Chapter Eighty-One: Letting Feelings Lead the Way

Today was another day when Su Xue and Chu Jun were hosting their livestream, so I couldn’t go home for dinner. Although Bai Bing’s cooking was as excellent as ever, tonight Wang Zheng seemed to have no appetite. He only took a few symbolic bites before setting his chopsticks down.

Bai Bing understood Wang Zheng’s abnormal behavior, but it still struck her as odd, for he ate so little—nothing like his usual hearty meals. This made Bai Bing wonder: had Wang Zheng fallen too deep?

“Is the food not to your liking?” Bai Bing asked as she tidied up the dishes and utensils. Wang Zheng’s appetite always influenced Bai Bing’s own; whenever she saw him eating heartily, she found herself eating more as well. Now that Wang Zheng had stopped, Bai Bing also felt the dishes tasted bland. There is a reason why meals are more delicious with company.

Wang Zheng shook his head, his mind filled with perplexing thoughts that had been troubling him. At his age, he shouldn’t be nearing menopause—was his rebellious phase simply delayed?

“Is it because of Lin Xiaolei?” Bai Bing asked again.

Wang Zheng, still dazed, glanced unconsciously toward the kitchen and nodded. Seeing his reaction, Bai Bing began washing the dishes. Ever since she had sold that secret out on the street, Wang Zheng had worn this same expression. The house had become suddenly quiet; without their usual banter and quarrels, Bai Bing found herself unaccustomed to the silence. “Have you fallen too deep?” She had always believed Wang Zheng to be the kind of man who passed through the garden of women without picking a single leaf, never expected him to lose himself over a woman.

But Bai Bing didn’t realize: Wang Zheng had been just as lost for her once!

“It’s not that I’m too deep; I’m just puzzled. Why did Lin Xiaolei do that? Why doesn’t she trust those female employees? Do I look like someone running a gang? Have I ever stopped her from doing anything?” Wang Zheng spoke quietly, his tone filled with confusion, disappointment, and dissatisfaction toward Lin Xiaolei.

“The greater the expectation, the deeper the disappointment. We’re not cut from the same cloth as her. Junzitang—you turned the tide, but you didn’t change Lin Xiaolei’s character, which has always lurked deep within her heart. Treat her as any other woman,” Bai Bing replied, returning from the kitchen to the bedroom and coming out with several sheets of paper. She tossed them to Wang Zheng before heading back to the kitchen to finish her chores. “These are all of Lin Xiaolei’s records. Take a look—maybe they’ll help you adjust your view of her.”

Wang Zheng glanced at the records on the table, then at Bai Bing in the kitchen. No wonder Bai Bing always seemed to know Lin Xiaolei so well—she must have investigated her.

“You’re getting more and more nosy!” Wang Zheng laughed. His words weren’t exactly kind, but they sounded like praise. “Don’t misunderstand. I just felt your heartache, grief, panic, and anxiety were affecting my mood—that’s all!” Bai Bing replied coolly. Seeing Wang Zheng smile, she felt a sudden brightness in her heart.

Wang Zheng took the records and moved to the living room, reading them page by page—even down to notes about Lin Xiaolei earning red stars in elementary school quizzes. Clearly, these were no ordinary files.

After tidying the kitchen, Bai Bing placed some snacks she’d bought on the coffee table and picked up Wang Zheng’s binoculars, scanning the surroundings from the balcony. A few words with Bai Bing had lifted Wang Zheng’s spirits, and though he hadn’t eaten much, he now helped himself to the snacks.

From middle school to university, Lin Xiaolei’s grades were always excellent. There was a common trait: her first exam upon entering a new school was always average, but from the second onward, she consistently ranked first. The conclusion was simple: Lin Xiaolei was ambitious and refused to lose. Staying stagnant was not in her nature, and this only became more pronounced after she started her own business.

Wang Zheng tossed the records onto the coffee table. Some things required contemplation. Watching the evening grow darker, he thought a walk might help clear his mind.

“Where are you going?” Bai Bing asked, turning her head, though only a few meters away, she still peered at Wang Zheng through the binoculars.

“Going out for a walk,” Wang Zheng replied calmly, heading for the door.

Upon hearing him, Bai Bing immediately followed close behind. When Wang Zheng frowned at her, Bai Bing answered briskly, “I’ll go for a walk too.”

