If You're Hot, Take It Off

Almost a month had passed since all that had happened, and Lin Meng had been watching Yun Huaizhu closely the entire time.

Yun Huaizhu seemed to have gradually gone back to the way she was before the incident, but Lin Meng couldn't shake the feeling that a wound lay cracked open in her heart.

That wound had only been hastily bandaged—so ugly it was like a raw gully carved into flesh. Who knew when it would split open again.

She had taken nearly a week off that month, and after work she often called Yun Huaizhu to ask where she was, terrified that if she let her guard down for even a moment, something else would happen to Yun Huaizhu.

Lin Meng felt Yun Huaizhu had to be the unluckiest person in this novel. From the moment she'd met Yun Huaizhu until now, nothing good had ever come her way.

Lin Meng had assumed that with all the days she'd taken off that month, her salary would definitely be docked by a third. But when she saw the bank deposit notification yesterday, her mind went blank for a moment. By her calculation, based on her daily wage and minus her full-attendance bonus, she should have received only eight thousand five hundred. Yet the salary slip she received listed the same amount as the previous month.

Lin Meng thought accounting had made a mistake. So early the next morning, she took the salary slip to the finance department.

The finance department pulled up her attendance record and work completion status from the previous month, and the results showed she had never taken leave, that she had full attendance the entire month and had completed all tasks assigned by the company. The company had paid her at the deputy team leader position's rate.

Lin Meng was baffled. Something didn't add up. She probably hadn't transmigrated a second time... She had definitely taken over a week off last month. How could it have been recorded as full attendance?

She hadn't gotten this job through connections. Aside from Tang Xiaoman and a few close coworkers, she had no pull. How could the attendance department make such a basic mistake?

Thinking this, Lin Meng went to the attendance department to ask, but they firmly told her she hadn't taken any leave the previous week.

With no other choice, Lin Meng ran back to her workstation to verify with Tang Xiaoman. In the end, Tang Xiaoman laid her absurd suspicion to rest.

Tang Xiaoman found it strange too. "Yeah, I helped you request the leave. I told Lu Ping, and she said she'd pass it along so it would be recorded for you. How could this happen?"

Lin Meng knew she wasn't dreaming this time, so she breathed a sigh of relief. Her face was full of confusion. "Something must have gone wrong somewhere in the process, and the attendance wasn't recorded. Besides, I didn't clock in for a whole week. The attendance department should have noticed. They wouldn't make this kind of mistake."

Hearing this, Tang Xiaoman stepped forward and patted Lin Meng's shoulder. "Mengmeng, don't overthink it. Maybe your performance was so outstanding the company gave you a bonus."

Lin Meng grew even more bewildered. "But everyone does the same work. Some people work even harder than I do. Why would the company pick me for a bonus over them?"

Tang Xiaoman fell silent for a moment, then smiled awkwardly. "Getting extra pay is a good thing. If something like that happened to me, I'd be secretly celebrating. It's already been deposited into your card as salary, so it's what you deserve. Don't overthink it, okay?"

The more Lin Meng heard, the more her brows furrowed.

On the surface, attendance and payroll seemed fine, but she had genuinely taken a week off last month. She shouldn't have received this money at all, yet the company had paid her as if she'd had full attendance. It was deeply bizarre.

With Tang Xiaoman's reassurance, she calmed down for the time being and focused on her morning work, but the question still lingered in her mind.

The planning department's team leader had an office of her own, so as soon as Lin Meng finished her morning clock-in, she ran toward Lu Ping's office. Lu Ping was the type to vanish the instant work ended, and she didn't like the company cafeteria food; at noon she'd go out to eat, then come back to her office for a nap.

Lin Meng sprinted there at full speed and just caught Lu Ping locking her door, about to leave.

Out of breath, she called out, "Team Leader, wait—"

Lu Ping stopped and looked up at Lin Meng. "Oh, it's Mengmeng. Is something wrong?"

