Xia Yan swore she had never met a man as detestable as Lu Zhengting. He knew perfectly well how terrified she was of these things—even if they were imaginary, what could she do about her fear? Walking through the long, dim forest path in the haunted house, Xiao Han had originally arranged for her to be in the middle, but Xia Yan was too scared to move forward, so she let Xia Yan take the center while Xiao Han decided to lead the way, setting an example for her. This left Lu Zhengting walking behind Xia Yan. She clutched his hand tightly, her screams rising and falling, sharp and piercing.
Xia Yan felt something brush against her calf. She suddenly jumped, both feet leaving the ground, and lunged straight at Lu Zhengting, her eyes squeezed shut as she grabbed his collar and yelled, "Lu Zhengting, I'm scared..."
The surrounding sounds were like ghostly ambient music, lights flickering. Xia Yan cracked her eyes open and caught a glimpse of a ghost hidden under a tree nearby. Its features were completely ruined, eyes bulging outward, nose and mouth as if half sliced off, grotesque and horrifying. At the sight, her voice trembled with a hint of tears.
In the dimness, Xia Yan had no mind to observe Lu Zhengting's expression. But Lu Zhengting found it rather amusing. He carried her, clinging to him like a child, as he walked out, gently soothing her, "Don't be afraid, I'm right here."
Xia Yan had no mood to listen to Lu Zhengting now; her mind was solely focused on getting out of there as fast as possible. Finally seeing the light of hope, the heart that had been in her throat settled down. As soon as she saw the bright daylight outside, she jumped down from Lu Zhengting and stormed out of that godforsaken place. Lu Zhengting followed close behind, a hint of amusement and affection in his eyes.
Breathing in the fresh air outside, Xia Yan glanced at Xiao Han, who had come out first and was brimming with excitement. She fell silent for a moment, then turned to settle the score with Lu Zhengting! Hands on her hips, she waited at the exit for him to appear. The moment she saw him, she glared at him—if her gaze had any lethal power, Lu Zhengting's situation would be dire.
Lu Zhengting pursed his lips, a faint smile playing on them as he walked up to Xia Yan. He stretched out a long arm, and with a spin, Xia Yan ended up behind him, pounding his back with her fists and snarling, "Lu Zhengting, I always thought that even if you weren't a gentleman, you'd at least not force someone into something. But after what just happened, I realize I was wrong—dead wrong. You're a wolf in sheep's clothing! You did that on purpose!"
Hearing her accusations, Lu Zhengting made no attempt to defend himself. Instead, he smiled, seemingly acknowledging her analysis. When he saw Xiao Han grinning at them, he frowned slightly and glanced at the bodyguard standing nearby. The bodyguard, receiving the silent command, walked over expressionlessly and stood before Xiao Han. Xiao Han nodded in understanding, not upset at all, acting like a little adult. He winked at Xia Yan and said in a childish voice, "Sister Yan, Dad really went too far this time. I'm totally on your side."
Xia Yan was silent for a moment, then saw Xiao Han glance seriously at Lu Zhengting and add slowly, "Dad, you'd better make it up to your girlfriend, or it'll be a real disgrace to the Lu family."
With that, Xiao Han raised his arm and waved lightly, then dashed off toward the thrilling and dangerous rides. Without anyone to rein him in, he was like a wild horse let loose, the bodyguard trailing after him.
Xia Yan stared dumbfounded as Xiao Han walked away, then slowly asked, "Did Xiao Han just call me your girlfriend?"
Lu Zhengting nodded without denying it, confirming she hadn't misheard. At that, she felt that Xiao Han's nickname as a little devil wasn't unfounded. Given everything he'd done lately, he seemed to have thoughts far beyond his years. His way of doing things wasn't much different from Lu Zhengting's—equally hard to read and just as sly!
Lu Zhengting coaxed Xia Yan gently, agreeing to whatever she asked for in the time that followed. There was no other choice; he had to clean up the mess he'd made by angering her.
Xiao Han only came back to them after playing every challenging ride in the amusement park. Standing outside the carousel, his small figure still commanded attention, completely resembling Lu Zhengting—wherever he appeared, he drew people's eyes.
The two got off the carousel. Xia Yan shot a sidelong glance at Lu Zhengting, her hand still in his. She pretended nothing was wrong as she looked at Xiao Han, but her fingers secretly traced light circles in his palm. She stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear through gritted teeth, "If you hadn't behaved so well, I wouldn't forgive you."
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting quickly turned and planted a kiss on her forehead, smiling without a word.
