Xia Yan jolted awake. "How do you know? Did Xia Siyue tell you?"
Lin Xujia nodded. "She came by the dorm last night."
Hearing this, Xia Yan frowned deeply. That Xia Siyue just wouldn't give up!
After barely making it through class, Xia Yan yawned several times. Seeing this, Lin Xujia eyed her suspiciously with a sly grin. "Were you at Lu Zhengting's place last night?"
At first, Xia Yan didn't catch on and nodded, then shot Lin Xujia a glare and said seriously, "Nothing happened between us. Don't let your imagination run wild."
Lin Xujia leaned in and whispered, "Really?"
"Truer than gold," Xia Yan affirmed. After a pause, she remembered she only had morning classes today, with the afternoon free. She'd promised to make a cake for Xiaohan today. Casually picking up her books, she prepared to head back to the Xia family home.
"I'm off."
"Where are you going now?" Lin Xujia suddenly stood up and called after Xia Yan as she walked away.
"Home."
Before this, aside from school, Xia Yan only went between the Xia home and the hospital. Since Xia Minghui wasn't home now, she could take the chance to go back and make the cake. She walked to the school gate, hailed a taxi, and gave the address.
During the short ride, she dozed off a little, groggily recalling last night's events. Her cheeks flushed involuntarily, and she snapped her eyes open, feeling a headache coming on.
Not spotting the old lady or Xia Siyue, she quickly went to her room, changed clothes, and headed to the kitchen. The leftover ingredients from last time were almost gone, but luckily she'd had the foresight to buy more and store them at home, or she'd have to go out shopping again.
Knowing Xiaohan loved sweets, she hesitated briefly before following the same proportions as before, adding a bit more sugar.
She made two cakes—one for Xiaohan and one to take to the hospital later.
By the time the cakes were done, she still hadn't seen the old lady, which left her with some peace and quiet. She tidied up simply, picked up the two cakes, and left the Xia home leisurely. She took a taxi to the hospital first. At the hospital entrance, she initially thought about mailing the cake via courier like last time, but then reconsidered—she'd promised Lu Zhengting that morning to visit Xiaohan more when she had free time. It seemed she'd have to deliver the cake herself later.
In the hospital room, Xiao Lanzhi's face was deathly pale, her eyes sunken, looking utterly haggard. She only slowly opened her eyes when she knew Xia Yan had arrived, her fingers twitching slightly, tugging at the needle embedded in the back of her hand.
Even though Xia Yan saw this often, her heart still ached. Watching her mother waste away day by day, especially after each chemotherapy session when Xiao Lanzhi emerged so fragile she seemed like she'd shatter at the slightest touch. Her once-prized long hair had also been gradually falling out from the treatments. Xia Yan set the cake aside and walked to the bedside.
"Mom, I made cake today. Do you want some?"
"Leave it for now. I'm not hungry yet, don't feel like eating."
Xiao Lanzhi's voice was soft and gentle, but it tore at Xia Yan's heart. She held Xiao Lanzhi's hand, suppressing the tears threatening to burst out, and shared some lighthearted stories from school.
"Is everything okay at home?" Xiao Lanzhi said slowly.
Hearing this, Xia Yan hesitated, then nodded.
Xiao Lanzhi's energy didn't last long. After about half an hour, Xia Yan left the hospital. She walked down the street carrying the other cake. The midday sun was scorching; she never liked wearing skirts, even in the sweltering summer heat, sticking to short sleeves and long pants, with her hair tied up.
It was rush hour now. She walked a stretch with the cake, the hospital and the Lu residence being at opposite ends of the city. Her phone suddenly rang in her bag. She slowly pulled it out, glanced at the caller ID, and swiped her slender finger across the screen to answer.
"Sister Yan, didn't you say you'd make me a cake today?"
Xia Yan lifted her wrist to check the time. Xiaohan was just out of school at this hour—he really couldn't wait a moment.
"The cake's already done. I'll bring it over soon."
"How soon is 'soon'?" Xiaohan's precise questioning left Xia Yan a bit speechless.
"How about this: go home now, and I'll take a taxi over right away."
"Then I'll have them come pick you up!" As Xiaohan's words ended, Xia Yan heard him ordering others around on the phone. She rubbed her temples in exasperation.
"Sister Yan, where are you? You're not telling me."
Xia Yan frowned slightly. "I'll take a taxi myself. Be good and go home first."
Xia Yan completely underestimated Xiaohan's stubbornness. He kept pestering her on the phone, whining and getting angry, all just to get her address. Out of options, Xia Yan relented and gave him her location.
She gave in because Xiaohan said if he couldn't come get her, then his dad would.
Lu Zhengting? No way. She wasn't having that.
