Lu Zhengting didn't directly answer Xia Yan's question, only nodding with a grunt in acknowledgment. Seeing him like this, Xia Yan felt doubtful but didn't press further, because at least Lu Zhengting had now clearly indicated that Ke Yaru wasn't Xiaohan's mother. So who was Xiaohan's biological mother?
Lu Zhengting looked down at Xia Yan from his height, lost in thought, as if deliberating whether to tell her. However, considering that the investigation had uncovered new leads—though the results remained a mystery so far—he was certain that Xia Minghui was inextricably linked to Xu Guang's death back then. As for why he had gone to Yang Jinkuan to discuss this matter, it vaguely made Lu Zhengting realize that Yang Jinkuan was also tied to those past events.
Xia Yan, puzzled, stared at the man deep in contemplation, pouting. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she reached out and grabbed his tie, saying fiercely, "Lu Zhengting, do you have any idea what I was thinking this afternoon when I couldn't find you? Do you know what I saw in the pho—"
Lu Zhengting narrowed his eyes at Xia Yan, who quickly lowered her head, and uttered a single word, "Pho?"
"I meant..." Xia Yan's gaze darted around nervously, her eyes shifting as she scrambled to find an excuse for her slip of the tongue. After a few seconds of silence, a flash of inspiration crossed her mind, but before she could speak, Lu Zhengting shot her a look that was both threatening and warning, leaving her to figure it out on her own.
Xia Yan's nose itched, and she reached up to scratch it. "I'll come clean. Basically, here's what happened: you asked me to find and hand over the documents on Runfeng, right? So this afternoon, I went back to the company, sorted and prepared the materials, and then headed to your office. But I didn't see you—I ran into Secretary Zhou instead. I asked her where you were. She checked your schedule and said she didn't know. Later, back in my office, I suddenly got a message from Xia Siyue—it was a photo."
Xia Yan gestured animatedly as she recounted the afternoon's events to Lu Zhengting, finally getting to the point. Lu Zhengting felt a headache coming on. When had this woman picked up Ning Xi's habit of rambling on with a bunch of nonsense, when the real gist was just that she'd received a photo from Xia Siyue?
But Xia Yan wasn't Ning Xi, so she didn't get the same treatment from Lu Zhengting. She chattered on freely, and Lu Zhengting didn't interrupt, his bright eyes fixed on her, making it seem like he was listening intently.
"Here, this is the photo Xia Siyue sent me. You can see how Ke Yaru looks at you—it's just brimming with affection. Even I couldn't help but be moved." Xia Yan's tone was tinged with sourness, soft and whiny, as she handed her phone to Lu Zhengting and glanced at his expression. Why was he so calm?
"Xiaohan wanted cake, so I took him to get some. If you go home now, you might still catch the cake he saved for you."
"No." Xia Yan looked at Lu Zhengting and added, "If I go home now, I might run into Ke Yaru."
"That sour, huh?"
"Yeah, got a problem with that? Well, fine. I actually went to see Brother Ye today. I didn't expect him to be working so hard at Xia Corporation—even harder than when he was at Lu Corporation. Why do you think that is?" Xia Yan said with a grin. The moment she mentioned Ye Yunchen, Lu Zhengting's face darkened. Her words were clearly a test, probing what role he had played in Ye Yunchen's dismissal from Lu Corporation back then.
Lu Zhengting raised an eyebrow and glanced at Xia Yan. "Testing me?"
"What if I said yes?" Xia Yan smiled, reaching up to wrap her arms around Lu Zhengting's neck, practically hanging off him. She tilted her head up and gently bit his chin—a move that seemed long premeditated.
Lu Zhengting's body stiffened, and he gave a wry smile. "No need to test me. That's a matter for HR. If you want to know, I'll have someone look into it tomorrow. But right now, we don't need to discuss that. What we need to talk about is how to deal with the fire you've started."
"Is there a fire at home? I don't see it."
"The fire's right here, waiting for you to put it out."
Lu Zhengting took Xia Yan's hand and pressed it against the spot below his abdomen. A wave of heat hit her, and her mind went blank. Her cheeks flushed, and she glared at him. "How can you be such a pervert?"
All she'd done was bite his chin—how had that started a fire? And why did she have to be the one to deal with it?
"If I weren't a pervert, would you still like me?" Lu Zhengting's lips curled into a sly grin as he stared at Xia Yan.
"I just bit your chin, and you react this strongly. If I bit somewhere else, you'd be burning with lust. And why do I have to handle it? Don't you have those legendary hands?"
"Don't I have you?"
