"A big deal?" Wu Zhiming frowned slightly. If Yao Jing considered it a big deal, it certainly was serious.
"Where are you? Are you okay?" Wu Zhiming asked.
Yao Jing was taken aback. Most people would have asked what the big deal was, but the two questions Wu Zhiming asked were entirely about Yao Jing's well-being.
"I'm at Hongyi Construction Materials. Can you come over?" Yao Jing replied.
"Okay," Wu Zhiming said as he hung up the phone. He turned to Li Sina, "Drive. Quickly."
Li Sina floored the accelerator, and the car sped away.
"I haven't gotten out yet," Zhou Wenwei said.
"There's no time," Wu Zhiming replied as he connected his phone's navigation to the car's display. "Head to the location on the navigation," he instructed.
"Got it!"
"What's at Hongyi Construction Materials?" Zhou Wenwei asked, puzzled.
"I'm not sure. My wife said something big happened there," Wu Zhiming responded.
"A big deal? Could it be…?" Zhou Wenwei's face changed.
"You know something?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"I… I'm not sure. Let me make a call first!" Zhou Wenwei said, quickly dialing his phone. After a brief conversation, he started arguing with the person on the other end before abruptly hanging up.
"It's just as I thought!" Zhou Wenwei said with a bitter smile.
"What's going on?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"Mr. Wu, Zhiming, we're friends, right? You have to help me with this," Zhou Wenwei pleaded.
"Tell me what it is first," Wu Zhiming said.
"Well… at the class reunion a while back, after you left, we stayed overnight. That night, I added Song Siqing on WeChat," Zhou Wenwei began.
"You sure don't waste any time," Wu Zhiming teased.
"Song Siqing kept giving me these looks, even flirting. I figured she must be interested in me. Being in the jewelry business, I've met plenty of women, and I can tell when one is interested. Song Siqing is indeed attractive, so I couldn't resist. After adding her on WeChat, we chatted a lot. To be honest, I felt like I fell for her. It's strange. I used to love my wife, but after getting to know Song Siqing, I feel like I don't love my wife anymore. If I don't chat with Song Siqing every day, I feel uneasy. This went on for a few days until this morning, when my wife saw our chat logs. We had a huge fight, and she even hit me. Look at my face; you can see the marks," Zhou Wenwei explained, pointing to his bruised face.
"So now your wife is at Hongyi Construction Materials looking for Song Siqing?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"Yes!" Zhou Wenwei nodded. "She not only went herself but also took her family with her. They've got Song Siqing cornered at her company."
"I see," Wu Zhiming nodded.
"Zhiming, what should I do? I've been with Shuhui for years, but over time, the excitement has faded. Now all I can think about is Song Siqing. Sometimes I even consider divorcing Shuhui to be with Song Siqing," Zhou Wenwei said hesitantly.
"People are inherently greedy," Wu Zhiming remarked with a wry smile.
"But people also have feelings. It's something beyond our control," Zhou Wenwei argued.
"Are you sure Song Siqing likes you? Has she ever said she does?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"Well, no. But she tells me about her daily life, shares her past with me. She's very open, like we've known each other for years. That has to mean she likes me, right? Why else would she share so much?" Zhou Wenwei rationalized.
Hearing Zhou Wenwei's words, Wu Zhiming couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him.
Back at the manor, Wu Zhiming had sensed that Song Siqing had malicious intentions towards He Shuhui. To him, it was clear that Song Siqing's friendliness was aimed at disrupting Zhou Wenwei's marriage. Zhou prided himself on understanding women, yet he was being completely played by Song Siqing.
As for Song Siqing, Wu Zhiming couldn't pass judgment. Everyone has their own reasons. But in this case, Song Siqing was out of line. While it's not uncommon for men to stray, actively pursuing a married man is wrong. Even if she didn't explicitly seduce him, her close behavior was enough to create misunderstandings. The subtle manipulation was the most dangerous, and it was hard to blame her since she technically never said or did anything overtly inappropriate.
"Let me see your chat logs," Wu Zhiming demanded.
"Uh, isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Zhou Wenwei replied awkwardly.
