’t have spent so much time on Lin Xiaolei. He could have any vase he wanted—he had the drive and the means. But vases are fragile.

What Lin Xiaolei needed now was to be strong—strong enough to face everything head-on. Like that diamond: unbreakable, steadfast, and eternal. Otherwise, the diamond Wang Zheng gave her would lose all its meaning.

A diamond devoid of meaning is nothing but a worthless stone!