Fortunately, the water wasn't too hot.
Before Ning Nan could finish dealing with the situation, Lu Zhengting also stood up, reaching out to grab Xia Yan's arm to stop her from leaving. But Xia Yan seemed to have anticipated this, swiftly sidestepping. As Lu Zhengting's hand missed, it unexpectedly landed on Ning Nan's head. It didn't hurt, but wasn't this just too unlucky?
Ning Nan shot up, looking left and right. "Are you two being childish? How old are you?"
"Shut up!" "Shut up!"
Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting spoke in unison, leaving Ning Nan dumbfounded. Was this默契 directed solely at him?
"Hmph, Lu Zhengting, don't think showing up here now will make me forgive you."
"Oh?" Lu Zhengting let out a soft hum, his gaze locked tightly on Xia Yan, as if he were smiling, yet no trace of amusement showed on his face.
Xia Yan's heart skipped a beat. Why was she feeling a bit intimidated?
Hearing the director call Ning Nan's name, the two exchanged a glance, paused, and Xia Yan immediately turned her head away from Lu Zhengting. She seriously suspected he was using his charm on her.
Xi Xi was on break and was brought by his agent to stand before Lu Zhengting. Xia Yan obediently stayed by Lu Zhengting's side, temporarily forgetting his misdeeds from the night before—her idol was the priority now.
"President Lu, hello."
It was well-known that Lu Zhengting was a man of few words, so no one found it strange when he didn't say much. But Xia Yan, who had mostly stayed silent around Lu Zhengting, suddenly became talkative when she saw Xi Xi, even stumbling over her words several times. Xi Xi couldn't help but smile.
Seeing this, Xia Yan unconsciously touched the tip of her nose and lowered her gaze. When she heard Xi Xi's agent say they were leaving, her actions outpaced her thoughts. She abruptly reached out and grabbed Xi Xi's hand. Noticing his face instantly turn red, she quickly let go and looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, I just wanted to ask for your autograph..."
Lu Zhengting watched Xia Yan's clumsy behavior with a headache, especially when she grabbed Xi Xi's hand—it made his blood boil. But seeing her so excited, he couldn't bear to ruin it and let her be for now. As it turned out, this cunning old fox Lu Zhengting was planning to settle the score later, which led to Xia Yan suffering miserably for a long time afterward.
Xia Yan searched her entire body but couldn't find anything meaningful for Xi Xi to sign. Finally, she made up her mind to have him sign her arm, but before she could voice the idea, Xi Xi's agent pulled out a photo of Xi Xi from his bag and handed it to him.
Xia Yan gleefully took the autographed photo, clutching it to her chest as if no one could come near it. Lu Zhengting watched this scene impassively, staying silent the whole time, which struck the overjoyed Xia Yan as odd.
Xi Xi obediently followed his agent out of the set and into the van. As he fiddled with tangled earphone wires, the agent beside him suddenly looked up and said softly, "Next time, stay away from that woman."
"Huh? Why?"
"You're still young. You didn't see the way our boss looked at her—a look of deep love."
"Deep love?"
"When you truly fall for someone, you'll know that the look in your eyes when you love someone can't be faked."
Xi Xi nodded, half-understanding, and went back to untangling his earphone wires.
******
Xia Yan treated Xi Xi's autographed photo like a treasure, refusing to let anyone touch it.
Seeing this, Lu Zhengting's mouth twitched. This woman was utterly foolish. Right in front of her was a living, breathing man—one blessed with both looks and talent—yet she completely overlooked him, only to be infatuated with a photo for so long.
Lu Zhengting had already arranged for Xia Yan to take the day off, so she didn't need to go back to the company. As the company's boss, he was free to come and go as he pleased. His gaze was fixed on Xia Yan when suddenly a rumbling sound broke the silence. Xia Yan's face flushed as she covered her stomach with one hand, sneaking a glance at Lu Zhengting, who wore a faint, knowing smile.
"Getting hungry is only natural. What's there to laugh about?"
"Of course. That's why I'm taking you to eat."
"Tch, don't act like I couldn't manage on my own if you weren't here."
"Fine, then I'll be going."
"Lu Zhengting, get back here. I'm hungry, and I want good food."
"Is that an order?"
"Would I dare?" Xia Yan smiled at Lu Zhengting, then suddenly ran up to him, leaping onto him and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Given your awful behavior last night, I won't forgive you easily. But I'm hungry now, so I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself. If you don't cherish it, then I'll..."
"Then what?"
"Then I'll have Ning Nan take me. He's way more reliable than you anyway."
