"How did you end up here?" Lin Xujia glared at the person who had suddenly appeared, unsure how much of her conversation had been overheard.
"I've been here for a while. I was standing outside the door debating whether to come in when I overheard such explosive news. But Lin Xujia, I underestimated you."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"How could you not know what I'm talking about?" Xia Siyue let out a cold laugh, suddenly pulling her phone out of her bag. Expressionless, she pressed the start button on the screen, and a conversation began to play.
Hearing this, Lin Xujia's face changed dramatically. She lunged to grab the phone, but Xia Siyue was faster, as if she had anticipated the move. Before Lin Xujia could act, she had already slipped the phone back into her bag, watching her with a composed air. "Now do you know what I'm talking about?"
"What do you want!?"
"I'm not sure yet, but there will come a time when you're useful. You're leaving the hospital—how about I give you a ride?"
"You—"
"Don't be so angry. I haven't decided to make this public yet. And don't forget, back at the bar when you schemed against Xia Yan, I knew about it and never told anyone. So rest assured, we're cut from the same cloth."
Lin Xujia furrowed her brows, not responding to Xia Siyue's words. She shot her an unreadable glance when her phone suddenly rang, shattering the silence of the hospital corridor. After a moment's hesitation, she pulled out her phone and saw the caller ID: Xia Yan. Her expression instantly became inscrutable.
Xia Siyue seemed to guess what was happening and chuckled. "Answer it."
Lin Xujia hesitated, letting the phone ring. "Xia Siyue, you and I are not cut from the same cloth."
"That's not necessarily true. At least we both have the same people we hate."
Lin Xujia gave her an uncommitted look before averting her gaze. The elevator came and went, stopping in front of her. Expressionless, she turned and stepped inside without sparing Xia Siyue another glance. Just as the doors were closing, she caught a glimpse of Xia Siyue's smirk, and her mood instantly grew heavy.
The sudden arrival of night brought an unexpected downpour. The humid air still carried a faint vanilla scent, now strong, now faint. After the rain stopped, a sliver of light pierced the murky sky, and a serene moon rose from behind the mountains, casting a cool, clear glow. The bustling streets of the city were crowded with people, undeterred by the earlier rain.
Lin Xujia felt like a soul adrift, wandering aimlessly through the streets and crowds. The phone in her hand rang and stopped, stopped and rang again. The once melodious ringtone now sounded grating. She didn't need to look to know the calls were all from Xia Yan.
Meanwhile, Xia Yan sat in the car next to Lu Zhengting, whose face was stern. She listened to the mechanical voice repeating endlessly from the receiver, deeply worried about Lin Xujia's state.
Lu Zhengting rubbed his temples wearily, closed the file on his lap, and glanced at Xia Yan. Seeing that she wasn't paying him any attention, he grew displeased and said coldly, "Lin Xujia will be fine."
"If she were fine, she wouldn't ignore my calls," Xia Yan replied without noticing his mood shift. It wasn't until the air seemed thick with his coldness that she put down her phone, looked up, and stared at him gloomily.
Seeing his sour expression, Xia Yan pursed her lips. After a moment's thought, she set the phone on her lap, reached out with both hands, and suddenly cupped his face. She tilted her head left, then right, pondered for a few seconds, and, noticing the driver's eyes fixed on the road ahead, leaned forward quickly to kiss Lu Zhengting on the cheek as a consolation.
Lu Zhengting gave a wry smile, glancing at Xia Yan, who had instantly returned to a proper demeanor. Ignoring whether the driver might see, he reached out, pulled her into his arms, cupped her chin with one hand, lifted her head, and captured her lips. The lingering kiss stretched on for what felt like an eternity.
Xia Yan was both angry and embarrassed, glaring at the triumphant Lu Zhengting. She instinctively touched her lips and whispered in his ear, "Lu Zhengting, do you get unbearably itchy all over if you don't take advantage of me at every opportunity?"
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting's lips curled slightly. "So, are you going to help me treat it?"
"You—you're shameless!" Xia Yan hadn't meant it that way, but Lu Zhengting twisted her words. Her face flushed red, and she looked away from the incorrigible flirt.
She never won when it came to this kind of banter.
Xia Yan glanced at the night outside the window as she followed Lu Zhengting back to Dongshan Villa, her mood shifting. Jiang Mingxiu must know about what Lu Zhengting had done to the Lin family for her sake, which meant she would likely find new ways to make things difficult. The thought made Xia Yan brace herself for another hard battle.
