Upon receiving Yang Jinkuan's call and learning that Xia Yan was now in his hands, Lu Zhengting's expression instantly darkened. The bodyguards he had assigned to protect Xia Yan returned to report the news. He sat in his chair, exuding a menacing aura, his gaze as sharp as a blade fixed on the bodyguards. His slender fingers lightly clasped together on the desk as he narrowed his cold eyes.
Ning Xi was temporarily staying in Jiangcheng for a while, so when he caught wind of the news, he naturally couldn't help but call Lu Zhengting. Learning that Xia Yan had been taken by Yang Jinkuan, he found it surprising. Even the bodyguards Lu Zhengting had stationed by Xia Yan's side left him feeling embarrassed.
On the phone, Ning Xi could sense Lu Zhengting's forbidding demeanor, so he wisely shifted the conversation to the matter at hand. "Yang Jinkuan taking Xia Yan is probably just to threaten you."
Lu Zhengting pressed his lips together, exchanged a few more words with Ning Xi, and then hung up. He left the company directly and headed straight for Yang Jinkuan's residence.
Meanwhile, Xia Yan, after being brought to Yang Jinkuan's villa, was kept under constant watch. She sat upright on the sofa, while Yang Jinkuan sat across from her, his gaze fixed on her. Yet Xia Yan felt an odd unease. Feigning composure, she looked at Yang Jinkuan and said calmly, "What do you want by bringing me here?"
"Aren't you curious about your place in Lu Zhengting's heart?"
Hearing this, Xia Yan's brows furrowed tightly. She blinked and replied, "No, I'm not."
"Women always say one thing but mean another. Don't worry; once Lu Zhengting gets here, you'll find out."
Lu Zhengting? He would come?
Xia Yan wasn't sure, but she couldn't help feeling a glimmer of hope. When the guard outside came in to inform Yang Jinkuan that Lu Zhengting had arrived, her emotions became a tangled mess. She watched the man stride in through the door, his expression blank as he glanced at her before walking up to Yang Jinkuan. In a cold, harsh tone, he said, "President Yang, impressive tactics. Looks like you've had too much free time lately."
"President Lu, you're joking. Lately, I've been running into some insignificant people trying to take advantage of the situation. Do you think I'd let them succeed?"
"Is that so? Then you'd better be careful, President Yang, or you might end up like that severed finger of yours."
At the mention of the severed finger, Yang Jinkuan seemed to radiate a chilling aura from head to toe. His gaze shifted to Xia Yan, and he snorted coldly. "They say even heroes struggle to resist a beautiful woman. I wonder if you, President Lu, are the same—can't get past a pretty face?"
Xia Yan remained silent, utterly confused by their exchange. When Lu Zhengting brought up Yang Jinkuan's severed finger, she clearly noticed the malice in Yang Jinkuan's eyes. She glanced at his concealed hand, puzzled, and knew this wasn't the time to ask questions. Hesitating, she tried to stand, but the bodyguard beside her immediately pressed her down.
Lu Zhengting noticed Xia Yan's predicament, and his sharp eyes instantly flashed with danger. His voice was as cold as ice, carrying a frosty edge. "Name your terms."
Hearing this, Yang Jinkuan chuckled. "President Lu, you snatched Fang Neng's business this time, costing them a huge loss..."
Yang Jinkuan's words stunned Xia Yan. She looked up at Lu Zhengting's expressionless face for a long moment. After a brief pause, Lu Zhengting said coldly, "You want to take back Fang Neng's project from me?"
Lu Zhengting smirked faintly at Yang Jinkuan, leisurely adjusting his sleeves. "Even if I handed it over, it wouldn't change Fang Neng's current situation."
He had plans to acquire Fang Neng, and given how things were progressing, it was already within his grasp. Yang Jinkuan's move to threaten him with Xia Yan was a misstep, because Lu Zhengting was never one to be threatened. Noticing his smirk, Yang Jinkuan felt a flicker of doubt.
Watching Lu Zhengting control the situation with such ease, Xia Yan let out a soft sigh. When Ning Xi arrived unhurriedly at Yang Jinkuan's place, he saw no sign of Lu Zhengting being trapped. Grinning mischievously at Yang Jinkuan, he bypassed Lu Zhengting and walked over to him. "President Yang, what are you up to?"
Ning Xi wasn't from Jiangcheng and rarely operated there, so Yang Jinkuan naturally didn't know him. He stared at Ning Xi and asked, "Who are you?"
"Does it matter who I am?" Ning Xi frowned, then walked over to Xia Yan, winked at her, and returned to Lu Zhengting's side. Of everyone present, he was the flashiest, having circled around without revealing his identity.
Lu Zhengting shot a cold glance at Ning Xi, then strode directly toward Xia Yan. Taking her hand, he prepared to leave. But the person beside them suddenly reached out to stop Lu Zhengting. Xia Yan tried to pull her hand free, but he only held it tighter. She looked at Lu Zhengting as he kicked the man trying to grab him, causing her to shut her eyes in fright. She was pulled into his protective embrace.
