Chapter 5: Worse than a wild cat's hunt for food

The two agreed to meet in the garage at 5:30. Lin Yao came down first and waited by Long Weihe's car. It was already chilly, and the basement below ground was dimly lit. Some machine in the equipment room made a strange humming sound. She suddenly felt uneasy. She opened the playlist stored on her phone and randomly picked a song. The female voice of "If the Moon Doesn't Come" was very soothing and distracted her attention. When she sang "The Camellia is Slightly Blooming", Long Weihe came over in a thick white embroidered sweatshirt and sweatpants. "Your outfit doesn't look good." She turned off the player and glanced at Long Weihe. It was February, and the temperature had dropped in the past few days. The temperature in the morning was eight or nine degrees, which was cold. Long Weihe was tall and well-proportioned. He didn't look bloated in this thick suit, but he didn't look like a jogger. Lin Yao was afraid that an accidental encounter would arouse suspicion. "I was just taking a walk!" "He thinks you're going for a walk so early in the morning?" "A licker is licking a lion, so why should I wear a lion skin?" "Okay, okay, we're running out. Tie your hair up high! Why are you running with it all? Let's show off our beauty." Lin Yao pulled the black hair from her high ponytail down, handed it to her, and took the driver's seat. "First of all, let me make it clear that he can't run every day. Business trips are probably a common occurrence. It depends on luck whether we can meet today." "Luck, or bad luck!" Long Weihe tied her hair into a half-high ponytail, looking much neater and sportier. She called him a licker and said it was bad luck, feeling extremely complicated. Shi Zhenglin's words, "Don't deal with people without professional ethics," had made her feel suffocated over the past two years. She felt guilty towards him. He couldn't stay in his original unit and moved out of town, and it wasn't because of her spreading the news, but she believed it was inextricable. If she hadn't tried to pry him away, the subsequent events wouldn't have happened. She was also a victim. She believed she had done nothing wrong, and it was his fault that he wronged her. It was a karmic debt. "Do you remember what he looks like? Don't forget him if we run into him," Lin Yao asked. "He's got a great body, a handsome guy. I'll never forget him." "You're a lecher," Lin Yao laughed. "No matter how lecherous I am, I can't compare to his stoic appearance. He's got a savage, lion-like demeanor, and when he gets angry, he's incredibly fierce." Long Wei closed the mirrors, applied a layer of nearly colorless lipstick, and smeared hand cream. The car was filled with the rich scent of roses. As they neared their destination, it was still dark, and they searched for a parking lot for a while. Lin Yao parked in a hotel parking lot. They reached the riverside green belt a little after 6:00. Beyond the streetlights, everything was gray and hazy, no one in sight. Two nocturnal black creatures suddenly leaped out of the green belt, startling them. They meowed, and then realized they were wild cats.

The two agreed to meet at the garage at 5:30.

Lin Yao came down first, waiting by Long Weihe's car. It was already chilly, and the basement below ground level was dimly lit. A strange humming sound came from some machine in the equipment room, and she suddenly felt uneasy.

She opened the playlist stored in her phone and randomly picked a song. The female voice of "If the Moon Didn't Come" was very soothing and diverted her attention.

When she sang "The Camellia is Blooming", Long Weihe came over wearing a white embroidered thick sweatshirt and sweatpants.

"Your outfit doesn't look good." She turned off the player and glanced up and down at Long Wei.

It's February, and the temperature has dropped over the past few days, reaching 8 or 9 degrees Celsius in the morning, which is chilly. Long Weihe is tall and well-proportioned, and while she doesn't look bulky in this thick outfit, she doesn't look like a runner, so Lin Yao is afraid of arousing suspicion if they encounter her.

"I'm taking a walk!"

"He thought you'd take a walk so early in the morning?"

"If a dog licks a lion, why should I wear a lion skin?"

"Okay, okay, we're running out of time. Tie your hair up high! Why are you running with it loose? Let's show off our beauty." Lin Yao pulled down her black hair from a high ponytail, handed it to her, and got into the driver's seat. "First of all, he can't be out every day. Business trips are probably a common occurrence. Whether we can meet today depends on luck."

"What a fate! What a sin!" Long Weihe tied her hair into a half-high ponytail, which made her look much neater and sporty.

She called him a bootlicker and also said he was committing a sin, and her heart was extremely complicated.