Inside the villa, Xiao Han sat in the living room while Jiang Mingxiu sat upright on the sofa, gazing at him with maternal affection. The moment she spotted Xia Yan, her expression turned icy. She cast a disdainful glance at Xia Yan and waved at Lu Zhengting. "Zhengting, was it necessary for you to personally handle a small company like the Lin family?"
Lu Zhengting frowned. Before he could respond, Aunt Chen emerged from the kitchen. Seeing the two in the living room, she respectfully called out, "Young Master," then glanced at Xia Yan and Jiang Mingxiu. She sighed softly, gave Xia Yan a meaningful look, and returned to the kitchen.
Jiang Mingxiu deliberately ignored Xia Yan. Ke Yaru, wearing an apron, came into the living room and looked at Lu Zhengting with surprise. "Zhengting, you're back. Just in time for dinner."
Lu Zhengting scanned Ke Yaru expressionlessly, took Xia Yan's hand, and headed toward the dining room. Jiang Mingxiu watched their retreating figures with a cold, contemplative gaze. Seeing Ke Yaru standing nearby, ignored by Lu Zhengting, she walked over. "Yaru, you need to put more effort into winning Zhengting over, understand?"
"I will, Auntie."
Jiang Mingxiu hummed in acknowledgment. Ke Yaru untied her apron and handed it to a servant, then followed Jiang Mingxiu to the dining room. Once seated, Ke Yaru's gaze kept drifting toward the man beside her. Xia Yan pursed her lips inwardly, eyeing the dishes on the table. Without a doubt, they were all Ke Yaru's handiwork. She scanned them—perfect, all Lu Zhengting's favorites.
"Zhengting, try this. Ke Yaru prepared it especially for you," Jiang Mingxiu said lightly.
Lu Zhengting frowned, took a small bite, and said, "Not bad."
Xia Yan rolled her eyes internally. Not bad? She had tried it too—it was just passable! Since she was sitting right next to Lu Zhengting, she decided to have some fun. She ate nonchalantly while secretly reaching under the table, smiling as she pinched his thigh.
Lu Zhengting froze. Xia Yan hadn't used much force—just a gentle warning. When his gaze shifted to her, she acted as if nothing had happened, flashing a smile. "Manager Ke's cooking really is impressive."
Ke Yaru's attention was entirely on Lu Zhengting, so Xia Yan's sudden compliment caught her off guard. She glanced down and smiled back. "Miss Xia flatters me. I've heard from Xiao Han that your cooking is excellent. I'm just showing off in front of an expert."
Humble? Xia Yan smirked.
"Sister Ke, you're too modest. I know my cooking—it's just okay. Ah Ting just said it was good, and he's never praised me before." Xia Yan suppressed the urge to gag, throwing around "Sister Ke" left and right, her sweet talk so syrupy it even made her cringe.
Ke Yaru felt the title aged her and was annoyed but couldn't show it. She maintained an elegant smile, playing the part of the older sister.
Lu Zhengting shot a surprised glance at the quirky yet adorable woman today. A flicker of indulgence passed through his clear eyes. This little girl's jealousy rivaled his own, and he liked it.
Jiang Mingxiu caught the subtle shift in Lu Zhengting's expression and darkened her face. "Miss Xia, it seems your family never taught you the rule of silence at the table."
Xia Yan lowered her gaze. Since it was Lu Zhengting's mother speaking, she dared not talk back. She silently bowed her head and ate in frustration. Seeing this, Lu Zhengting shot his mother a dissatisfied look, picked out some of Xia Yan's favorite dishes, and placed them in her bowl. "Mom, since when did our family have a rule about silence at the table?"
His words made Xia Yan's heart skip a beat. She felt a cold glare directed at her and instinctively tugged at Lu Zhengting's sleeve. He glanced at her but said nothing. Jiang Mingxiu hadn't expected her son to openly contradict her, especially in front of Xia Yan.
Ke Yaru had never seen Lu Zhengting so protective. She knew he respected his parents, so this scene shocked her. After the shock came anger—he kept doing things for Xia Yan that he had never done before, and it felt like a burning pain in her heart.
At the table, only Xiao Han seemed carefree. Xia Yan could tell Jiang Mingxiu disliked her, but she also understood Lu Zhengting's respect for his parents. So when he spoke, her heart swelled with excitement and joy.
But the awkwardness that followed left her helpless.
Lu Zhengting casually picked out more of Xia Yan's favorite dishes. Ke Yaru noted it all but couldn't show it. Jiang Mingxiu glared coldly at Xia Yan, who was eating in silence, then at her son's indulgent gaze, and her anger flared.