Lin Meng bent over, gasping for breath. Once she'd caught it, she straightened and looked at Lu Ping. "Team Leader, I took a week off last month, but my salary was the same as when I had full attendance. Was there some kind of calculation error?"

Lu Ping's brows knitted tightly. She stroked her chin as if thinking. "Really? When did you take leave?"

Lin Meng hurried to explain. "It was sudden. I asked Xiaoman to request it for me. She said she told you, Team Leader, and that you passed it on to the attendance department."

Only then did Lu Ping's expression shift to sudden understanding. "Oh, right, there was such a thing... I did mention it to the attendance department. As for how they handled it afterward, I'm not sure. Why don't you go ask them again?"

Lin Meng felt like a ball being kicked back and forth between departments, right back to where she'd started.

She gave Lu Ping a helpless look. "Team Leader... I already asked finance and attendance. They said there was no problem, which is why I came to you..."

Lu Ping covered her mouth and laughed. "Oh, Mengmeng. If they said there's no problem, then there's no problem. Surely two departments couldn't both be confused at the same time?" She stepped forward and patted Lin Meng's shoulder. "Just keep the money and spend it without worry. The company isn't a charity; it's not going to overpay everyone."

Lin Meng thought about it, and it did seem to make sense.

But no matter how she calculated it, something didn't add up.

"But..."

Just as Lin Meng was about to voice her remaining doubts, Lu Ping brushed past her. "Alright, don't think about it so much. I have somewhere to be."

...

After Lu Ping left, Lin Meng sat alone for a long time. She didn't even have the appetite to eat. She pulled some whole-wheat bread from her drawer and chewed on it.

The bread was as dry and stale as her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't figure it out.

Everyone she'd asked seemed to give her the same impression—that she hadn't taken leave, that this salary was what she deserved.

Why?

If it wasn't a problem with finance, attendance, or even Team Leader Lu Ping, then whose problem was it?

Could it be someone above them?

Lin Meng's imagination ran that far, and she suddenly laughed at how absurd her own idea was. But shortly after her laughter faded, she felt as if she'd been struck by lightning—the whole-wheat bread she'd bitten into fell from her hand.

Could it really be what she was thinking?

How could that be? This wasn't some workplace idol drama...

And could a director really abuse her power like that?

Even though she was the one benefiting, the money didn't belong to her, and keeping it made her uneasy.

By the afternoon clock-in, Lin Meng was completely distracted. She asked several times whether Director Tan had come into the office today. Each time, she lowered her head dejectedly and bit her nails—everyone told her that Tan Xiangwei had been busy lately and didn't come in often, and no one knew when the director would next appear.

In the end, Lin Meng set aside the extra salary she'd calculated and put it in an account separate from her main card. When Tan Xiangwei came, she'd ask her about it then.

...

The heavy rain had washed away some of summer's scorching heat. It was the season when every kind of flower vied in bloom. Every year around this time, the world seemed to come suddenly alive, every scenic spot packed with crowds.

Just as Yun Huaizhu had predicted, after that storm of controversy, her new company's stock surged. Although her current market focus was domestic, the headquarters of the company she'd founded was in Country M.

Too many people in the country were targeting her, and she wasn't the first to try this approach. In this industry, the slightest ripple could put a newly established company like hers at great risk.

Even if the Su family stopped targeting her for personal reasons, how many of the other families in Jing City were easy to deal with?

So she had prepared for both possibilities from the start.

If all went well, once she and Lin Meng confirmed their relationship in another year, she would take Lin Meng to Country M. The two of them could leave Jing City—this place of sorrow—behind and build a life together.

Yun Huaizhu was lost in her beautiful vision of the future.

Just then, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

She had been waiting outside Lin Meng's door for about twenty minutes. During that time, quite a few people had come up, but from the sound of their footsteps she could tell they were just passing by—not Lin Meng.

When she heard that familiar rhythm of footsteps, her eyes lit up instantly. She straightened and looked toward the stairwell.

