The bathroom was filled with swirling steam, the air carrying a hint of moisture and stuffiness. Xia Yan stood under the showerhead, warm water cascading from above her head in an uneven rhythm, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Her eyes were closed, her hair completely soaked. She cupped her hands together, catching water to splash directly onto her face. Thinking about Jiang Mingxiu’s intimidating attitude the moment she arrived today, she felt a mix of frustration and helplessness—after all, she was the one who had stolen her son, Lu Zhengting.
She resigned herself to bad luck…
Xia Yan wiped her face, sensing a shift in the air around her, as if danger was slowly creeping closer. She snapped her eyes open, staring in disbelief at the naked man who had suddenly appeared in the bathroom. She tended to stutter when nervous, and now she stood frozen, gaping at Lu Zhengting, her dripping finger pointing at him. “You, you, how did you get in?” She couldn’t even remember if she had locked the door.
Lu Zhengting glanced at Xia Yan’s current state with a blank expression—her skin was fair with a rosy flush, looking almost appetizing. He averted his gaze, casually walked over to her, and stood under the showerhead. The water soaked his hair, streaming over his brows, his nose, his lips… pausing briefly at his collarbone before slowly trickling downward. She swallowed hard, her eyes wide open, watching helplessly as a droplet traced a graceful line over his abdominal muscles and then flowed further down…
Xia Yan squinted, hearing a faint chuckle. Her face, already flushed from the steam, instantly turned even redder. She half-closed one eye, defiantly raising an eyebrow at Lu Zhengting, and spoke slowly, “Are you telling me you have a tendency to be an exhibitionist?”
“Exhibitionist? Aren’t you the one who loves looking at this stuff?” Lu Zhengting’s gaze seemed to wink at Xia Yan, sending a jolt of electricity straight into her eyes.
Xia Yan blinked, puzzled by his words. What did he mean by her loving to look at this? She blinked in confusion, unable to figure out why he’d say that. After racking her brain, a sudden flash of insight hit her. She stared at him, nonchalant as ever, and noticed his gaze lingering on her chest. Frowning, she quickly raised her hands to cover herself and shot him a fierce glare.
She remembered.
Earlier that morning, bored and idle in her office, she had been watching a dance video of Xi Xi on Weibo, completely engrossed. She hadn’t even noticed when Lu Zhengting entered her office. She was in the middle of enjoying it, captivated by Xi Xi’s alluring moves—his white shirt lifting with a jump, revealing his abs. In that instant, Xia Yan’s heart… was completely swept away by that kid Xi Xi.
When she finally noticed Lu Zhengting, his face was already as dark as a judge’s.
Her starry-eyed admiration for Xi Xi was deeply etched into Lu Zhengting’s mind. At that moment, he felt like hanging her up and giving her a good scolding—why would she obsess over some brat when there was a perfect male god right in front of her?
Xia Yan pursed her lips, as if understanding what was bothering Lu Zhengting, and found it amusing.
Seeing this, Lu Zhengting’s expression shifted. He turned his dissatisfaction with Xia Yan into outright anger, grabbing her and pulling her close, forcing her body tightly against his. He looked down at her, his clear eyes blazing like flames, his strong arms bracing against the wall behind her. The warm water continued to flow, mixing sensations of cool and heat. Given Lu Zhengting’s height, Xia Yan had to tilt her head up to look at him.
Xia Yan’s eyes darted around, glancing left and right. “Lu Zhengting, don’t think you can bully me just because you’re taller!”
At that, Lu Zhengting’s mouth twitched, a mix of amusement and exasperation flickering in his eyes as he looked at her. Without a word, he kissed her, silencing everything she wanted to say.
Ice and fire intertwined. With Lu Zhengting’s wandering hands, Xia Yan’s entire body trembled. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, and she unconsciously rose on her tiptoes to respond. Without the barrier of clothes, things between them became much simpler. In the fogged-up mirror, their silhouettes were faintly reflected. She half-opened her eyes, her skin flushed pink… Lu Zhengting’s grip suddenly tightened, causing Xia Yan to let out a soft cry of pain—it was a mix of agony and pleasure…
“It hurts! Lu Zhengting, can’t you be gentler!” Xia Yan mustered her last shred of rationality and shouted. But even as she yelled, the words came out breathy and whiny, like a plea. Hearing this, Lu Zhengting didn’t ease up; instead, he maliciously pinched her waist hard. Her waist was a sensitive spot, and now she felt a tingling numbness spreading through her body, making it hard to stand on her own.
Lu Zhengting’s assault was fierce and rough, reminding Xia Yan of the last time, which felt like the end of the world. She instantly deflated like a punctured balloon.