Shi Zhenglin's words, "Don't deal with people without professional ethics," have filled her with frustration over the past two years. She feels guilty about him. He couldn't stay at his previous unit and had to move to another city, and it wasn't her who spread the rumor, but she believes she was responsible. If she hadn't tried to pry him away, the subsequent events wouldn't have happened. She's also a victim, believing she's done nothing wrong, and it's his fault that he wrongly accused her.

It's such a karmic debt.

"Do you remember what he looks like? Don't be afraid to recognize him if you meet him." Lin Yao asked.

"He has outstanding skin and flesh, he's a handsome man, I'll never forget him."

"You are so lustful." Lin Yao laughed.

"No matter how lustful I am, I can't compare to his stubborn appearance. He has a savage lion-like attitude and can be extremely fierce when he turns his face." Long Wei closed the mirror, applied a layer of almost colorless lipstick, and put on hand cream. The rich scent of roses filled the car.

As they approached their destination, it was still dark, and after searching for a parking lot for a while, Lin Yao parked the car in a hotel's outdoor parking lot.

The two walked to the green belt by the river. It was a little after 6 o'clock. Outside the light of the street lamps, everything was gray and there was no one in sight.

Two black balls that were active at night suddenly jumped out from the green belt, scaring them. They meowed and realized they were wild cats.

"It's harder than a wild cat foraging for food. We're doing this." Lin Yao crossed her arms and tightened her body. She was dressed lightly, a thin white tracksuit layered over a single-layered jacket. The riverside wind made it even colder, so she ran and jumped back and forth within a few meters.

One or two people ran by, but it wasn't bright enough to make out their faces.

"It's so early, and there are still people running."

As soon as Long Weihe finished speaking, someone else came. A sexy girl wearing yoga leggings and a sports vest ran by, and another person followed her with a camera in his hand, taking pictures of her.

This is a difficult shot, probably from a blogger who makes running videos.

"Look at them, they are risking their lives more than us. I really admire them." Lin Yao showed admiration in his eyes and followed her for a while.

God slowly gave them light.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the person they wanted to meet showed up around seven o'clock.

He was easily recognizable. He was a little over 5'8", wearing a long-sleeved, palm-gray sweatshirt that stuck to his muscular figure. His skin was a tan, and his features were the same as Long Weihe remembered them.

He must have finished running, and he started stretching about seven or eight meters away from Long Weihe.

Long Weihe put his legs on the fence by the river and pretended to stretch for too long. Due to lack of exercise, his legs were cramped. He pounded his legs and walked slowly. When he saw people, he didn't care about his cramping legs and quickly put them on again, pretending to do a few leg stretches.

The other person did not show up, but ran and jumped dozens of meters away, his eyes focused on them. Seeing that Long Weihe was hesitant to move, he ran and jumped more frequently, anxious.

Long Weihe took a deep breath. Strangely, she suddenly felt afraid, actually afraid of him. The air felt stinging.

She felt that this person's magnetic field was very hard and intimidating.

After preparing herself mentally for a while, she began to move towards him.

"Mr. Shi?"

Pretended accidents are always a bit exaggerated, and she can't find the right balance.

Shi Zhenglin paused for a moment, then continued, recognizing her at a glance.

This was a face that left a deep impression on him, otherwise he would not have been able to get him to interview with other bosses. He had never paid attention to headhunters, and she was the only one.

It started with affection and ended with hatred. Two years later, whenever I saw this face again, I was met with indifference.

He had no expression on his face and nodded slightly, with no intention of stopping.

"What a coincidence. It's really Mr. Shi! Are you running so early?"

"yes."

The response was just one word, and he didn't want the sound to be even longer.

He didn't look at her, just focused on himself, increasing the amplitude of his movements and breathing heavily.

She was like the air he rejected.

"So early! Mr. Shi still loves sports so much and is super self-disciplined." She tried to please.

He glanced at her sideways, forced a perfunctory smile, and didn't respond.

Only when she looked closely at his features did she notice a change. His eyes, which had always exuded confidence, now had a more gloomy hue. His hair, which she had always remembered as trendy, was now a simple, short side-parted style, less energetic than before.

She boldly took a step closer. "Mr. Shi, I've wanted to apologize to you in person but never had the chance. I happened to run into you today, so I want to say sorry. Later, KG offered me a job, but I didn't take it. I was very angry that they changed their minds. I really didn't do a good job. I'm sorry. But I really didn't spread the news of your meeting so early in the morning. I swear..."

"Excuse me, what's your name?" He interrupted, stopped what he was doing, and looked at her directly.

