Xia Yan continued following Jiang Mingxiu from the first floor to the second, but this time they weren’t browsing every single shop. Glancing at her hands, already laden with bags, Xia Yan felt like crying but held back her tears, grateful she’d had the foresight to wear flat shoes. She sneaked a peek at Jiang Mingxiu walking ahead, silently speculating about what was on her mind. From her expression alone, Xia Yan had no idea whether the earlier incidents had affected Jiang Mingxiu at all.
They made it safely from the second floor to the fifth, where Jiang Mingxiu finally stopped outside a dessert shop. Coincidentally, this was Xia Yan’s favorite spot. A server led them to a window seat and drew the curtain after they placed their orders. In this secluded little space, Xia Yan’s nerves were wound so tight they felt lodged in her throat. When the server brought their items, Xia Yan lowered her head, scooped up a small spoonful of tiramisu, and put it in her mouth. Jiang Mingxiu’s posture barely shifted—at least from what Xia Yan had observed, she always sat with her body slightly tilted, legs together and angled, hands either resting on her thighs or on the table.
Stirring her coffee, Jiang Mingxiu cast a cool glance at Xia Yan, who was trying to act nonchalant, and spoke up. “Miss Xia, in my view, you and Zhengting simply don’t match.”
Startled, Xia Yan froze, the tiramisu still in her mouth. At those words, she swallowed it abruptly, then lifted her head to look seriously at Jiang Mingxiu. “Why? I don’t think Lu Zhengting and I are mismatched, and he doesn’t think I’m beneath him either.”
“Whether you match is naturally for me to decide. Miss Xia, I think you’re far too overconfident. With your background, do you really believe you’re worthy of Zhengting?”
“Auntie, I don’t think that’s overconfidence—it’s that I understand Lu Zhengting…”
“Understand? These days, anyone can claim to understand someone after a few casual days together. Then I could say I understand you too. I’ve seen plenty of your type—always dreaming of climbing the social ladder overnight.” Jiang Mingxiu paused her stirring, let out a mocking laugh, and bluntly cut Xia Yan off.
“Auntie, I don’t know what kind of person you’re referring to, but I’m definitely not after the Lu family. I’m only after Lu Zhengting himself.”
“Isn’t it because Zhengting is a Lu?” Jiang Mingxiu sneered, as if she’d heard a joke, then continued, “Miss Xia, the candidate for our Lu family’s daughter-in-law will never be you. I advise you not to waste your efforts, or you’ll end up with nothing. While I still have patience, I’ll let you name a price to leave Zhengting.”
“Auntie, I love Lu Zhengting, not his money!”
“Ha, not for money? I heard that before you chose to be with Zhengting, you were with that man earlier?” Jiang Mingxiu said casually, eyeing Xia Yan’s worsening expression as she pulled a file from her bag.
Xia Yan stared at the file on the table, her face paling. “Those are all rumors. I admit Brother Ye once pursued me, but I never agreed to anything. Where did you hear that we were a couple?”
“And what about this?”
“That’s even more impossible! This watch on my wrist I bought with my own money—it was never a gift from Lu Zhengting.” Xia Yan raised her wrist, showing the watch, her voice tinged with anger. This was her favorite watch, and she’d been wearing it long before she got together with Lu Zhengting. How could it be something he gave her?
“This watch is not only a global limited edition but also priced in the seven figures.”
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t afford it, does it?”
Jiang Mingxiu snorted coldly. “I don’t have much patience. I don’t want to repeat myself about you and my son Zhengting. Name your price.”
“Lu Zhengting isn’t a thing. I won’t name a price!”
“Xia Yan, you…” Jiang Mingxiu’s eyes narrowed. No matter how Xia Yan answered, it only made her angrier.
“Auntie, it’s getting late. Lu Zhengting is probably already on his way home.” Xia Yan looked at the tiramisu in front of her, finding it tasteless, then glanced at Jiang Mingxiu’s sour expression. Her phone buzzed in her bag—she knew without looking it was Lu Zhengting.
Xia Yan answered. “We’re still at the department store. Are you coming to pick us up?”
“Okay, then.”
Hanging up, Xia Yan faced Jiang Mingxiu, her own expression far from pleasant. That conversation had been deeply hurtful and condescending. From the moment Jiang Mingxiu told her to name a price, Xia Yan had been simmering with anger she couldn’t vent. Even though she wanted to hurl the tiramisu in front of her, she held back. If things were difficult between her and Jiang Mingxiu, the one caught in the middle would be Lu Zhengting. Thinking that, Xia Yan felt a pang of pity for him and resentment for herself—what a damn mess.
