Chapter 187: Is the kitten depressed?
Zhao Yanxi burst out laughing again and lightly punched Ding Heng's chest.
"Do you really think of people as cats...?"
Although she wouldn't admit it, she acted just like a cat, crawling over on all fours, tilting Ding Heng's chair back, and snuggling into his arms.
Fortunately, the Mercedes has enough space for two people to move around comfortably...
"Brother Ding Heng."
"Um?"
"Have you noticed I've gained weight recently?"
The topic jumped around so quickly that Ding Heng was completely confused.
He began to observe Zhao Yanxi carefully.
From the moment they started flying kites in the morning, Ding Heng noticed that Zhao Yanxi was distracted. This included her deliberately hinting that he should go to the school to watch her competition. Her emotions were constantly fluctuating, and she was always talking incoherently, with her thoughts jumping around.
Ding Heng pinched her cheek and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Have you been feeling unwell lately?"
"A little..."
"Where does it hurt?"
I can't quite explain it.
Zhao Yanxi shook her head: "It's just... weird. Sometimes I feel nauseous, my stomach churns, but I can't vomit. I also have no appetite."
Ding Heng gasped, "Don't scare me!"
Zhao Yanxi froze for a second, then raised her hand and slammed it down: "Brother Ding Heng, what are you thinking! My period just ended two days ago!"
Ding Heng breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt something was wrong.
"So what happened to you? Have you been to the hospital?"
"No... I just feel unwell occasionally, but it's not serious."
Zhao Yanxi perked up slightly: "It might be due to the change of seasons; my stomach is a bit sensitive."
Ding Heng remained silent and began to sense Zhao Yanxi's physical condition through the [Holy Flame Inscription].
Heartbeat, body temperature, hormone levels... everything is normal, even healthier than the average person.
If there's nothing wrong with the body, then it must be a psychological problem?
Ding Heng then asked, "Has anything happened at home lately? What about your parents...?"
"No."
Zhao Yanxi blinked: "My dad's been doing pretty well at work lately, but my mom is still the same as always, constantly nagging me to go back and stay a few more days."
"How's school? How are things going with your classmates?"
"It's fine."
Zhao Yanxi said in a relaxed tone: "Huang Meng has been pursuing a senior recently, and she keeps asking me and Zhang Xiao for advice. As for Li Aitong... she's still the same as always, we don't mention her."
Business as usual.
Ding Heng quietly activated [True Sight Eye], and Zhao Yanxi's status information appeared before his eyes.
Name: Zhao Yanxi
Age: 18
[Status: Mild Depression (Early Stage)]
[Triggers: Long-term lack of security, anxiety about gains and losses, and uncertainty about the future]
[Recommendation: Increase time spent with your partner, provide positive emotional feedback, and seek professional intervention if necessary]
Ding Heng's pupils constricted slightly.
Mild depression?
He recalled Zhao Yanxi's behavior the night she got drunk last summer.
At that time, he realized that Zhao Yanxi's psychological problems were more acute and more hidden than Wen Jing's.
A girl who has long been under the high-pressure control of her mother suddenly loses all restraint. The feeling of being out of control makes her eager to fill the void in her heart through "rebellion".
Until Ding Heng appeared, giving her a safe haven where she could be "controlled".
But the problem was not truly solved.
He merely pulled Zhao Yanxi out of the abyss of "seeking thrills" and plunged her into another, gentler abyss, causing the girl to become overly dependent on him.
Now, with more and more women around him, he has less and less time for Zhao Yanxi, and the girl is once again caught in a state of anxiety and insecurity.
I made the same mistake as Zhao Yanxi's parents!
He was deceived by the girl's overly cheerful, lively, and carefree demeanor.
Nowadays, nausea, loss of appetite, insomnia, and disordered thoughts are all symptoms.
Ding Heng pulled Zhao Yanxi into his arms.
"Brother Ding Heng?"
Zhao Yanxi was taken aback by Ding Heng's sudden hug: "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
Ding Heng rested his chin on her head: "I just wanted to hug you."
I really need to spend more time with my kitten in the future.
In the following days, Ding Heng would go to Zhongnan to see Zhao Yanxi whenever he had free time.
Sometimes he was alone, sometimes he brought Wenjing along, and he also arranged for Lin Man to find a house as soon as possible to prepare for everyone to live together.
