Xu Su nodded, his gaze seeming to drift toward Ning Xi. He paused, and Ning Xi, taking the hint, stood up, pushed back his chair, and smiled at the two seated figures. "I just remembered I have something important to handle, so I'll take off too. Second Brother, Second Brother-in-law, take your time, no rush."
"Something important? Aren't you on leave? What's so important that you can't even finish your meal?" Ning Nan glared at the third brother who was trying to slip away after stirring up trouble, so furious he wanted to punch him.
Ning Xi winked. "Second Brother, the three of us are all in Jiang City, but the youngest is alone in North City and can't manage everything, so he came to me..."
"Bullshit, keep spinning your tales! The youngest needs your help? It'd be a miracle if he doesn't find you more of a hindrance."
"Hey, Second Brother, that's you not trusting me. Fine, I'll just go then."
Ning Nan glared at Ning Xi, seeing him spout nonsense, and his anger flared. He gritted his teeth and snapped, "If you're going to scram, then scram now!"
"Alright, alright, I know when to make myself scarce. I'm off."
"Damn it, Third Brother, you're asking for a beating, aren't you?"
Ning Xi smiled faintly, pursed his lips, signaling he'd stay quiet, and bolted to the door as fast as he could.
The private room emptied out gradually. Ning Nan sat motionless in his seat, not lifting his head to look at Xu Su. The air seemed to thicken with cold. Suddenly, Xu Su spun around to face Ning Nan, and seeing him still with his head down, refusing to meet his eyes, the anger pent up inside him surged from his feet to his head. He reached out and grabbed Ning Nan's arm tightly, forcing him to turn and look at him.
Ning Nan was unwilling, and his actions showed it. The two silently struggled against each other, but in the end, Ning Nan yielded.
"Xu Su, what I said to you before still stands." Ning Nan looked up helplessly, staring intently at Xu Su's slightly reddened eyes. As soon as the words left his mouth, Xu Su's face loomed closer. He quickly pressed his lips shut, but it was too late. Xu Su's kiss, like a storm, was as cold and brutal as the man himself, carrying a hint of bloodlust. Ning Nan tasted a trace of blood in his mouth. Xu Su's assault was too fierce for him to resist, and knowing what Xu Su was thinking, he closed his eyes and let him do as he pleased.
Feeling Ning Nan's surrender, Xu Su eased his grip slightly, shifting to gentle nibbles and tastes.
"Satisfied?"
Xu Su froze, then countered, "Done making a scene?"
"..." Ning Nan stared at Xu Su, blinking, and thought for a moment. "Xu Su, you know this isn't me making a scene. You've completely ignored what I said."
Hearing this, Xu Su looked blankly at Ning Nan. It was precisely because every word Ning Nan had said was etched into his memory that he'd clung to a childhood remark all these years. He glanced faintly at Ning Nan's now cold expression, a mix of a smile and a bitter grimace.
"Xu Su, let's just call it quits between us. You know it's not realistic for us at all..."
"Why isn't it realistic?"
"If I give you a reason, can you really let it go?"
Xu Su didn't answer, just silently stared at Ning Nan. Seeing this, Ning Nan organized his thoughts. "The Xu family and the Ning family won't tolerate any scandal. And with my current position, I've got a swarm of paparazzi and reporters trailing me. We might ignore the world's judgment and the Ning family, but we can't ignore the Xu family." He took a deep breath, his tone tinged with sadness. "You know the Xu family only has you as their sole heir. I can't ruin you, and I can't ruin the Xu family."
At this, Xu Su fell silent. This time, his silence carried a hint of sorrow.
******
After leaving Jiang City International Hotel, Xia Yan settled into the passenger seat, stroking her round belly with some melancholy. As if struck by a thought, she widened her eyes and glared at the man in the driver's seat starting the engine, fuming, "It's all your fault for making me eat so much. I can't believe how many pounds I'll gain tonight!"
Lu Zhengting glanced sideways at Xia Yan. "How many pounds could you gain?"
"With all this food, my stomach's already bulging. I'll definitely gain a lot." Xia Yan felt a strong sense of guilt just thinking about what she'd eaten tonight.
"Starting tomorrow, eat less. And come work out with me." Lu Zhengting rested one hand casually on the steering wheel, the other on the window edge, speaking slowly.