Xia Yan never imagined that her offhand comment would sound like a challenge to Lu Zhengting—a challenge from Ning Nan. In Lu Zhengting's eyes, Ning Nan showed no sign of reliability from any angle. He had no idea where this girl got the idea that Ning Nan was more dependable than him. As a result, Ning Nan, who had been planning a vacation, inexplicably found his workload increasing, making his time off seem forever out of reach.
Only Lu Zhengting likely knew the reason behind it. As for Xia Yan's beloved Xi Xi, he would be out on tour for the foreseeable future, with his chances of coming to Jiang City reduced to almost one in ten.
Xia Yan clung to Lu Zhengting like a koala, burying her face in his chest. She lightly hooked and tugged at him with her little finger, breathing softly against his sensitive spots. She had her own way of punishing Lu Zhengting.
"Don't you dare put me down. You have to carry me to the car. I'm giving you a chance to hold a beauty. Treasure it." Xia Yan laughed, lifting her head to speak to him, her hands never stopping. Feeling Lu Zhengting's body react, she smirked to herself, pretending nothing was wrong as she continued her actions.
Her slightly cold fingers occasionally teased his sensitive spots, brushing over them or letting out a soft breath. Don't ask where she learned these tricks—she'd just say it was instinct, or that Lu Zhengting had taught her well.
The color in Lu Zhengting's eyes deepened as he stared at the mischievous woman in his arms. With a light laugh, he gave her bottom a firm but not too hard slap. Most of the staff were gathered at the filming location, so few people were around to witness it. Xia Yan's face instantly turned bright red.
"Lu Zhengting, you have such bad taste! Don't forget we're in public. Watch your dignified image." Xia Yan glared at him fiercely. Getting spanked was too embarrassing—how could she stand it?
So she fought back, wrapping one arm around his neck and flashing him a sly grin. Suddenly, using his support, she lifted her head and gently bit his Adam's apple as it moved. Lu Zhengting's body trembled. This woman was getting bolder by the minute!
Didn't she know how sensitive that spot was?
Seeing her success, Xia Yan felt an immense sense of satisfaction. Even if Lu Zhengting planned to settle the score later, she didn't care. She'd enjoy herself first and deal with the consequences later. As it turned out, Xia Yan had underestimated Lu Zhengting's combativeness and cunning.
Lu Zhengting quickened his pace. His car was parked next to Xia Yan's. He took her keys from her pocket, unlocked it, and swiftly opened the door, tossing Xia Yan into the back seat. Standing by the door, he blocked her escape, looking down at her with an unwavering gaze and a slight curve to his lips.
The sunlight was bright and warm, almost blinding. Lu Zhengting stood against the light, and Xia Yan half-lay in the back seat, having to lift her head to see him. She did, but still couldn't make out his features clearly. The bright light surrounded him, creating a halo-like glow that blurred his sharp, defined facial lines. Xia Yan blinked involuntarily, catching the mischievous glint in Lu Zhengting's deep eyes. Her heart tightened, and she felt a mix of anticipation and dread for what was to come.
If you stir up trouble, you have to be able to handle it.
No doubt about it—Xia Yan was fully capable of handling this.
The car was new, and the back seat was relatively spacious. From initial reluctance to reluctant acceptance, and finally to facing the challenge head-on, Xia Yan figured she had to make up for the losses from last night!
With that thought, the two of them turned the space into a battlefield, neither willing to give in. It seemed Xia Yan had a dominant side to her too.
Doing this in broad daylight was thrilling enough, and on top of that, it was outdoors, with the added novelty of a car. When it was over, both Lu Zhengting and Xia Yan were spent. Xia Yan forced herself to stay alert, glanced at Lu Zhengting, and said weakly, "Lu Zhengting, let's never do this again."
"Hmm?" Lu Zhengting held her close, agreeing readily. But when he got worked up again later, Xia Yan realized that a man's words during such moments were utterly untrustworthy! But that was a story for another time.
The car was filled with a faint scent. Xia Yan wrinkled her nose in disgust, feeling sticky all over. She shot Lu Zhengting a resentful look, the classic post-act ingratitude. Lu Zhengting was in a good mood and magnanimously let it slide. He draped his jacket over Xia Yan and, wearing a wrinkled white shirt she had rumpled, stepped into the driver's seat.
Xia Yan's throat was hoarse, and her whole body felt weak. Why did it seem like Lu Zhengting had an unusual amount of energy today? She closed her eyes, pretending to nap, but her mind couldn't help replaying their earlier encounter. They had almost been caught, and her tension had made Lu Zhengting's subsequent thrusts so intense that even her pleas for mercy were useless.