"Hmm? I mean..." "I'll have the driver take you on Saturday." "Okay." If not for Lu Zhengting cutting her off, Xia Yan would have had to come up with an excuse to fob him off. She lowered her eyes, quietly scratching the tip of her nose, and glanced at the man sitting beside her. He had no idea about these women's jealousy and infatuation with him, nor about Xia Minghui. She couldn't guess his intentions, but her gut told her that if Lu Zhengting went, something unexpected would definitely happen.
Xia Yan's worries weren't unfounded.
The car drove along a tree-lined road lined with camphor trees. The leaves on the branches had noticeably thinned due to autumn, instantly adding a touch of desolation. The weather was cool and pleasant, neither hot nor cold. Xia Yan rolled down the window, resting her hand outside to feel the breeze. She tried to grasp the wind in her palm, but it never lingered, slipping through her fingers like time, vanishing unnoticed.
Back at Dongshan Villa, Xia Yan felt a bit tired. As they walked side by side into the living room, she saw Jiang Mingxiu sitting on the sofa, legs together and slightly tilted, slender hands crossed over her thighs. Her expression was stern, and her gaze at Xia Yan carried a hint of disdain. She narrowed her eyes and cleared her throat. "Where have you been? Coming back so late?"
Hearing this, Xia Yan glanced at Lu Zhengting. Seeing Jiang Mingxiu's focus on her, she didn't dare hesitate and quickly spoke up. "Auntie, it was Sister Xu Xu and them..."
"Xiao Xiao and the others are in Jiangcheng?" This time, Jiang Mingxiu was looking at Lu Zhengting as she spoke.
Seeing Xia Yan's words cut off by Jiang Mingxiu, Lu Zhengting felt a flicker of displeasure at his mother. He frowned and answered casually, "Yeah. They're flying back to Beicheng tomorrow morning."
"Leaving so soon? That girl Xiao Xiao didn't even come to see me. Since your father and I went to the U.S., I haven't seen her except on her wedding day."
Listening to Jiang Mingxiu, Xia Yan was deeply surprised. It was the first time she'd seen such a fond expression on Jiang Mingxiu's face, not even when she faced Lu Zhengting. Xia Yan couldn't help but envy Xu Xiao. Looking at the men around her—aside from Ning Nan, Ning Xi, and the unseen Ning Bei—the two biggest ice blocks in her eyes, Xu Su and Lu Zhengting, Xu Xiao could do whatever she wanted in front of them. It was like even if Xu Xiao acted out, the men around her would still spoil her.
Xu Xiao's life was probably what every woman dreamed of: a husband who loved and doted on her, younger brothers who catered to her every whim, and all these men were not only handsome and extraordinary but also stood at the top of the social pyramid.
Xia Yan's distraction annoyed Jiang Mingxiu. Seeing Lu Zhengting still there, she suppressed her irritation. Chen Ma brought a glass of warm milk and set it before her. Jiang Mingxiu picked it up, pinky slightly raised, took a sip, and then glanced coldly at Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting, who were still standing. She frowned. "It's late. Go rest."
Xia Yan thought she was off the hook and felt a small surge of joy. Suddenly, Jiang Mingxiu added, "Oh, by the way, Zhengting, give Xia Yan the day off tomorrow. That's fine, right?"
"Mom, what are you planning?"
"Look at you, acting like I'm going to eat her. I just thought since I have nothing to do, I'd ask Xia Yan to go shopping with me." Jiang Mingxiu smiled, as if it were exactly as she said—just a casual invitation to shop.
"Xia Yan has work tomorrow."
"What work could be more important than your mother?" Jiang Mingxiu snapped at Lu Zhengting, annoyed that her son was so protective of Xia Yan.
Sensing the tension in the air, Xia Yan's heart skipped a beat. Carefully, she tugged at Lu Zhengting's finger and gave him a wink, then switched to a smile for Jiang Mingxiu. "Auntie, I'll go shopping with you tomorrow."
As Xia Yan finished speaking, she saw no change in Jiang Mingxiu's expression. She gave an awkward laugh. The living room fell silent for a long moment before Lu Zhengting spoke. "We're going to our room now."
Lu Zhengting took Xia Yan's hand right in front of Jiang Mingxiu and headed upstairs without looking back. Xia Yan glanced at Jiang Mingxiu's expression, feeling like she'd somehow upset her again. She struggled silently, trying to pull her hand free, but Lu Zhengting only held tighter. On the second floor, Xia Yan stopped abruptly. Lu Zhengting turned, puzzled, to look at her.