That familiar figure gradually came into view.

Lin Meng had been thinking about the salary issue all day, so she looked a bit listless on the way home. When she neared her door and looked up, she suddenly saw Yun Huaizhu.

She was stunned for a moment, then hurried forward. "Zhuzhu, what are you doing here? How long have you been waiting? Why didn't you call me first? If I'd known you were waiting, I would've rushed back!"

Seeing her flustered, Yun Huaizhu couldn't help reaching out to pat her head. "Not long. I guessed you'd be getting off work soon, so I came over."

Although it had rained yesterday and today was much cooler than the peak of summer, the hallway was still stuffy. Lin Meng quickly stepped up to the keypad, entered the code, and opened the door. "It's hot out here. Come in and talk."

Yun Huaizhu smiled and followed her inside.

Just then, Tang Xiaoman, also returning from work, caught sight of the woman who had driven the Bentayga last time. As the woman smiled and entered Lin Meng's rented apartment, the sudden smile on the woman's face struck Tang Xiaoman as odd.

Tang Xiaoman might not have her sister's sharp mind, but her sixth sense was usually accurate.

She couldn't shake the feeling that the beautiful woman carried a cold, dangerous aura—like an explorer walking through a dense forest while a slender viper suddenly coiled around their neck, unnoticed, as they chatted and laughed on.

After changing her shoes, Lin Meng hurried to the fridge to see what drinks they had. She turned and asked, "Zhuzhu, do you want orange..." juice?

Before she could finish, a cool arm wrapped around her waist from behind.

Yun Huaizhu was half a head taller than Lin Meng, so with her arms around her, she could easily lean close to Lin Meng's ear without standing on her toes. "Whatever Mengmeng-jie gives me is fine."

The warm breath made Lin Meng's ear tingle, and she felt a little uncomfortable.

She picked up the bottle of juice and slowly slipped out of Yun Huaizhu's embrace. "Alright, then..."

With that, she fled to the kitchen to get a cup.

Yun Huaizhu watched her cute retreating figure, the corners of her lips curving up involuntarily.

It was strange, really. Her relationship with Lin Meng seemed to have grown past close friends into something like intimate confidantes. After all, Lin Meng knew almost everything about her.

She even kept a cup and bowl set aside just for Yun Huaizhu at home.

In the past, she hadn't made friends, and no one came to visit her place, so she'd just picked out random cups, bowls, and chopsticks for the occasional guest. Even when Tang Xiaoman came over, she did the same.

But somewhere along the way, Yun Huaizhu had become different.

She poured the juice into the seashell mug that belonged exclusively to Yun Huaizhu and set it in front of her. "Zhuzhu, what did you come to see me about this time?"

Hearing this, Yun Huaizhu's brows furrowed slightly, but she quickly smiled and crooked a finger at Lin Meng. Lin Meng blinked, then walked around the table and sat on the sofa beside her.

With just one gesture, Lin Meng understood what she wanted. Yun Huaizhu was delighted by that. She practically threw herself forward to embrace Lin Meng. "If you insist there has to be a reason, then there's only one. I came because I missed you, Mengmeng-jie. Nothing else."

She pressed tightly against Lin Meng, as if at any second she might tear her clothes open and tangle with her. Lin Meng lowered her head. "Zhuzhu, don't joke around. I... we just saw each other a few days ago."

Yun Huaizhu shook her head with a hint of reproach. "Mm? Not a few days ago—three days ago. We haven't seen each other for three days. If we count twenty hours a day, then if Mengmeng-jie had come back even a little later, it would have been four full days. The ancients said one day apart feels like three autumns. I haven't seen you for four days; not going crazy from missing you is already pretty good."

It was the first time Lin Meng had heard Yun Huaizhu say something like this. Although Yun Huaizhu's way of expressing longing was already far better than the greasy CEO types in certain novels, she still felt something was off.

And why wasn't Yun Huaizhu drinking her juice, when her hand was already slipping inside Lin Meng's clothes?

