Xia Yan stayed at the company until after six o'clock before she started packing up to leave. During this time, Lu Zhengting still hadn't called her. She walked out of the company's main entrance, ran into the security guards, and smiled back at their friendly greetings. Slowly, she made her way to the roadside, gazing at the bustling traffic before her.
Lu Zhengting brought Xiaohan back to the Lu residence and only then realized Xia Yan hadn't returned yet. He frowned, glanced at his mother sitting nonchalantly on the sofa, and pulled out his phone from his pocket, pressing a few buttons. The battery was dead, and the phone had shut down. He turned and went back to his room, waiting for the phone to charge and power back on. After it did, a few notification tones sounded from text messages, which he ignored outright, and immediately dialed Xia Yan's number.
"Beep... beep... beep..."
Not answering? Lu Zhengting hung up in confusion and called again.
Xia Yan heard her phone ringing, but she was listlessly standing in front of a wedding dress shop, staring at the mannequins in the window—one in a white tuxedo, the other in a white wedding gown. Suddenly, a scene flashed through her mind: herself in a wedding dress standing before Lu Zhengting. But in an instant, that image was disrupted by Ke Yaru appearing beside them, wearing the same dress.
"Ring, ring, ring..."
The phone in her bag persisted, breaking Xia Yan's train of thought. She furrowed her brows slightly, pulled out her phone, and saw it was Lu Zhengting calling. She froze for a moment—this guy finally remembered her...
Her finger was about to slide to answer, but then she reconsidered. Lu Zhengting had left her hanging all afternoon while he went out with Ke Yaru. Annoyed, she chose to reject the call. Hanging up felt satisfying, and her mind conjured up an image of Lu Zhengting's angry face when he realized she wasn't picking up—it made her feel great!
Let him stew over not answering her call earlier, and then turning off his phone outright...
Xia Yan snorted, decisively switched her phone to silent mode, lingered a while longer at the wedding shop's entrance, and noticed the puzzled looks from the staff inside. Her face flushed slightly, and she awkwardly walked away from the shop, continuing down the street. As night fell and a chilly wind blew, Xia Yan felt the cold air sting her face like sharp cuts. She pulled her wool coat tightly closed, the wind lifting her hair and blowing it across her face, nearly blocking her vision. She pouted as a stray strand of hair fell from her lips.
This road was the commercial center, and about fifty meters ahead lay a large entertainment mall. Xia Yan's stomach growled loudly, and a flash of embarrassment crossed her face. Luckily, no one nearby noticed. She quickened her pace, heading into the mall to find a restaurant and grab a bite.
As the saying goes, "Food is the first necessity of the people; skip a meal, and you'll feel the pinch."
Once inside the mall, a wave of warmth hit her. Xia Yan shoved her hands into her coat pockets. Restaurants were usually on the fifth or sixth floor, so she opted for convenience and took the glass elevator straight to the fifth floor. She wasn't picky about food right now—anything edible would do—so she chose the first restaurant directly opposite the elevator doors.
Xia Yan picked a seat by the window. The restaurant didn't have a clear theme; to her, it seemed like a mix of Korean and Japanese cuisine. She ended up ordering Chinese food. When she finished ordering and looked up, she caught the waiter's incredulous expression. Glancing back at the menu, she realized she might have ordered a bit too much.
"Miss, are you sure you want this much food for just one person?"
"Huh? Let's go with this for now. That's all."
"Alright, please wait a moment." The waiter withdrew his gaze and left with the menu.
Xia Yan rested her chin on both hands, staring out the window at the night scene. The commercial district of Jiangcheng at night couldn't compare to the view along the Binjiang River, but it had its own charm—neon lights flickering, exuding a vibrant, lively atmosphere. The people on the streets were dressed fashionably, as if to showcase the area's energy.
Bored, Xia Yan picked up her phone and saw Lu Zhengting's missed calls. She pouted.
Lu Zhengting had no idea if Xia Yan was deliberately ignoring his calls or genuinely not hearing them. He sat on the edge of the bed, irritably tugging at his collar. After making over ten calls with no answer, he was certain Xia Yan was avoiding him. Frowning deeply, he called Ning Xi.
Ning Xi answered, his tone sounding off. "What's up?"
"Find out Xia Yan's exact location for me."
"You want to find Xia Yan? Just call her directly—why do you need me to track her down?"
"Just do it. Less chatter."