Ning Xi, adopting a spectator's mindset and unwilling to steal the spotlight, stood by and watched. He stroked his chin, eyes fixed on Lu Zhengting fighting off the group, occasionally shouting, "Nice one!" When he saw Yang Jinkuan wave his hand, more people rushed in—clearly, he had prepared for this. Xia Yan cracked her eyes open and saw the incoming crowd, then couldn't help but glance up at Lu Zhengting.
"Relax, I'm here."
"Mm." Xia Yan nodded, then spotted someone charging from behind and quickly raised her voice. "Watch out behind you!"
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting spun around with Xia Yan in his arms, pushing her away. The man's fist landed squarely on him. Xia Yan fell onto the sofa and saw Ning Xi still watching from the sidelines. Furious, she snapped, "Ning Xi, what are you standing there for? Get over here and help!"
"Little sister-in-law, don't worry. Brother Ting's skills aren't as weak as you think." Ning Xi frowned, watching Lu Zhengting fight in the crowd. It didn't make sense—these people shouldn't be a match for him. Especially when he was attacked earlier, he could have dodged but took the hit instead. Ning Xi hesitated, took a step forward, then stepped back. Playing the hero wasn't his role.
Xia Yan was both angry and frustrated. The punch that hit Lu Zhengting made her flinch, yet Ning Xi still stood there doing nothing. A flash of inspiration struck, and she said rapidly, "Ning Xi, if you keep watching, I'll tell Sister Xiaoxiao!"
Ning Xi looked at her with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Fine, I'm going."
Internally, he was cursing up a storm. He and Lu Zhengting were evenly matched in a fight, so why did he need help now? Was this a joke? Still, because of Xia Yan's threat, he jumped in and took down half the group. Xu Xiao's impulsive nature meant she might just come after him on a whim, and that would be a disaster. With Xu Xiao pregnant and her husband being a total pushover, Xu Xiao was the top priority!
With that thought, these people were nothing but small fry!
Yang Jinkuan looked at the groaning crowd on the ground—all his men—and his face turned ugly. His expression flickered as he stared at them, then looked at Lu Zhengting with a calculating gleam.
Lu Zhengting walked expressionlessly to Xia Yan. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. What about you? Are you hurt?" Xia Yan urgently tried to pull open his clothes to check for injuries. Ning Xi, standing nearby, couldn't help but laugh. Catching Lu Zhengting's warning glare, he mimed zipping his lips and turned to the stunned Yang Jinkuan.
"You think this bunch could trap me?"
"You... who are you?"
"Does it matter who I am? President Yang, you look a lot different from your photos." Ning Xi clicked his tongue, openly sizing up Yang Jinkuan, and shook his head.
Lu Zhengting glanced at Yang Jinkuan, then led Xia Yan out of the villa in full view of everyone. The guards who had blocked them stepped aside one by one at Yang Jinkuan's signal. Ning Xi watched Lu Zhengting's retreating back with amusement, suddenly understanding why he had taken that hit earlier. Seeing the worry in Xia Yan's eyes, he got it...
Xia Yan's mind was entirely on Lu Zhengting. Luckily, Ning Xi had driven himself, or Lu Zhengting would have left him behind. Ning Xi thought Lu Zhengting's way of getting Xia Yan's attention today was worth sharing, so without hesitation, he sat in the car, pulled out his phone, edited the whole scene, and sent it out in a group message. Ning Nan had just finished a shoot and was scrolling through Weibo when he saw Ning Xi's message and burst out laughing.
The others were no exception, demanding Ning Xi recount every detail.
Xu Xiao: Ning Xi, how could you not call me for something like this?
Ning Nan: Big sister-in-law, if you'd gone, you'd be the one playing hero, not Little Ting.
Xu Su: Aren't you filming?
Ning Nan: ...
Ning Bei, stuck in Beicheng handling work, was stunned by Ning Xi's message. Remembering his past fights with Lu Zhengting, where he always ended up beaten, he was frustrated that he couldn't see Lu Zhengting getting hit in person. He sent the same message several times: "I demand a video!"
Ning Xi: "No video. Want me to tell you again?"
Ning Bei: "Screw that! I'm coming to Jiangcheng to see little sister-in-law..."
Ning Xi: "Who'll watch the company if you come?"
Ning Bei: "Damn it, you guys are having fun while I, the youngest, slave away here! Aren't you all ashamed?!"
Ning Nan: "Nope."
Ning Xi: "Nope."
Ning Bei gripped his phone, almost smashing it. Xu Xiao suddenly chimed in, "Beibei, come on over. Your sister-in-law misses you."
Hearing this, Ning Bei shuddered and decisively ignored Xu Xiao's comment.
Xu Xiao: "Beibei, why aren't you talking..."
Ning Nan: "Beibei's probably scared."
"..."
Ning Xi held his phone, feeling a bit sorry for Ning Bei stuck in Beicheng, having to deal with them.