As if punishing her for zoning out at a time like this, Lu Zhengting curled his lips coldly. His slightly rough fingers glided over every inch of her skin, pausing at a certain spot without moving forward or backward. Xia Yan gasped, opening her eyes wide, her pupils dazed as she glared at the mischievous man.
“Lu Zhengting, take your hand off me!”
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting squinted, his seductive gaze fixed on Xia Yan, his brow slightly raised…
For Xia Yan, Lu Zhengting’s skill was both a blessing and a curse.
From the bathroom to the bedroom bed, Lu Zhengting had wanted to do it by the window, but Xia Yan’s firm and vehement refusal made him drop the idea.
This outcome came at the cost of Xia Yan sacrificing a week of peaceful sleep.
Ke Yaru had been placed by Jiang Mingxiu in the room next to Lu Zhengting’s. Now lying in bed, her mind was filled with images of Xia Yan beneath Lu Zhengting. She couldn’t deny how much she wished it were her instead of Xia Yan, who always seemed to oppose her.
She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The quiet night made her restless. She suddenly sat up in bed, staring blankly at the cloudless night sky outside the window for a long time. Hesitating, she got out of bed, left her room, and stood outside Lu Zhengting’s door. She raised her hand, fingers curled, but stopped mid-air. Noticing a sliver of light seeping through the gap under the door, she lowered her hands and pressed her ear against it, listening for sounds inside.
Faint moans reached her ears. Ke Yaru’s expression instantly darkened. Xia Yan’s soft cries ignited a surge of anger deep within her, spreading through her entire body. Her clenched fists itched to smash the door open and storm in. At the peak of her fury, she heard Chen Ma’s voice behind her. She turned slowly, her cold gaze fixed on Chen Ma, saying nothing.
Chen Ma, on the other hand, was terrified. One look at Ke Yaru’s face, and she dared not say a word.
Ke Yaru returned to her room with a冷酷 expression. The distance was short, but it felt like an eternity. The door slammed shut with a bang, shattering the silence of the deep night.
Having not slept all night, Ke Yaru stared at herself in the mirror while getting ready. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she grabbed a lipstick and scribbled wildly on the mirror, not stopping until the reflection was completely distorted. She stood dazed in the bathroom, cupped water to splash her face again, and took a deep breath, but the jealousy inside her wouldn’t subside. Forcing herself to smile, she began applying makeup casually.
Jiang Mingxiu was still adjusting to the time difference; it was the middle of the night overseas. Chen Ma prepared breakfast, and Ke Yaru was the first to sit at the table. Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting appeared shortly after. The three of them wore neutral expressions, but Chen Ma’s gaze kept drifting to Ke Yaru, recalling the sight of her standing outside the young master’s door last night, radiating a ghostly aura. Now, she acted as if nothing had happened.
Xia Yan noticed Ke Yaru’s sharp glare and felt a bit uneasy but didn’t dwell on it—Ke Yaru had always disliked her, so her attitude was never pleasant.
“Chen Ma, where’s my mother?”
“Madam said not to call her at this hour.”
******
Ye Yunchen, after waking from his drunken stupor, went to work at Xia Minghui’s company. He knew that perhaps all the credit belonged to Lin Xujia, but he pretended not to. He knew Xia Minghui must have investigated him, so he never intended to hide his ambition. One day, he would make Xia Yan regret choosing Lu Zhengting. Xia Minghui silently observed all this, scheming in his own mind.
Because of Ye Yunchen’s job, the relationship between Lin Xujia and Xia Siyue had subtly shifted. Now, Lin Xujia’s first task after work every day was no longer going to the Lu Group but to Xia Corporation to find Ye Yunchen.
That day, she had just parked her car, the engine still running, when she received a call from her father, demanding she return immediately because the dinner with Yang Jinkuan had been moved up.
Lin Xujia hung up, her mind going blank. The image of Yang Jinkuan’s bloated belly and his perpetually menacing face flashed before her eyes, making her shiver uncontrollably. Without daring to hesitate or imagine further, she grabbed her phone and instinctively dialed Xia Yan’s number.
On the phone, Xia Yan heard Lin Xujia’s soft sobs and grew anxious. Her expression turned serious as she spoke gently, “Xiaojia, stop crying first. Tell me what happened.”
Lin Xujia recounted the situation in fragments, then burst into tears again. “Xia Yan, what should I do? Why are they willing to sacrifice me? I’m his daughter too! Is my happiness really so worthless in their eyes? Xia Yan, I hate him!”
“Xiaojia, where are you now? Stay put. I’m coming to find you right now.”
Lin Xujia gave her the address. Xia Yan was a bit stunned—wasn’t this the entrance to Xia Minghui’s company?