Xia Yan stared meaningfully at the man focused on the road ahead, thought for a moment, and a sly glint flashed in her eyes. "Are you serious?"
"Mm. Serious."
"So you're indirectly telling me that if I get fat, you'll find me disgusting?"
"..."
"Say something!"
"Of course not. No matter how fat you get, I won't find you disgusting."
"Anyone can say that—it's not hard. With how perfunctory you are, it's obviously not sincere."
"Baby, go ahead and eat as much as you want."
"No." Xia Yan pouted defiantly at Lu Zhengting. His deep, husky voice, especially when he called her "baby," melted her heart with joy.
"Then tell me, what do you want?"
"Lu Zhengting, your tone is really off-putting. You've got an attitude problem!" Xia Yan huffed and turned away, her sly gaze shifting to the window, missing the adoring look on Lu Zhengting's face.
"Baby..."
"Calling me 'baby' won't help."
Xia Yan liked browsing Weibo in her spare time. She'd saved funny memes before, and she remembered a line about arguments between men and women. She thought it was spot-on—how a careless remark could escalate a fight into a man's attitude problem. She didn't want to be like that, but on a whim, seeing Lu Zhengting ignore her, she felt bored and started overthinking.
Xia Yan turned sideways toward the window, her eyes dropping to some unknown spot, lost in thought. Lu Zhengting called her a few times with no response. He glanced at her profile, noticed her trembling lashes, and recalling her earlier behavior, found it both amusing and endearing. A tender look crossed his face as he reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Really mad?"
"I wouldn't dare be mad."
"You say you don't dare, but your actions tell a different story?"
Hearing this, Xia Yan angrily slapped his hand away and turned to glare at him. "Tch, focus on driving, okay? I don't want to die young."
Lu Zhengting's lips curved slightly. He was confident in his driving skills—and, in his mind, in all his skills, including those in bed. He glanced calmly at the fuming woman, unbothered, and instead pinched her cheek, clearly cherishing her.
"Relax."
"Because it's you, I can't relax. Hmph." Xia Yan muttered under her breath, her gaze flickering away from his expression. She didn't need to guess; she could already picture his face—a half-smile as he stared at her, then a low, sexy voice saying something flirtatious. The thought gave her goosebumps, and she stopped herself before she lost composure and burst out laughing.
Lu Zhengting smiled but said nothing. Xia Yan suddenly remembered why they'd left early. She paused and asked, "Do you have something urgent?"
"No."
"Then why did you say we had to leave early?"
Lu Zhengting shot her a look like she was an idiot, and she bristled. "Don't look at me like that!"
"Xu Su and Ning Nan need to talk things out." As if hearing her complaint, he dropped the condescending look and said it matter-of-factly.
"Lu Zhengting, are Ning Nan and Xu Su...?"
"Yes." Lu Zhengting paused, then added, "And no."
"Are you messing with me? What kind of answer is that?" Xia Yan pouted dismissively, though she couldn't deny a tiny bit of curiosity about them. In all her life, this was the first time she'd encountered a love that defied the norm.
Lu Zhengting seemed to read her mind. A faint sigh escaped his lips, so subtle it was almost imperceptible. Xia Yan didn't notice, assuming he didn't want to discuss it, so she tactfully changed the subject.
"Lu Zhengting, Father's birthday is coming up. He asked me to come back that day."
"When?"
Xia Yan lowered her head to count. "Next Saturday."
"Mm, I'll have my secretary clear my schedule for that day."
"You're coming with me?"
"You don't want me to?" Lu Zhengting raised an eyebrow, glancing at her surprised face, and said leisurely.
"Of course I want you to come." Xia Yan caught the hint of threat in his eyes, stared at him without blinking, and said quickly. Seeing his satisfaction, she tightened her grip on the seatbelt, thought for a few seconds, and quietly added, "I'm thrilled you're coming—it feels like I'm flying. But when I think about it, Father's birthday banquet will have plenty of influential people from Jiang City. Considering who you are, I..." She sneaked a look at his increasingly unreadable expression, her confidence waning. After hesitating, she mustered her courage and finished, "I'm a bit worried that the banquet might spiral out of control because of me and you showing up."
"Spiral out of control?" Lu Zhengting turned the steering wheel left, uttering the words casually.