Zhao Yanxi's condition has visibly improved, and the "mild depression" indicated by the [True Vision Eye] has also eased.
However, this is ultimately only a temporary solution and not a cure.
But there was no other way; Ding Heng couldn't abandon the other girls. All he could do for now was spend more time making Zhao Yanxi feel secure.
She truly believed that no matter how many women Ding Heng had, she would always be the most special "little kitten".
May 15th, evening.
Chujiang Hotel Chinese Restaurant.
Zhao Yanxi buried herself in eating and drinking, while Ding Heng poured her a glass of juice and then poured one for Wen Jing.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."
"I'm hungry..."
Zhao Yanxi swallowed the meat in her mouth, picked up her juice and took a big gulp: "I ran errands with Huang Meng today, and I didn't even have time for lunch."
Ding Heng put down his chopsticks: "By the way, I have something to tell you. I'm going to Shenzhen the day after tomorrow."
Zhao Yanxi looked up: "Pengcheng? What for?"
"It's Lin Man's uncle's birthday, she has to go back, I'll go with her."
"Oh……"
Zhao Yanxi dragged out her words, her emotions remaining unchanged.
The man has indeed been spending more time with her lately, but she also understands that he is not hers alone.
Ding Heng simply asked, "Are you coming with me?"
"The day after tomorrow... the day after tomorrow is the weekend."
Zhao Yanxi thought about it carefully: "It's not a bad idea, anyway, staying at school is boring."
Ding Heng nodded, then turned to Wenjing: "Wenjing, what about you? Do you want to come along?"
Ding Heng nodded, then turned to Wenjing: "Wenjing, what about you? Do you want to come along?"
Wenjing's chopsticks stopped in mid-air, her face showing hesitation, and she did not answer immediately.
Zhao Yanxi noticed something was off with her best friend: "Xiao Jingjing, don't you want to go?"
Ding Heng cut to the chase, saying, "Wenjing, your older sister works in Pengcheng, right?"
"right……"
"Are you still in contact with her?"
"We contacted each other once during the Chinese New Year."
Wenjing's voice softened: "She didn't come home for the New Year, but she gave red envelopes to everyone in the family. My mom has been talking about it to Xiaoshu for days, saying that my older sister has finally become sensible..."
"Then when you go to Shenzhen this time, you can ask her out for a meal."
Ding Heng replied calmly, "I won't accompany you. Can you manage on your own?"
Wenjing raised her head and met Ding Heng's gaze.
She understood Ding Heng's meaning; he didn't object to her contacting her family, but he didn't want to get too involved.
"Um."
The little rabbit nodded obediently as usual.
…………
May 16th, early morning.
The air in Shenzhen in May is humid and stuffy.
After driving on the highway for more than forty minutes, the black van finally turned onto a tree-lined road.
The tall buildings on both sides gradually receded, replaced by groves of palm trees and neatly trimmed shrubs, finally coming to a stop in front of a building with a full glass curtain wall.
The building is not tall, but it stretches horizontally and occupies an entire city block.
The doorman opened the car door, and Lin Man got out first. After Ding Heng came out, she immediately snuggled up to him and said in a coquettish tone, "Boss, I can't afford the presidential suite, so I'm sorry to trouble you."
Even in the off-season, the presidential suite at a similar hotel in Pengcheng costs several times more than that of the Chujiang Hotel in Xingcheng, which Lin Man cannot afford.
"Alright, let's go up first."
Ding Heng handed the luggage to the doorman and gestured for Zhao Yanxi and Wen Jing to follow.
Upon entering the room, Lin Man took out cotton slippers from the entryway cabinet, unpacked them, and neatly placed them beside Ding Heng's feet.
Then he straightened up, clapped his hands, and said, "Boss, I'm going to take a shower first; I feel all sticky and uncomfortable."
Zhao Yanxi caught up with him: "Together, together, I want to wash too."
Two women entered the master bedroom's bathroom one after the other, the door ajar, leaving a crack.
Ding Heng went to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed at the sea with a calm expression.
Wenjing stepped forward obediently and asked, "Ding Heng, are you going to wash?"
"You want to come with me?"
Wenjing hummed in agreement, lowered her head shyly, and turned to walk into the bathroom in the side bedroom.