"Lu Zhengting, my room is on the second floor."
"..."
"I told you about this before, and you agreed."
Afraid Lu Zhengting would do as he pleased, Xia Yan's voice carried a hint of urgency. Sensing her mood, Lu Zhengting frowned deeply, released her hand, and turned to silently head to his room on the third floor.
Xia Yan breathed a sigh of relief. As she turned, she caught a glimpse of Jiang Mingxiu still staring at her from downstairs, making her nervous. She quickened her pace, went into her room, and immediately shut the door.
That night, while showering, Xia Yan suddenly remembered the underwear she'd left on the bed. She hadn't brought it in. At first, it annoyed her, but then she thought, since she was alone in the room and Lu Zhengting wasn't there, even if she ran around naked, nothing unspeakable would happen. So she relaxed, soaking happily in the tub for a while.
After her shower, Xia Yan hummed a cheerful tune, temporarily pushing aside the worry of shopping with Jiang Mingxiu tomorrow. She wrapped a towel around herself, covering from her chest down. The mirror was fogged up. Smiling, she wiped a hand across it, revealing her reflection: damp hair messily wrapped in a dry towel, water droplets absorbed, her fair, flushed face still dotted with crystal-clear beads. A single drop fell from her collarbone, just below her long, pale neck. She lowered her head, wiped it with the towel, and then dried her face.
The person in the mirror—it wasn't an exaggeration to call her a fresh lotus emerging from water.
Xia Yan admired herself contentedly, a soft smile curling at her lips.
Coming out of the bathroom, she froze.
She couldn't remember how many times this had happened, but she knew she always ended up flustered.
Lu Zhengting had changed out of his jacket, wearing a loose navy silk robe. He sat sideways on the bed, leaning back on one hand, his handsome face carrying a faint smile, his deep eyes fixed intently on Xia Yan, a hint of desire in his brows. Xia Yan blinked, instinctively tugging at the towel wrapped around her chest. She opened her mouth. "Shouldn't you be in your room at this hour?"
"Yeah."
"What does 'yeah' mean? I locked the door. How did you get in?" Xia Yan asked, half-laughing, half-crying. She noticed Lu Zhengting was sitting right on her underwear, and she gasped, her emotions a tangled mess. Right now, aside from the towel, she had nothing on. Doing anything would be far too easy.
Lu Zhengting jingled the key ring hanging from his middle finger and said calmly, "I walked in."
"Of course I know you walked in!"
As she spoke, Xia Yan slowly shuffled over to Lu Zhengting, her heart pounding at the thought of her underwear under him. She paused, then, keeping her face straight and her pulse steady, she winked at him. "Scoot over a bit?"
"This spot's pretty good."
"..."
Seeing Lu Zhengting's non-answer, a flash of inspiration hit Xia Yan, and she felt like killing him. This man must have seen her underwear and deliberately sat there, refusing to move! How was she supposed to get it back? His twisted sense of humor was worse than she'd imagined.
A mischievous glint flickered in Xia Yan's eyes. In the blink of an eye, she spun around and sat on Lu Zhengting's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. She tilted her head, resting it on his shoulder, and lightly bit his earlobe. She felt him shudder, and his strong hands gripped her waist tightly. Xia Yan froze, annoyed—he was squeezing her like she was an inflatable doll!
The room's atmosphere grew tense and charged with intimacy. Xia Yan smirked, lowering one hand to lightly trace her finger over Lu Zhengting's bobbing Adam's apple, then his prominent collarbone, and finally down his chest, slipping through the silk robe and sliding slowly downward. Lu Zhengting's expression shifted, his eyes darkening further, his grip on her waist tightening.
When she touched something she shouldn't have, feeling the heat, Xia Yan's face flushed red. She stopped, hesitating to go further. As she tried to pull her hand back, Lu Zhengting suddenly flipped over, pinning her beneath him. His burning gaze locked onto the woman under him, one hand trapping hers above her head.
Xia Yan blinked, looking up at him innocently. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"
"Xia Yan, you're faking it!"
"What am I faking?" she asked seriously, though the smile she couldn't hide at the corner of her mouth gave her away.
"Stir things up, then play innocent?"
"Who stirred things up? Who's playing innocent?"
Seeing her like this, Lu Zhengting said no more. The heat below consumed him, every desire screaming for release. He hooked a hand under her chin and silenced her with a kiss.