Chapter 14: The Unexpected Dinner
1332 Words
The city lights had already begun to glow when Zhang Mei finally left her office.
WeiTech Tower looked quieter at night, but the tension of the day still lingered in the air. News about Director Han’s arrest had already begun spreading through business circles, and reporters were eager for the next scandal.
Zhang Mei walked through the lobby with her usual composed expression, though her mind was still busy replaying the events of the board meeting.
Today had been a victory.
But it wasn’t a complete one.
Director Han’s last words echoed repeatedly in her thoughts.
You're already surrounded.
If that was true, then exposing one traitor was only the beginning.
As she stepped outside, the cool evening air brushed against her face.
She had barely taken a few steps toward the street when a familiar black car stopped in front of her.
The window rolled down.
Liang Wei sat inside.
His sharp eyes landed on her immediately.
“Get in.”
Zhang Mei raised an eyebrow.
“That sounded less like an invitation and more like an order.”
Liang Wei didn’t react.
“We need to talk.”
She studied him for a moment before opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat.
The car pulled smoothly into the traffic.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
The city passed by outside the windows bright billboards, crowded sidewalks, and endless streams of headlights.
Finally, Zhang Mei glanced at him.
“Where are we going?”
“Dinner.”
She blinked.
“Dinner?”
“Yes.”
Her lips curved slightly.
“I didn’t realize you were the type to invite your contract wife on dates.”
Liang Wei kept his eyes on the road.
“It’s not a date.”
Zhang Mei smirked.
“Of course not.”
The car soon stopped in front of an elegant restaurant overlooking the river. The place was quiet and exclusive, the type of location where business leaders and celebrities preferred to dine.
Liang Wei stepped out first and held the door open for her.
Inside, the soft sound of piano music filled the room.
A waiter immediately guided them to a private table near the large glass windows. The river outside reflected the glowing city lights, creating a calm and almost romantic atmosphere.
Zhang Mei sat down across from Liang Wei.
“This is surprisingly peaceful,” she said.
Liang Wei nodded slightly.
“That’s why I chose it.”
The waiter poured wine and left them with the menus.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Liang Wei set his menu down.
“You handled the board meeting well today.”
Zhang Mei leaned back in her chair.
“That sounds like a compliment.”
“It is.”
She studied him carefully.
“Are you surprised?”
Liang Wei considered the question.
“Yes.”
Zhang Mei laughed softly.
“I’ll take that as honesty.”
The waiter returned briefly to take their orders before leaving again.
The quiet atmosphere settled between them.
After a moment, Liang Wei spoke again.
“Why did you come back?”
Zhang Mei frowned slightly.
“Back?”
“To the business world.”
His gaze remained steady.
“You could have disappeared after the scandal three years ago.”
Zhang Mei’s fingers traced the edge of her wine glass.
For a moment, she didn’t answer.
Then she sighed softly.
“Because I was innocent.”
Liang Wei waited.
“And because the people who destroyed my life were still winning,” she added.
Her eyes darkened slightly.
“My father lost his company. Our reputation collapsed overnight. Friends disappeared.”
She looked up at him.
“All because someone decided I was a convenient scapegoat.”
Liang Wei’s expression remained calm, but there was a subtle shift in his gaze.
“So you came back for revenge.”
“Yes.”
She didn’t hesitate.
Liang Wei nodded slowly.
“I respect that.”
Zhang Mei smiled faintly.
“And you?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you fight so hard to protect WeiTech?”
Liang Wei looked toward the river outside.
“My father built this company from nothing,” he said.
“Every competitor tried to destroy him.”
His voice remained calm, but there was something heavier behind it.
“He worked himself to death protecting it.”
Zhang Mei was silent for a moment.
“I didn’t know that.”
Liang Wei shrugged slightly.
“It’s not public information.”
The tension between them seemed to soften slightly.
For the first time since their strange marriage began, the conversation didn’t feel like a negotiation or a battle.
It felt… almost normal.
Zhang Mei took a sip of her wine.
“So we’re both fighting ghosts from the past.”
Liang Wei’s lips curved faintly.
“Something like that.”
Their food arrived, and the conversation shifted briefly to strategy.
They discussed Wang Xiao’s next possible moves, the remaining suspects inside WeiTech, and how to tighten the company’s security.
But as the evening continued, the discussion gradually became lighter.
At one point, Zhang Mei laughed at one of Huo Zhen’s recent office stories.
Liang Wei watched her quietly.
“You laugh more than I expected.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“What did you expect?”
“That you’d be colder.”
Zhang Mei smiled slightly.
“I save that for my enemies.”
A comfortable silence followed.
The city lights shimmered outside the glass windows.
Eventually, Liang Wei stood.
“We should go.”
They left the restaurant together.
The cool night air felt refreshing after the warm interior.
As they stepped onto the sidewalk, Zhang Mei glanced at him.
“You know,” she said, “this was surprisingly pleasant.”
Liang Wei looked down at her.
“You sound surprised.”
“I am.”
She paused.
“For someone known as the coldest CEO in Jiang City, you’re not terrible company.”
Liang Wei almost smiled.
They stood there for a moment under the soft streetlights.
The distance between them suddenly felt smaller.
Zhang Mei turned slightly toward him.
“So… what now, President Liang?”
Liang Wei looked at her quietly.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
The city noise seemed to fade into the background.
Zhang Mei’s heart suddenly beat a little faster.
Liang Wei stepped closer.
Close enough that she could feel the warmth of his presence.
“Now,” he said softly, “we prepare for the next attack.”
But neither of them stepped away.
Their faces were only inches apart.
Zhang Mei realized suddenly that Liang Wei’s hand had moved slightly, almost as if he was about to pull her closer.
Her breath caught.
The moment stretched between them.
And then
Click.
A faint camera shutter sounded from across the street.
Neither of them noticed.
But across the road, hidden behind a parked car, a paparazzi photographer lowered his camera with a huge grin.
On the screen was a perfect photo.
Liang Wei and Zhang Mei standing inches apart under the streetlights.
Looking like they were about to kiss.
By midnight, the photo was everywhere.
News headlines exploded across the internet.
“WeiTech CEO Liang Wei Seen in Romantic Moment With Wife After Corporate Scandal!”
“From Contract Marriage to Real Love?”
“Zhang Mei and Liang Wei’s Secret Romance Exposed!”
Within hours, the photo went viral.
Millions of people were talking about it.
And inside WeiTech Tower the next morning…
Huo Zhen burst into Liang Wei’s office holding his phone.
“Boss,” he said nervously.
Liang Wei looked up from his desk.
“What?”
Huo Zhen turned the screen toward him.
Liang Wei stared at the image.
It was the photo from outside the restaurant.
Him and Zhang Mei.
Standing inches apart.
Looking like they were about to kiss.
Huo Zhen swallowed.
“The internet… is losing its mind.”
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