It was rare for the little white rabbit to take the initiative, so Ding Heng didn't want to spoil the fun.
The sound of water came from two directions at the same time, faintly heard through the door.
The master bedroom's bathroom is large, with a separate wet and dry area. Near the window is a rectangular heated bathtub, big enough for three or four people to take a bath at the same time.
Zhao Yanxi filled the tub with water, tested the temperature, then took off her clothes and carefully sat down inside.
"what……"
She let out a satisfied sigh and leaned back against the edge of the bathtub.
Lin Man then came in, took off her suit skirt and stockings, and stepped into the bathtub.
Ripples spread out, washing over her slender waist.
She sat down facing Zhao Yanxi, her long legs naturally stretched out, her toes touching Zhao Yanxi's calves.
"Sister Man, your legs are so long..."
"You're not short either, and you're even thinner than me."
"But I feel like Ding Heng prefers your chubby thighs."
"Is there?"
Haven't you noticed it before?
"It seems so..."
The two women were chatting when they suddenly heard a short moan from next door. They looked at each other and smiled.
Then the sounds came intermittently... splashing water, rubbing fabric, and the soft sound of something being pressed against the glass.
Zhao Yanxi pretended not to hear and continued to chat casually.
"Sister Man, is your hometown Pengcheng?"
"If we count by ancestral home, my maternal grandfather was from southern Fujian."
Lin Man gently stirred the water: "Back then, he couldn't make a living in his hometown, so he came to Shenzhen to make a living. Now he still goes back to pay respects to his ancestors every year."
"So you grew up in Shenzhen?"
"Yes, my household registration has always been in Shenzhen."
"So your family must own a house in Shenzhen, right?"
Zhao Yanxi teased, "Why don't you take us back to stay? It would save us the cost of this hotel."
Lin Man frankly admitted, "My house is too small and old... I don't even want to live there myself, let alone take you guys. If the boss complains, I'll be punished."
Zhao Yanxi asked in bewilderment, "Sister Man, you're so rich, why don't you live in a luxury mansion or villa?"
"Yan Xi, you think too highly of me! Besides, my home is my home, and my grandfather is my grandfather..."
Lin Man swam over, raised her hand and gently tapped Zhao Yanxi's forehead: "This is Pengcheng, you want to live in a luxury villa? My monthly salary probably won't even cover the rent."
Zhao Yanxi blinked, a little confused: "Are houses in Shenzhen really that expensive?"
Lin Man chuckled, "Yan hope, don't you have any idea about housing prices in first-tier cities? If all else fails, why don't you ask your boss to buy you one?"
Zhao Yanxi pouted: "Sister Man, you're teasing me again."
"If you want it, it's not impossible."
Ding Heng's voice suddenly interrupted, the bathroom door was pushed open, and Zhao Yanxi and Lin Man both turned their heads to look back.
Zhao Yanxi leaned forward and asked, "Brother Ding Heng, where's Wenjing?"
Ding Heng replied with a smile, "We're resting right now. Who's next?"
Lin Man quickly declined, saying, "I have to go out later, boss, you should continue to bother Yan hope."
"Sister Man..."
Zhao Yanxi was so embarrassed that she reached out to splash water on her.
Lin Man laughed and dodged, splashing water all over the ground.
Ding Heng untied his bathrobe and stepped into the bathtub, where water overflowed and splashed onto the floor.
The water began to ripple, the movement grew louder and the waves became more rapid, spreading out in concentric circles.
Lin Man sat at the other end of the bathtub, quietly observing while secretly making plans in her mind.
Was Ding Heng just being polite?
Or will he really buy it for Zhao Yanxi?
And when will I finally be rewarded with a new treat...?
Lin Man stepped out of the bathtub, grabbed a towel to wrap herself in, walked barefoot out of the bathroom, and gently closed the door behind her.
Upon entering the dressing room, Lin Man changed into clean and tidy casual clothes, dried her hair, and applied light makeup.
Finally, she took out a pair of small pearl earrings from her bag, put them on, looked at herself in the mirror from left to right, and nodded in satisfaction.
The dinner party later is organized by the Lin family's grandchildren. It doesn't need to be too formal, but it also can't be too undignified.
Stepping out of the dressing room, Ding Heng had already changed his clothes and was sitting on the sofa in the living room scrolling through his phone, leaving Zhao Yanxi and Wen Jing resting in the bedroom.