"If Yao Jing wasn't involved, do you think I'd be interested in your drama?" Wu Zhiming retorted.
With a bitter smile, Zhou Wenwei handed over his phone and opened the chat logs.
"Any married man who wants to keep the home fires burning while entertaining a side affair should know this: always delete your chat history after you're done. That's a basic rule," Wu Zhiming said, taking the phone.
"We usually don't check each other's phones. Who would've thought she'd look today?" Zhou Wenwei lamented.
"Just because your wife isn't suspicious doesn't mean you should drop your guard," Wu Zhiming chided, shaking his head as he began scrolling through the chat logs.
As expected, given Song Siqing's cleverness, there was nothing explicitly inappropriate in their conversations. However, every message teetered on the edge of propriety, subtly infused with an air of intimacy.
It's this kind of subdued flirtation that is most perilous for married men. For a successful man like Zhou Wenwei, overt advances are easy to recognize and dismiss. But these nuanced, almost innocent interactions evoke memories of youthful romance and can ensnare even the most cautious.
After skimming a few messages, Wu Zhiming handed the phone back.
"What should I do?" Zhou Wenwei asked hopefully.
"You made this mess, so you clean it up. Tell your wife she can do whatever she wants to Song Siqing, but she better not touch mine. I won't show any sympathy just because she's a victim. If she lays a hand on my wife, I'll make sure she and her whole family regret it," Wu Zhiming said coldly.
Zhou Wenwei's face turned awkward as he replied, "I'll message her right away. But, Song Siqing is your wife's best friend. Your wife is bound to get involved, and that's likely to lead to a conflict."
"Women only want to see where you stand. As long as you show her that you still love her and want to be with her, she'll forgive you eventually. When we get there, I'll play the bad guy. You focus on being the good guy. Forget about divorcing Shuhui. Song Siqing is a cunning little vixen; you're no match for her," Wu Zhiming advised.
"So you're saying she doesn't have any real feelings for me?" Zhou Wenwei asked.
"First, she has no feelings for you. Second, you're married. Even if she did have feelings, you need to act like you don't. Third, never tell your wife you have feelings for another woman. You can say it was just business, just playing along, or even purely physical. But never, ever say it's emotional. What women can't forgive is emotional betrayal," Wu Zhiming explained.
"Got it! Mr. Wu, Zhiming, you really are a master of relationships. No wonder you've got Yao Jing under control. You talk like someone with a lot of experience!" Zhou Wenwei said, impressed.
"A master of relationships?" Wu Zhiming thought with a wry smile. To him, whether in love or friendship, it all boiled down to understanding human nature. Once you've seen through human nature, love becomes easy to decipher.
From the front seat, Li Sina glanced into the rearview mirror. Her boss certainly had a way with words.
The car sped to the entrance of Hongyi Construction Materials. The gate was half-closed, with several security guards blocking the entrance. A crowd gathered outside, craning their necks to see inside. Flower pots and other decorations lay smashed on the ground, evidence of a recent scuffle.
Wu Zhiming got out and entered the building with Zhou Wenwei. On the first floor, several employees were milling around.
"Where's Yao Jing?" Wu Zhiming asked.
The employees looked confused, not recognizing the name.
"Where's Song Siqing?" he asked next.
"Our President Song is on the second floor," someone replied.
Wu Zhiming headed straight for the stairs and climbed to the second floor. There, he was met by a group of people looking hostile and ready for a fight—presumably He Shuhui's family.
In front of them were several chairs. He Shuhui, who had been strikingly beautiful, now sat with a furious expression, her face stained with tears. She had clearly been crying and shouting.
Facing her was a closed door, guarded by two security personnel. There was no sign of Yao Jing or Song Siqing.
As Wu Zhiming and Zhou Wenwei arrived, a middle-aged man standing next to He Shuhui was shouting.
"That fox Song! Your time's up! Since you won't come out, we're coming in!"
With the middle-aged man's words, the crowd around him roared and surged toward the office door.
Seeing this, Wu Zhiming frowned and shouted, "Zhou Wenwei is here!"