In the coffee shop, Mu Chengfeng stared sternly at Xia Siyue, speaking with some irritation. "Next time you run into Xia Yan, take a detour. Don't go provoking her."
"Chengfeng, I wasn't challenging her just now, was I?"
"I don't know about others, but don't you think I know you? I'm warning you—if you piss off Lu Zhengting, don't blame me for turning ruthless." Mu Chengfeng said coldly. This time, Lu Zhengting's fury for a beauty had become public knowledge, and it also served as a warning to them: offending Xia Yan meant offending him. Even Yang Jinkuan had chosen to stand by idly when it came to dealing with the Lin family.
"Chengfeng, I really didn't, you have to believe me."
"One thing's for sure: you can offend anyone, but not Lu Zhengting. Xia Yan is his woman now, and offending her leads to the same result!"
"I get it. Don't be mad. Next time I see her, I definitely won't go out of my way to provoke her."
Mu Chengfeng nodded, his expression finally returning to normal.
Mu Chengfeng took a call midway and left. Seeing this, Xia Siyue's pent-up anger erupted instantly. Who did Xia Yan think she was?
"Aren't you gone?" Xia Siyue frowned at Lin Xujia, who had returned after leaving.
"You don't look well."
"None of your business. Just mind your own affairs." Xia Siyue snapped at her without thinking.
Lin Xujia smiled instead of getting angry. "Of course, I don't want to meddle in your messes either."
"Heh..." Xia Siyue crossed her arms and snorted. "I said all that about Xia Yan just now, and she didn't suspect you. You've got her personality down pat, haven't you?"
Lin Xujia gave Xia Siyue a noncommittal glance. "That's none of your business."
Indeed, Lin Xujia had Xia Yan's personality figured out, and it was all thanks to Xia Yan herself. If it weren't for the fact that Ye Yunchen loved Xia Yan, why would she have secretly studied Xia Yan, analyzed her every move, and even imitated her, nearly forgetting her own true self?
In her love story, the saddest part wasn't that the person she loved didn't love her—it was that even after imitating the one Ye Yunchen loved, she still couldn't win his affection.
Thinking of Ye Yunchen, a faint smile finally appeared on Lin Xujia's cold, stern face.
Seeing this, Xia Siyue curled her lips into a cold smile, took a sip of her coffee, and remained silent.
******
Xia Yan stared intently at Lu Zhengting for a long time, feeling like the more she looked, the more she wanted to. Bright daylight fell on him, with the car window halfway down, letting sunlight spill lazily into the cabin. Lu Zhengting's focused gaze was fixed on the traffic ahead. The gray-blue sky hadn't darkened yet, and the late autumn air carried a hint of chill. Xia Yan propped her chin on one hand, tilted her head, and smiled slightly, her eyes curving like crescent moons. The soft lines traced Lu Zhengting's profile, his nose bridge seeming to catch the light, making his features even more three-dimensional. His eyelashes were not only long but also beautifully curled. Xia Yan couldn't help wondering what they'd look like on a woman's face.
Pausing, Xia Yan let out a soft sigh, breaking her usual demeanor to compliment Lu Zhengting without restraint. "Do you feel stifled being with me?"
Lu Zhengting was taken aback, not quite catching what she said at first. He saw her turn her face, sigh, and add, "Not that it matters now. You're already mine."
Hearing Xia Yan's muttering to herself, Lu Zhengting felt a surge of happiness.
Xia Yan squinted, avoiding Lu Zhengting's expression. Lost in thought, she suddenly laughed for no reason. Feeling his gaze on her, she straightened up and shot him a playful glare. "What are you looking at me for? Watch the road!"
At that, Lu Zhengting glanced at her with amusement, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and said nothing more.
This time, they were dining at Jiangcheng International Hotel. Ning Dong and Xu Xiao were planning to return to Beicheng. Xu Xiao was pregnant, and their business in Jiangcheng was done. Old Master Ning, now doting on Xu Xiao, had been bombarding them with calls, urging them to hurry back.
This wasn't Xia Yan's first time meeting them, but their relationship wasn't particularly close. She was a very slow-to-warm-up person. Of the four Ning brothers, she'd only met three, and Ning Nan left the strongest impression—because he was collaborating with Xi Xi on something.
When it came to meals, Ning Nan was always the most eager, but this time he was the last to arrive. When he showed up, a tuft of yellow fur peeked out from his arms, standing out conspicuously. Xia Yan, sitting beside Lu Zhengting, glanced curiously at Ning Nan. On her other side sat Xu Xiao, per Ning Dong's request—he believed that among those present, only Xia Yan was female, and no man, not even his own brothers, should get close to Xu Xiao. The three Ning brothers had long come to terms with this.
Ning Nan sat down next to Ning Xi with a grin. Seeing Xu Xiao and Xia Yan's questioning looks, he shook his head mysteriously, then suddenly pulled a little yellow cat from his arms. His smile was still on his face when Xia Yan blurted out, "Mengmeng..."