Lin Meng's heart suddenly raced with panic. Maybe because they were too close, her face burned as if it were on fire.

She felt she truly couldn't breathe. Quietly, she slowly slipped out of Yun Huaizhu's embrace.

Yun Huaizhu's smile didn't fade, but her aura turned cold bit by bit.

Lin Meng had long since stopped judging whether Yun Huaizhu was angry or upset by her expression alone.

So she hurried to explain. "Zhuzhu, I just feel a little hot. Have you eaten yet? What would you like? I can see if I can make something for you."

Seeing Lin Meng's desperate attempt to hide her guilt, Yun Huaizhu suddenly laughed out loud. "I know. Why is Mengmeng-jie so nervous?" She lifted the corner of Lin Meng's shirt. "Since you're hot, take off your clothes first and change into pajamas or something. We're not strangers. You don't need to keep guarding against me."

Lin Meng caught the "deeper meaning" in her words and quickly grabbed the hand lifting her shirt. "I want to shower and change after dinner. Zhuzhu, you still haven't told me what you'd like to eat."

Seeing her genuine resistance, Yun Huaizhu withdrew her hand. She had noticed the moment Lin Meng came home that her complexion was off. "Mengmeng-jie has worked all day. How could I bear to make you cook? Let me take you out to eat tonight."

Lin Meng nodded without hesitation. "Sure."

...

And so, Lin Meng got into the black BMW Yun Huaizhu had driven over.

Eating at home actually made her feel safer... As for why she'd agreed so quickly, it was because she'd thought: if they went out to eat, Yun Huaizhu couldn't possibly lift her shirt in a public place, right?

Sometimes the things Yun Huaizhu did to her were exactly like those indescribable scenes in the original novel. But Yun Huaizhu was sometimes rough, sometimes gentle... Lin Meng couldn't figure out what Yun Huaizhu was thinking.

She knew she couldn't distance herself from Yun Huaizhu now. She wanted to see Yun Huaizhu live better, wanted to heal the scars in her heart. She thought this would probably be a long process.

But she wouldn't stay like this forever, wouldn't always relate to Yun Huaizhu this way. She was already walking on the edge of a cliff.

Lin Meng had known from the start that she was a terrible person. Because she'd been restricted from communicating with the outside world since childhood, she couldn't read people's emotions. Novels could depict feelings with delicate clarity, but when it came to her own life, she didn't understand them.

Someone like her would inevitably hurt others sooner or later. Yet she also wanted to see people who had suffered find happiness. She was trapped in an utterly contradictory, tangled position.

This time, Yun Huaizhu brought Lin Meng to an old hot pot restaurant. Lin Meng had looked wilted and seemed to have no appetite, so she'd brought her somewhere that would wake up her taste buds.

Lin Meng had too much on her mind today and hadn't had much appetite at first, but when she smelled the hot pot broth, a spark of excitement kindled in her heart.

Eating hot pot in the cool air conditioning during the height of summer was like lounging at home on a day off, snacking and binge-watching dramas. Very cozy.

Seeing Lin Meng perk up a little, Yun Huaizhu secretly rejoiced.

She'd chosen the right place after all.

Once all the dishes were served, Yun Huaizhu thoughtfully mixed a dipping sauce for Lin Meng and separated the cooked vegetables and meat into her bowl. "Mengmeng-jie, eat more. You've gotten thinner lately."

Yun Huaizhu took care of Lin Meng with great attentiveness; Lin Meng barely had to lift a finger the whole time.

But when she heard Yun Huaizhu say she'd "gotten thinner," a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.

How had she gotten thinner without knowing?

It was Yun Huaizhu who had gone through something so major last month that she'd lost weight.

Thinking this, Lin Meng also served food to Yun Huaizhu. Yun Huaizhu had peeled shrimp for her before, so she fished out the cooked fresh shrimp, blew on them, and began peeling them just as Yun Huaizhu had done.