"What are you doing? Xiao Han's watching us."
As soon as she spoke, Xiao Han bounced over to her and said nonchalantly, "Sister Yan, why did you hide the fact that you're Dad's girlfriend from me? Besides, I already guessed it."
"Guessed it?" Xia Yan frowned. If Xiao Han could figure it out, what about others?
Xiao Han wiped his nose with his little hand, looking both proud and a bit smug. "Sister Yan, do you think everyone's as smart as me? As for how I guessed—Buddha says, it can't be said."
"..."
Xia Yan witnessed Xiao Han's cleverness and mischief once again. Since he already knew, there was no need to hide it anymore. Seeing this, Xiao Han walked between them, taking one hand each, and said softly, "Dad, Mom."
Hearing Xiao Han's sudden new address for her, Xia Yan was startled. She was used to him calling her "Sister Yan," and now this sudden change—it felt like her identity had shifted in a way that was truly alarming.
******
The companies under Yang Jinkuan's umbrella were all being maliciously attacked and acquired by other firms at different times and locations. Even some companies he'd had conflicts with in the past were taking advantage of the chaos. He received reports from the branch offices, his face dark. The numbers in the documents made clear the biggest threat he now faced.
The Yang Group held an emergency meeting that same day. Yang Jinkuan flew into a rage during the session. Lu Zhengting wasn't doing these things in secret; he was openly challenging him, as if he didn't even consider Yang Jinkuan worth noticing, let alone a rival! Yang Jinkuan squinted, then suddenly swept all the documents off the table in fury.
"This isn't a place for useless people. If you can't come up with a good strategy, pack your things and get out!"
"Mr. Yang, I think this time Lu Zhengting's target will be Fang Neng."
"Mr. Li, that's just your opinion. Fang Neng is the most advantageous branch under the company, not just in terms of position, power, and finances, but also because of its shareholders. Are you saying Lu Zhengting will strike at Fang Neng? Don't talk nonsense."
"Mr. Chen, don't forget it was your miscalculation last time that let Lu Zhengting snatch the contract we were about to get without any effort. Now you're questioning my view—I'd like to ask, have you been bought off by Lu Zhengting?"
"Mr. Li, you need evidence to say that. If you can produce it, I'll admit it. But do you have any?"
Yang Jinkuan was already agitated. Hearing their argument drift off-topic, he suddenly slammed his hand hard on the table. The sharp sound cut off their conversation. His face cold, he clenched his fist on the table and said menacingly, "Keep an eye on Lu Zhengting's every move. Tell Fang Neng to be on high alert. And if you can't resolve this matter, you're all out!"
Yang Jinkuan returned to his office with a stern face. He squinted at his hand, missing its little finger, his eyes burning with rage. Lu Zhengting wanted to bring him down? He snorted, rubbing the watch on his wrist. Back then, Lu Jingcheng had tried to destroy him and failed.
He looked up, his gaze locking onto the files that had been sent to his computer. That Lu Zhengting knew he was behind the attack in Beicheng didn't surprise him at all—if Lu Zhengting hadn't figured it out, it wouldn't have been interesting.
The file sitting quietly on the computer contained information related to that past incident. He clicked to open it and looked at the photo, suddenly catching sight of a little girl wiping tears by a car. A sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth, sending chills down one's spine.
Yang Jinkuan picked up his phone and called Xia Minghui.
Xia Minghui felt uneasy about Yang Jinkuan suddenly calling him, but he couldn't refuse. He still needed Yang Jinkuan's influence to get his hands on Xia Yan's belongings. Until he obtained that inheritance, his mind would never be at ease.
The call didn't last long. After hanging up, Xia Minghui sat in a daze, silent. Coming back to himself, he picked up the phone again and made another call, finally calming down enough to handle company matters.
Everything seemed to be moving in directions Xia Yan was unaware of. Even if she had suspicions, she had no evidence, and Lu Zhengting seemed unwilling to let her know.
After leaving the amusement park, Lu Zhengting's group returned to Dongshan Villa in a grand procession. The burglary at Xia Yan's apartment hadn't been resolved yet, and even after it was, the place would need renovation. Lu Zhengting had kept the matter under wraps, but in the car, Xia Yan received a call from Xia Minghui.
Xia Yan stared at the suddenly lit screen for a long time, wondering why Xia Minghui was calling. She glanced casually at Lu Zhengting's expressionless face. Her instinct told her he knew something. After a pause, she swiped to answer, and Xia Minghui's somewhat weary voice came through the receiver.