Mengmeng, apparently recognizing her owner's voice, tilted its fluffy head slightly, its blue eyes fixed on Xia Yan. It meowed, then, after a pause, wiggled its dangling paws and meowed at Ning Nan again, burrowing into his arms.
Xia Yan's forehead creased with annoyance. She stared at Mengmeng and called its name again. This time, the cat completely ignored her, its attention wholly on Ning Nan.
Seeing Mengmeng snub her, Xia Yan huffed and looked away. Wasn't this little guy male? Why was it acting so smitten with Ning Nan? Lu Zhengting raised an eyebrow at the woman beside him, then suddenly shot a cold glare at Ning Nan. Ning Nan's hand trembled, nearly dropping Mengmeng.
Ning Nan pitifully handed the kitten to Lu Zhengting, who looked disgusted, making Ning Nan want to curse. Then he passed it to Xia Yan, and only then did Lu Zhengting's expression soften. The cat had originally been with Ning Xi, but one day, Ning Xi finished his schedule early and found Ning Nan, who secretly took the adorable pet away.
Once Mengmeng was back in her hands, Xia Yan felt pleased. But the moment she placed her hand on its head, the cat suddenly leaped up, its sharp claws scratching several wounds on her hand. Lu Zhengting immediately flung the troublesome cat back to Ning Nan, his face dark and menacing.
"Lu Zhengting, why are you so rough! If you hurt Mengmeng, I'll never let it go!" Xia Yan shouted, watching Mengmeng fly through the air like a projectile.
Xu Xiao burst out laughing. Catching Lu Zhengting's warning glare, she shot one back without a care. Ning Dong, sitting beside her, gave Lu Zhengting a fist in solidarity. Ning Nan and Ning Xi quietly tried to make themselves invisible. Two fiercely protective people clashing was like a meteor hitting Earth—terrifying. The two single brothers exchanged a miserable glance, sighed deeply, and silently asked the heavens: they were handsome, capable, and had good personalities—why were they still single? Meanwhile, Ning Dong and Lu Zhengting—one quick to throw punches, the other deep and inscrutable—had women fighting to love them.
With that thought, Ning Nan and Ning Xi locked eyes again. Suddenly, Ning Xi shuddered. "Second brother, a rabbit doesn't eat grass near its own den. I'm your real brother."
The atmosphere had been tense, but Ning Xi's words made Xu Xiao laugh uncontrollably. She added, "Second brother is my little brother's."
Xia Yan hadn't even swallowed her breath when Xu Xiao's comment left her stunned. Lu Zhengting's mouth twitched, his mind buzzing. He decided then that Xia Yan shouldn't get too close to Xu Xiao—otherwise, the little white rabbit might turn into a big bad wolf, and he'd be the one to suffer. Xia Yan had no idea what he was thinking. Her attention was on Ning Nan, who looked constipated—unable to speak his mind, and no one listening if he did. She found it hilarious.
Ning Nan punched Ning Xi. "Third brother, if you need a lesson, just say so!"
"Second brother, I'm your real brother."
"Come here, real brother. Let second brother show you some love."
"Big brother..." Ning Xi looked pitifully at Ning Dong, but caught a glimpse of Xu Su at the door. His face lit up instantly, and he pointed, shouting, "Su Su's here!"
Xia Yan was still laughing. Just as she was about to take a sip of water, Ning Xi's outburst startled her, and she spat it out. Lu Zhengting's eyes flickered with a mix of disgust and helplessness, finally settling into a wry smile as he handed her a napkin while shooting Ning Xi a stern look.
"Ning Xi, you really need a lesson. Xu Su is on a business trip. If he showed up here, I'd let you have it."
Xu Xiao nodded calmly. Ning Dong followed his wife's lead—wife comes first. Lu Zhengting usually stayed out of it, but Xia Yan, after scanning their expressions, pretended not to know and stared at Ning Nan.
Ning Xi slyly glanced at the person behind Ning Nan and cleared his throat. "Second brother, you sure?"
"Absolutely!" Ning Nan confirmed smugly. He'd checked that Xu Su was on a business trip, so he'd skipped his schedule to come. His relationship with Xu Su was messy and complicated, so he'd been avoiding him.
"Second brother, want to turn around and look?"
"Even if I look twice, it's the same!" Ning Nan turned around casually, then froze. He spun back, eyes wide, staring at Ning Xi. "Forget what I just said!"
"Cough, cough..."
Hearing Xu Su's cough, Ning Nan ignored Ning Xi's expression and immediately turned, fawningly handing a glass of water to Xu Su. "Su Su, have some water."
At that, Xu Su's face darkened. Without a word, a cold glare was enough to silence Ning Nan, who scooted his chair closer to Ning Xi.