When she pushed a small plate of peeled shrimp toward Yun Huaizhu, a light appeared in Yun Huaizhu's eyes. "Mengmeng-jie... did you peel these especially for me?"

Lin Meng smiled and nodded. "Mm, Zhuzhu, you should eat more too. When people go through things, their immunity drops and they get sick. I hope you can be healthy and happy. The past is the past; what matters most is the present."

She continued placing meat into Yun Huaizhu's bowl. "Don't always be so busy, either. You can never earn all the money in the world. You need to take care of your health."

Yun Huaizhu didn't know why, but her vision suddenly blurred. Lin Meng's nagging figure overlapped with the image of someone else serving her food—

"You silly child. I never demanded you get first place, so why push yourself so hard? You even got so stressed you had a nosebleed. There are countless outstanding people in this world. You just need to be yourself. That desperate, all-or-nothing approach doesn't suit you. Mom would rather you live a little more easily."

After serving the food, Lin Meng looked up and saw tears glistening in Yun Huaizhu's eyes. She asked, alarmed, "What's wrong, Zhuzhu? Did I say something..."

Yun Huaizhu quickly pulled out a tissue and wiped away the tears about to fall. "Nothing. The steam is just hot. It got in my eyes."

Hearing this, Lin Meng quickly grabbed a small fan and waved the hot pot steam to the side. "How about this? Or we could switch seats?"

Yun Huaizhu shook her head and smiled at her. "No need. I'm fine now."

Even though she had never given an answer, this person still cared about her.

She also knew Lin Meng treated her differently from others. She didn't want to force Lin Meng into agreeing, but she also didn't want to drag things out too long.

As someone who had navigated the waters of various family factions, she had always believed in the saying that long nights breed many dreams. Some matters and some people needed to be secured in her hands as quickly as possible to feel at ease. Otherwise, once things spiraled out of control, she truly didn't know what she might do.

Hearing this, Lin Meng finally relaxed.

When she was half full, her mind drifted back to the salary issue from last month.

That Tan Xiangwei had suddenly arrived as director. Even directors earned at most thirty or forty thousand a month, yet every time Tan Xiangwei came, she wore different designer brands and drove what seemed like an expensive car. Her spending couldn't be covered by a director's salary alone.

Besides, she'd heard people gossip that Tan Xiangwei seemed to be the eldest daughter of some entrepreneur in Jing City, and that this young miss had come specifically to experience life. That was why the director only showed up four or five days a week and still collected a salary.

An entrepreneur's eldest daughter?

Since Yun Huaizhu had a company in Jing City, she probably knew quite a few entrepreneurs, right?

Lin Meng looked at Yun Huaizhu, hesitated, then spoke. "Zhuzhu, there's something..."

Yun Huaizhu had noticed Lin Meng was distracted from the start and had been waiting for her to speak. "Mengmeng-jie, there's no need to be polite with me. Whatever it is, just say it."

Lin Meng's round eyes darted for a moment, then she asked, "Zhuzhu, among the wealthy families in Jing City, do you know of any eldest daughter named Tan Xiangwei?"

Hearing that question, Yun Huaizhu's expression instantly turned cold. She couldn't help but sneer at the person Lin Meng had just mentioned. "Of course I know. The Tan family of Jing City is a branch of the Tan family of Hai City. The Tan family's main base is in Hai City, but because their precious eldest legitimate daughter married into Jing City, they specifically developed a branch here. Tan Xiangwei is the eldest daughter of this branch. Although this branch can't compare to the main family, they have the Huo family of Jing City behind them, so they're considered upper class in Jing City."

She gave Lin Meng a meaningful look. "Mengmeng-jie, that omega you saved on the roadside last time—she's the eldest legitimate daughter of the Hai City Tan family, and she's also Huo Yi's mother. And Tan Xiangwei is Huo Yi's cousin."

Lin Meng's pupils trembled.

She never would have expected that all these connections, winding around and around, would lead straight to Huo Yi.