Lu Zhengting arrived quickly. Seeing Xia Yan’s hands full of bags, his face darkened with displeasure. He took the bags from her and noticed the uneven red marks on her wrists from the straps. Xia Yan rubbed them casually with her head down, brushing it off, but Lu Zhengting was visibly concerned. Jiang Mingxiu saw her son’s reaction and felt a surge of anger rise from her gut to her head, giving her a headache.
Lu Zhengting drove, and Xia Yan naturally took the passenger seat.
After accompanying Jiang Mingxiu on an afternoon of shopping, Xia Yan couldn’t help but marvel at a woman’s stamina—it was no joke, especially when it came to shopping. She propped her chin on one hand, blinking wearily, her head swaying as she leaned back against the seat. Jiang Mingxiu, sitting in the back, seemed to let out a snort.
******
Ye Yunchen had been following Xia Yan the whole time. He’d overheard her conversation with Jiang Mingxiu and seen Lu Zhengting pick her up. Now, walking out of the department store alone, he suddenly spotted Ke Yaru getting out of a car and heading his way. He stopped. “What are you doing here?”
“Do you really not know why I’m here?” Ke Yaru said with a smile, waving her red-nailed hand in front of Ye Yunchen’s face.
At that, Ye Yunchen silently sidestepped her and kept walking, only to hear her say casually, “What you want is Xia Yan; what I want is Lu Zhengting. Today’s events are a good start for both of us.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Ke Yaru smiled. She knew Jiang Mingxiu well and understood how to make her despise Xia Yan even more. With Jiang Mingxiu as an obstacle, Xia Yan dreaming of marrying into the Lu family was pure fantasy.
Watching Ye Yunchen’s retreating figure, Ke Yaru took a deep breath, feeling pleased. It was almost time for her to step in.
Ye Yunchen reached the parking lot and found his car, only to see Xia Siyue standing by it, apparently waiting for him. Narrowing his eyes, he walked over to her without a word, opened the door, and slid into the driver’s seat. As he closed the door, Xia Siyue quickly slipped into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. Feeling his probing gaze, she pursed her lips in a smile. “You don’t mind giving me a ride, do you?”
“Where to?”
“Jiangda University.”
Ye Yunchen’s hand paused on the handbrake, then he glanced at Xia Siyue and started the car.
Xia Siyue stared at him for a long time. “Ye Yunchen, what do you even like about Xia Yan?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“That’s not how it works. Xia Yan is still my sister in name. Isn’t it natural for a younger sister to care about her sister’s love life?”
“Sister?” Ye Yunchen said sarcastically, as if hearing a hilarious joke.
At that, Xia Siyue shot him a cold glare. “The famous Ye Yunchen of Jiangda, fallen for a woman—and that woman being Jiangda’s famous ice queen. If word gets out to us underclassmen, I won’t be the one getting laughed at, will I?” She paused, flashing a bright smile, then added, “Speaking of which, you reminded me of something important. I heard about your relationship with Lin Xujia… Tsk, tsk. You people really know how to keep secrets.”
Hearing this, Ye Yunchen slammed on the brakes, causing a sudden jolt. Caught off guard, Xia Siyue would have been thrown forward if not for her seatbelt. The force yanked her back into her seat. As she blinked, dazed, Ye Yunchen unlocked the doors, unbuckled her seatbelt, and shoved her out while she was still dizzy.
Xia Siyue hit the ground, scraping her elbow raw. Wincing in pain, she glared furiously at the car speeding away, wishing she could kill him! Noticing the cars around her slowing down, she realized her sitting position was highly indecent—her skirt wasn’t covering anything. Catching the lecherous stares from men, she ignored the pain in her elbow, tugged her skirt down, pushed herself up with one hand, and stood. After shooting a venomous look at the onlookers, she spotted an empty cab, hailed it, climbed in, and gave the driver her address.
What Ye Yunchen did to her today, humiliating her like that—she wouldn’t forget it. She wasn’t going to let it slide.
Back at the Xia residence, Xia Siyue stormed into her room. Anyone who came near her was asking for trouble. She pulled out her phone to call Mu Chengfeng, but it was still unreachable. Lately, every time she tried to find him, she couldn’t—his phone was off, and he was nowhere to be seen on campus. Furious, she threw her phone to the floor, listening to it crack. Still unsatisfied, she stomped on it a few times.
Everyone was against her—Xia Yan, Ye Yunchen, even Mu Chengfeng!
Changing her clothes, Xia Siyue returned to school. Just as she was about to step through the gate, she ran into Mu Chengfeng pulling up in his flashy sports car at the entrance.