"Lu Zhengting, don't be so wicked, okay? You're creeping me out."
Xia Yan's words were cut off as Lu Zhengting wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her up, forcing her onto her tiptoes. In moments like this, the height difference between them always seemed both endearing and torturous.
Xia Yan didn't back down, and Lu Zhengting's pace was swift.
They stumbled from the living room wall onto the sofa, Xia Yan's head spinning. Suddenly, a chill hit her, making her shiver. Blinking, she realized that most of their clothes had been shed, explaining why she felt both hot and cold.
The battlefield moved from the living room to the bedroom, then to the balcony. The apartment, remodeled by Lu Zhengting, bore his unique style in every detail—a hint of coldness mixed with passion. A cold breeze swept across the balcony, lifting the gray-and-white sheer curtains, and on the dark blue sheets, the faint outlines of their struggle could still be seen.
Outside, the moon cast a clear, cold light, its surrounding stars dimmed as if overshadowed. The clouds around the moon seemed like guards accompanying its solitude. If the moon palace truly existed, it must house a breathtakingly beautiful goddess.
Moonlight filtered through the curtain gaps into the room, where two intertwined figures lay. Xia Yan's soft, breathy moans filled the space, mingled with Lu Zhengting's low, hoarse growls, as if even the moon was shyly hiding behind the clouds.
Late at night, in the dead silence, Jiangcheng—a city famed for its nightscape—gradually fell asleep. The streets were empty, with only the west wind rustling the leaves and the streetlights casting mottled shadows. The world was so quiet it felt both beautiful and lonely.
But Ke Yaru, in the Dongshan Villa, couldn't sleep in such stillness. She, too, had received the message from Xia Siyue. Honestly, in her memory, this was one of the rare photos of her and Lu Zhengting together. In it, his eyes were full of adoration—even if that adoration wasn't directed at her, she could imagine he was looking at her.
Ke Yaru understood Xia Siyue's intentions well. So when she watched Lu Zhengting leave the villa, her mood soured. She hoped Xia Yan would make a scene with him over it, because she knew Lu Zhengting was never good at explaining and was far too proud.
Yet, waiting at the villa like she was hoping for a star or the moon, she never saw Lu Zhengting storm back in anger. Ke Yaru stayed awake all night, listening for any sound outside. That night, she knew Xia Yan hadn't come home, and neither had Lu Zhengting. When dawn broke, she threw off the covers, got out of bed, shed her thick robe, and walked expressionlessly to the balcony. She opened the window, and the cold wind rushed in, dispelling all the warmth in the room.
******
Xia Yan opened her eyes to the first rays of sunlight and saw Lu Zhengting lying beside her, his sleeping face still handsome. Her hazy eyes locked onto his eyes, nose, and lips, and the corners of her mouth curved into a tender smile. Pausing, she tried to pull her hand out from under the covers, but Lu Zhengting held it against his chest. Seeing this, she felt incredibly happy.
Lu Zhengting opened his eyes and looked at Xia Yan, her face brimming with undisguised love. His low, hoarse voice seemed to carry a hint of laughter and warmth as he tugged at the blanket covering them and leaned close to her ear. "Sweetheart, awake?"
"Mmm..." Xia Yan replied softly, her voice gentle. She felt a tickle on her neck and couldn't help but shift, but then froze, glaring at Lu Zhengting. "What are you doing so early in the morning?"
"Rising with the rooster."
"Annoying! Move—I need to get up." Last night had been a bit intense, and Xia Yan felt like the residual heat hadn't fully dissipated. She slapped Lu Zhengting's arm wrapped around her and added, "Come on, get up. You have an eight-thirty meeting to attend today."
Lu Zhengting grunted in response but still held her waist, showing no sign of letting go. His half-closed eyes gave him a lazy look, yet it didn't diminish his innate nobility. Xia Yan tilted her head, almost drowning again in his deep gaze.
"Lu Zhengting, lying in bed like this really doesn't match your image."
At that, Lu Zhengting was silent for a long moment, showing no embarrassment. He kept his gaze fixed on Xia Yan, full of affection, and the corners of his mouth lifted. Suddenly, he flipped over, pinning her beneath him. Seeing her flustered, he let out a low laugh, then leaned down to place an incredibly gentle kiss on her lips.
Xia Yan thought, why was she so infatuated with Lu Zhengting? Was it because he always gave her a slap and then a candy? She blinked, moved her lips, and looked up at his flawless features, once again deeply realizing what it meant to be drawn in by extraordinary ability and talent, only to be captivated by looks.