Lin Man walked over and stood still: "Boss, I'm done."
Ding Heng put away his phone and put his arm around Lin Man, saying, "Let's go."
The two walked out of the room and entered the elevator, with Lin Man standing quietly beside Ding Heng.
"Boss."
"Um?"
"Lin Kaihui already knows you're in Shenzhen and wants to treat you to a meal alone tomorrow."
"There's no need."
Ding Heng could guess Lin Kaihui's thoughts: he wanted the "IOU" back and, incidentally, wanted to test his background.
He decided to leave everything to Lin Man; he didn't want to get involved, nor was there any need for him to.
Lin Man drove out of the hotel and merged into the evening rush hour traffic in Shenzhen.
Ding Heng leisurely lay back: "I'm attending a birthday banquet tomorrow, aren't you going to tell me about your family situation?"
"Okay, boss."
Lin Man took a deep breath and began to tell her story: "My maternal grandfather's name is Lin Fengnian. He is from southern Fujian. He is seventy-eight years old this year. He has four wives, seven sons, and four daughters."
Ding Heng raised an eyebrow: "So many?"
In the old days, people in southern Fujian believed that having many children meant having many blessings.
Lin Man gave a wry smile: "Besides, my maternal grandfather made his fortune early and could afford to raise me."
How many are left?
"My mother is inside. One of my uncles died in a car accident years ago. Now he has six sons and three daughters left."
Ding Heng nodded, not interrupting her.
"My eldest uncle, Lin Zefu, is sixty years old this year and controls more than 90% of the family business. As the eldest son, he is also the most capable among the uncles. He always manages to seize opportunities during every business transformation or major trend."
"So he's now the sole power?"
"Pretty much... The rest of my uncles and aunts all worked under him, managing various venues."
"Where is Lin Kaihui?"
Ding Heng asked, puzzled, "How come such a pushover is favored by your grandfather?"
Lin Man explained, "Lin Kaihui had a twin brother, Lin Zhanhui, who was also capable and resourceful, even on par with my maternal uncle. However, in 08, he crashed into a guardrail while driving under the influence of alcohol and died on the spot, which became a thorn in my maternal grandfather's side."
So no matter how useless and wasteful Lin Kaihui was, as long as his grandfather saw his face, he would turn a blind eye.
After a moment's thought, Ding Heng immediately realized the key issue.
He jokingly asked, "So you mean your maternal grandfather had a lot of children, but including your mother, only three were capable of inheriting the family business? One is in jail, one has passed away, and now only your eldest uncle is left."
Lin Man pursed her lips but did not answer.
Ding Heng then asked, "Was the Xingcheng Market developed by your mother?"
"I guess so..."
Lin Man recalled, "My maternal grandfather had long had the idea of expanding beyond the province, and my mother, as a pioneer, successfully built up Brilliant Planet. Later, after she joined, the market in Xingcheng was gradually taken over by Lin Zefu and his sons."
After listening, Ding Heng roughly understood the situation.
Lin Zefu has seized all power, and those who originally had a chance to compete with him have all ended up in bad shape.
The reason why Lin Man was still able to receive money from the Lin family every month was...
One reason is probably that her mother still holds some leverage over the entire Lin family, which could threaten them.
Secondly, raising a pretty but useless niece like Lin Man wouldn't cost much, and it would also make Lin Zefu appear generous, nostalgic, and worthy of his roots.
Kill two birds with one stone.
Ding Heng didn't ask any more questions and turned his gaze to the window.
The car drove into the garage of a villa area. Lin Man took a deep breath, opened the door, and got out of the car.
Ding Heng came to her side and took Lin Man's hand.
He could clearly feel his capable secretary trembling slightly, as if she were in fear.
"Aren't we all relatives of the same generation? What are you afraid of?"
"I...I..."
Lin Man stammered and couldn't explain clearly.
Her usually alluring, foxy eyes now gave off a fragile, broken feeling, which made Ding Heng feel sorry for her.
Ding Heng didn't press further, and gently patted her hand: "Don't worry, I'm here today!"
"Um……"
Lin Man let out a long breath and gently leaned her body against Ding Heng.
"My boss is so nice!"
There was no coquetry, only sincerity.
[Refuge Value: 7%]