"Lu Zhengting, is that how you ask for help?" Ning Xi glanced at the mess in his living room, rubbing his temples in frustration. Zhan Meng had gone crazy, trashing the place and then vanishing.
Lu Zhengting's brow furrowed as he said coldly, "Five minutes. I want Xia Yan's exact location."
"Fine, fine, you're the boss, you call the shots..." Ning Xi didn't finish before Lu Zhengting hung up. A cat squatting at his feet meowed, occasionally scratching his pant leg with its claws, staring at him with round, amber eyes as if to say, "I'm hungry..."
Tracking Xia Yan's location was no challenge for Ning Xi; five minutes was more than enough. He sent the address to Lu Zhengting, adding a comment, "Did Xia Yan run away from home?"
He didn't expect a reply from Lu Zhengting, and sure enough, Lu Zhengting ignored the remark entirely.
Lu Zhengting pocketed his phone, grabbed his coat, and appeared in the living room. Ke Yaru and Jiang Mingxiu saw him and said in unison, "Zhengting, are you going out?"
Lu Zhengting grunted in response, put on his coat, and left with his car keys. Watching him go, Jiang Mingxiu raised her voice, calling after him, "Are you going to find that Xia Yan?"
No answer came. Jiang Mingxiu's face darkened as she sat on the sofa, looking at Ke Yaru. "He must be going to find her. That woman, out at this hour—who knows what she's up to!"
"Auntie, Zhengting might have urgent business to handle. With the New Year approaching, the company must have a lot to deal with."
"Oh, you... I don't know what to say to you."
"Auntie, I don't know what you mean."
"You know I'm talking about you and Zhengting. I think after the New Year, you two can get engaged first."
"Engaged?"
"Yaru, I've always said you're the perfect daughter-in-law in my eyes. That woman Xia Yan will never set foot in the Lu family." Hearing this, Ke Yaru smiled shyly and turned to play with Xiaohan.
******
Xia Yan had ordered a table full of dishes. When they all arrived, even she was startled, staring wide-eyed at the spread. She swallowed hard and, under the waiter's gaze, picked up her chopsticks and began eating slowly.
The restaurant wasn't busy. Xia Yan checked the time—it was well past dinner hour. Then she spotted Zhan Meng suddenly appearing at the entrance. Excited, she stood up and waved, but Zhan Meng wasn't looking her way. Xia Yan wanted to call her name but realized she'd forgotten it. After a pause, she sat back down, a bit frustrated.
Zhan Meng lingered at the restaurant entrance for a while, rubbing her stomach, before hesitantly walking in. She looked for an empty seat and ended up noticing Xia Yan by the window. She immediately waved off the waiter following her and approached Xia Yan.
"Hey, what a coincidence! Didn't expect to run into you here."
Xia Yan looked up, saw Zhan Meng, and broke into a smile. "Yeah, really coincidental. Are you alone? Want to join me?"
Zhan Meng glanced at the table, pointing at the dishes, and asked slowly, "Are you meeting a friend?"
Xia Yan smiled awkwardly. "Just me."
"Just you? That's perfect! I'm alone too. Let's share a table."
"Sure, that's what I was thinking."
Without hesitation, Zhan Meng pulled out a chair, plopped down, and asked the waiter for an extra set of utensils. "Why are you eating alone here with so much food? Aren't you worried you won't finish it?"
"Not worried, now that you're here. We'll both eat up."
Zhan Meng laughed heartily, leaned forward, and took the utensils from the waiter, lowering her voice. "I've got a big appetite. This is nothing for me. Don't worry, I'll finish it all."
Xia Yan just smiled, not taking her seriously. But when she watched Zhan Meng devour the food, she was stunned and gave her a thumbs-up. "How long have you been starving?"
"Not long, just a day—twenty-four hours."
"You didn't eat anything in twenty-four hours?"
"I did—I ate the chips Ning Xi left at home..."
"Ning Xi?"
"Yeah, Ning Xi didn't come to cook for me, so I had to go hungry."
"You mean you starved for a day because Ning Xi didn't cook for you?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"
Xia Yan blinked. "Why don't you cook for yourself?"
"Can't do it."
"Then you could order takeout or find a friend to eat with, like now."
"Friends? Eating's fine alone—why do you need a crowd?" Zhan Meng took a sip of chicken soup. "Xia Yan, this is good. Want some?"
"Oh, I'm full. You go ahead."
"You have such a small appetite and ordered all this?" Zhan Meng took another satisfied sip of soup, asking casually.