Wang Zheng said nothing, leaving the house as he pleased. Perhaps he’d known from the start that Bai Bing would follow, so he never truly minded her presence.

Let her follow—it’s nothing new, as long as she doesn’t disturb me.

Outside Huamei Estate was a large green belt, doubling as a park. Every nightfall, couples would gather here. With the river running through the city at one end of the park, summer nights brought crowds, growing even larger as the night deepened. Benches, shrubbery, riverside—these were the prime spots.

It was an open era; embracing and kissing in public was commonplace, hardly novel anymore, since such education had been widespread since middle school. Perhaps only the thrill of making love outdoors was still a challenge.

Bai Bing silently followed behind Wang Zheng. Though her expression was calm, her heart was anything but. The moon hung in the sky, stars twinkled, streetlights glowed, insects chirped, and couples whispered sweet nothings, making the atmosphere intimate and languid.

One couple kissing is nothing. Two couples is still ordinary. But when ten or twenty couples were kissing, those not kissing would surely feel restless. Such was Bai Bing’s mood. To calm her chaotic heart, she fixed her gaze on the back of Wang Zheng’s head, thinking of his annoying face, though her eyes sometimes wandered to the affectionate couples along the road. It was impossible to focus solely—her peripheral vision caught it all, and Bai Bing felt thoroughly uncomfortable.

“What are we doing in a place like this? I think somewhere quiet would suit you better right now,” Bai Bing whispered to Wang Zheng.

“You mean somewhere secluded and less crowded?” Wang Zheng asked.

“Yes, exactly that!” Bai Bing nodded emphatically, as if she understood everything.

“I’m afraid you’d be tempted to lay hands on me!”

“Right now, I want to slap you and kick you!” Bai Bing replied fiercely, despising both Wang Zheng and the loving couples around them.

“Beating is affection, scolding is love; you’re always so straightforward, it’s hard for me to accept!” Wang Zheng’s tone was ambiguous, and the environment lent itself to misinterpretation.

Bai Bing lowered her head, filled with regret—why had she given him Lin Xiaolei’s records? Let him stew alone; at least he’d quiet down.

Perhaps Bai Bing’s words had an effect, for Wang Zheng changed direction, gradually leaving the park. As they departed, Bai Bing exhaled deeply, finally relaxing her tense body. She didn’t know where Wang Zheng was heading next, but as long as she could leave that place of turmoil, she was satisfied.

The route grew more familiar, and soon enough, they found themselves back at Yong’an Tower. Bai Bing looked at Wang Zheng in confusion—what was he doing here so late? She glanced up and was surprised to see the lights still on in Zhongtian Company on the eighteenth floor. Checking the time, it was nearly eight o’clock. Had they been working overtime for three hours?

“Do you want to be the savior of those female employees?” Bai Bing asked Wang Zheng, who was silently watching Yong’an Tower.

“You overestimate me,” Wang Zheng replied with a smile.

He had wandered aimlessly; even he didn’t know why he ended up before Yong’an Tower. It felt as if something was drawing him here, as though it wasn’t his own will.

Was this feeling a sign of something to come? Wang Zheng trusted his instincts; if they led him here, there must be something they wanted to tell him.

“Don’t just stand here—either go in and work overtime or go home. Pick one!” Bai Bing pushed Wang Zheng.

“I choose the third option.”

“The third?” Bai Bing was stunned. “Are you planning to spend the night on the street? It may be summer, but it’s still cold.”

Wang Zheng turned to Bai Bing, too tired to scold her after so many times. He took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, took a deep drag, and handed it to Bai Bing. “Cold? Here, use this to keep warm.”

Bai Bing took the cigarette, its red tip glowing and smoke curling upward. Could this really keep her warm?

With a loud slap, Bai Bing tossed the cigarette to the ground and stomped on it. “You’d better keep it for yourself as a torch!”

Seeing Bai Bing’s anger, Wang Zheng couldn’t help but smile. Just then, his gaze caught Lin Xiaolei walking out of Yong’an Tower. He tapped Bai Bing, still fuming, and pointed in her direction.

Bai Bing looked up, following Wang Zheng’s gesture, and saw Huang Wei getting out of a Mercedes S500. He exchanged a few words with Lin Xiaolei, who had just emerged from Yong’an Tower, then opened the car door for her. Lin Xiaolei got in.

“Hm?” Bai Bing was full of questions—when did those two get together? She turned to look at Wang Zheng, only to see him smiling.

What did it mean?