She could feel the rise and fall of his chest and the sharpness of his breath.

He clearly remembered the surname and given name of this "bad human trafficker".

"My last name is Long, Long Weihe." Her face flushed.

He pretended to be unable to remember and looked at the black sports watch on his wrist. "Sorry, my memory is not good. I don't remember much and I forgot everything. I'm leaving now."

Although he said he had no impression, she could clearly see the coldness and disdain in his eyes.

The person turned and left, and she immediately dispelled the dry and flattering expression on her face.

Seeing that the interaction between the two ended so quickly, Lin Yao ran up and asked, "What happened? Didn't you say more than a few words?"

"He either lost his memory or was blind. How could he not remember it after two years? He acted so violently, hanging up the phone and blocking me. He hated me so much, how could he not remember it?"

"He's just pretending."

"It's a roadblock." Long Weihe turned around and leaned against the railing to look at the Pearl River. "The stone hasn't been pried open at all, and I think it's even more blocked."

"But you should apologize to him at least. I asked a few people, and they all said that he is generous and broad-minded. You are so sincere, he wouldn't do that, right?" Lin Yao and she leaned against the railing opposite each other, watching him disappear briskly to the side of the green belt, thinking.

Liede Bridge in the east half-obscured the rising sun. Long Weihe felt annoyed at not being able to see the whole picture. "I can't see through him, so I see Jiang Lingli. She has their boss's backing. Our hope is that she can protect us."

The hotel across from the parking lot opened a tea market at 8 a.m. The two of them didn't even have a sip of water that morning. They went up to the hotel, found a table with a river view, ordered some Tieguanyin tea, and some dim sum.

"His wife is said to be a stunning beauty, the campus belle of the medical school back then. She quit her job to be with him and go home to have a baby. This kind of man is so chauvinistic, he wants to show off everything, and won't even let his beautiful wife show off."

Lin Yao drank a cup of hot tea, which warmed his stomach a lot. He then poured out the gossip he had heard from his friends the last time they had tea.

"Two years ago, I discussed my intention with him. He told me that his daughter was young, maybe one or two years old? At that time, the company he was working for gave him dual titles and he was often on business trips abroad. He was very busy. I guessed that he didn't have time to take care of his wife and children. The KG opportunity had a clearer work line and was not so busy. I used this to convince him. Other better conditions were not negotiable at all, but he was attracted by it. He seemed like a family man." Long Weihe recalled the details at that time.

Qian Duoduo was halfway through his tea when she called to urge him to go back. His birthday was tomorrow, and Qian Pingtao had come to pick him up today to go to Hong Kong Disneyland, but now he refused to go, saying he had to wait for her to come home.

"Qian Pingtao has been quite active lately. What is he up to?" Lin Yao packed up the walnut buns and shrimp dumplings that he had not had time to eat.

"I don't care what his intentions are, as long as he has more fun. No love or hate, it won't affect me. Raising a child together, he will provide more labor, and I will spend less energy, so I can have some peace and quiet."

When she got home, her father and son were playing silent basketball in the living room.

"Mom has packed the luggage. Duoduo said she would wait for you to come back before leaving." Qian Pingtao was sweating after playing with her. When he saw her come in, he explained breathlessly.

He also called her mom, and Huang Yun got upset every time she heard it.

"Mom, come play with us." Qian Duoduo pestered her. This was the reason he waited for her to come back.

"I can't go. I have work. I'll come back early the day after tomorrow. There's a surprise birthday present." She looked at Qian Pingtao and urged, "It's getting late. Let's go."

Qian Pingtao quickly took his coat and glanced at her face. "Let's go. Thank you!"

"Duoduo has an eczema on his back. There is an ointment on the outside of the bag. Apply it on him at night." Huang Yun reminded.

"I know, don't worry." He held Qian Duoduo in one hand and took the luggage bag handed to him by Huang Yun with the other hand. "Son, say goodbye to grandma and mom."

After they left, Huang Yun let out a long sigh. "He came here this morning to ask me for noodles. Since Duoduo was so happy, I gave him some. He kept saying how delicious it was. He used to be such a good person, caring about you and the child. But he's just a cheapskate, confused, and can't live a peaceful life..."

"How can we stop talking about him?" Long Weihe interrupted, unpacking the things she had just brought back and taking a bite of a walnut bun. Her mind wasn't on this at all; it was full of how to defeat Shi Zhenglin, the unlucky star.