Lu Zhengting, inexplicably dismissed by Xia Yan, was sitting in his office when he sneezed for no reason. The secretary reporting to him at his desk froze, catching a glimpse of Lu Zhengting's sour expression, quickly averted his eyes, and continued his report stiffly.
"Tell Ke Yaru to come see me."
Lu Zhengting sat in his chair, his long, slender fingers lightly tapping the armrest, producing a dull rhythm. Suddenly, the image of Xia Yan completely naked flashed through his mind, followed by the physical reaction he'd had, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Ke Yaru knocked and entered, just catching the faint smile on Lu Zhengting's lips. Her heart skipped a beat. Ever since she learned a woman had appeared by Lu Zhengting's side, she'd had someone investigate her. Just a daughter of the Xia family, and in her eyes, the Xia family was nothing worth mentioning. As for Xia Yan, she'd seen photos—petite figure, at most passably pretty. Calling her beautiful would be a stretch.
She cleared her throat softly. When Lu Zhengting's gaze shifted to her, she immediately put on a light smile. "Zhengting, did you need me in the office for something?"
At that, Lu Zhengting's eyes sharpened instantly. Ke Yaru raised a hand to brush her hair, lowering her head slightly with a smile. "My mistake, I forgot we're at the company. Mr. Lu, is there something you need?"
"There's a business trip next week. Prepare for it; you'll represent the company."
"Next week? When exactly?"
"Wednesday, back on Sunday."
Ke Yaru's expression turned troubled as she looked at Lu Zhengting, then, as if thinking of something, she said softly, "Alright, I'll get ready now."
Just as she was about to leave, she turned back. "I'd like to visit Xiaohan after work today."
"Mm, I have things to handle. Go on your own."
The Lu residence was second nature to her. After work, Ke Yaru drove out of the company's underground parking lot and headed straight there.
When she arrived, she happened to see Xia Yan leaving the Lu residence. She parked the car under a tree, her eyes fixed on that petite figure. What was she doing here? And coming out of the Lu residence?
Once Xia Yan's figure disappeared, she got out of the car with a grim expression and entered the villa. In the living room, only Xiaohan was sitting on the sofa, eating cake.
"Auntie Ru, what are you doing here?" Xiaohan scooped a spoonful of cake into his mouth and said slowly to Ke Yaru.
"Don't you like Auntie Ru visiting you, Xiaohan? Why are you eating sweets again? Did you forget what Dad said? No too many sweets."
"This is different. Dad lets me eat this."
Hearing this, Ke Yaru recalled what she'd just seen. She sat on the sofa, ruffled Xiaohan's hair, picked up the spoon beside him, took a bite, and after a pause, probed, "Xiaohan, this cake is pretty good. Where did you buy it?"
Xiaohan grinned at Ke Yaru for a moment, then said mysteriously, "It's a secret recipe. I'm not telling you."
"So secretive? Can't even Auntie Ru know?"
"Like this?" Xiaohan set down the cake, as if thinking, then said softly, "It's Sister Yan. Her cake is really good. I love eating her cake."
Sister Yan? If she remembered correctly, the Sister Yan Xiaohan mentioned was undoubtedly Xia Yan.
"Does Xiaohan really like this Sister Yan?"
"Yeah, I do."
Countless women had come and gone around Lu Zhengting, but they didn't fall at his hands—they fell before the little demon in front of her. And this Xia Yan had actually won Xiaohan's favor. At the thought, the smile on her face stiffened. It seemed she had to be wary of Xia Yan.
She'd guarded this for so many years—how could she let anyone else barge in and ruin it?
Ke Yaru stayed at the Lu residence for dinner before leaving. Lu Zhengting hadn't returned during that time. She knew the Lu residence never let women stay overnight, herself included, which was why she'd never dared to take that step forward.
Xia Yan made a point of visiting the Lu residence in the afternoons to keep Xiaohan company, maintaining this routine for a month. Over that month, she was grateful not to run into Lu Zhengting at the Lu residence. The only thing that annoyed her was her frequent absences from school, and every time Lin Xujia saw her, she'd give her a knowing smirk, which really got under her skin.
In Lin Xujia's eyes, her relationship with Lu Zhengting was anything but ordinary. She'd tried to explain, but it was useless—Lin Xujia didn't believe her. Eventually, she stopped bothering, figuring the innocent had nothing to fear.
Xia Yan checked the time. Today's classes were packed. Before class even ended, Lin Xujia couldn't sit still, excitedly grabbing Xia Yan's hand, her voice brimming with joy. "Xia Yan, I heard today that Ye Yunchen is coming back in a few days."
"Brother Ye is coming back?" Xia Yan said in surprise.
Lin Xujia shot her a look like she was an idiot. "And you're supposed to be his good friend. I know he's coming back, and you don't?"