Upon hearing this, Zhan Meng thought for a moment. "True, Ning Xi alone can handle ten people, and besides, Ning Nan and the others are there. If Ning Xi really gets beaten up, they probably wouldn't just stand by and watch."
"What are you muttering about?"
"What?"
"I said, what are you mumbling about by yourself?"
"Oh, nothing. You're heading home now, right? I'll walk you back."
"You'll walk me back? Why don't you just move in and stay at my place?"
"Forget it. I don't want to see Uncle's stern face. Besides, I enjoy the freedom of living alone."
Zhan Meng decisively rejected Feng Yuan's suggestion. Spotting an empty cab approaching, she hurriedly waved her hand, but instead of stopping, a black Maybach pulled up in front of them. Zhan Meng glanced at it and knocked on the window. "Hey buddy, are you blocking our way?"
Ning Xi sat in the car, vaguely seeing Zhan Meng's lips moving outside. Just as her patience was wearing thin, he suddenly rolled down the window, revealing a forced smile, his eyes fixed on her frozen expression. "Surprised? Shocked?"
"Shocked my foot, it's terrifying! Ning Xi, what are you doing here?"
"How dare you ask me why I'm here? Where else should I be? You actually dared to sneak away while I wasn't looking?" Ning Xi said angrily.
"Fine, I admit sneaking off was my fault, but think about it—even if I stayed, I wouldn't have been any help. I might have even been a burden, right?"
"So I should thank you?"
"No need for gratitude, but I need a ride from you to take her home." Zhan Meng pointed at the silent Feng Yuan beside her.
Ning Xi rolled his eyes. "No way."
Ignoring Zhan Meng's expression, he started the car. But Zhan Meng glared at him and suddenly rushed in front of the vehicle. "Ning Xi, open the door now, or you'll have to drive over me."
Ning Xi stuck his head out the window, glaring at her. "Are you crazy?"
If he had actually stepped on the gas, this woman might really be lying on the ground.
Zhan Meng smiled, knowing Ning Xi had given in. Without another glance at him, she dragged Feng Yuan into the car, nudged the dazed Feng Yuan, and winked. "Where do you live?"
"Don't you already know..." Feng Yuan, seeing Zhan Meng winking and signaling, cut herself off mid-sentence. Staring at the back of Ning Xi's head, she casually gave an address.
"You're from the Feng family?" Ning Xi asked with a frown.
Feng Yuan didn't seem surprised at all and nodded at Ning Xi.
Ning Xi glanced sideways at the woman beside Feng Yuan, who was pretending to be a statue, and paused before asking, "How did Miss Feng and Zhan Meng meet?"
"Me and my cou—"
"Ow..." Zhan Meng pinched Feng Yuan's thigh hard.
"Miss Feng, we only met tonight, right?"
Hearing this, Feng Yuan was puzzled but followed Zhan Meng's script. "Yeah, Zhan Meng and I met tonight."
"Is that so?" Ning Xi asked skeptically.
"Ning Xi, why are you so talkative tonight? Interrogating me? Do you like me? Trying to get to know me better?"
"Zhan Meng, have some shame, will you? Me liking you? I'd rather like a sow than you."
"Remember that. Be careful not to end up in my hands. And let me tell you, do you think I'd like you?"
Ning Xi's confident words that night would later come back to slap him in the face, and Zhan Meng would bring it up countless times.
Feng Yuan stayed silent throughout, maintaining an elegant and reserved demeanor like a proper lady. Ning Xi dropped her off outside the Feng family estate. Once she got out, he immediately turned around with a serious face to Zhan Meng, who was grinning at him. "I don't believe a single word you two said."
"Oh, well, if you don't believe me, I can't help it. I'm telling the truth. You know I have a chivalrous streak—I love helping those in need. Miss Feng and I really did just meet tonight." Zhan Meng spoke without blinking, her face full of sincerity as she looked at Ning Xi helplessly, as if his disbelief was genuinely upsetting to her.
Ning Xi frowned and restarted the engine. He still didn't believe a word Zhan Meng said.
Back at the apartment, Ning Xi thought it over and decisively cornered Zhan Meng at her door, trapping her in his arms and looking down at her. "Zhan Meng, how much of what you say can I actually believe?"
"That's a great question. I can honestly tell you, you can believe every word I say."
"Like when you say you're an orphan? Honestly, I don't believe that at all."
"See, you don't believe me. That's your problem. Why don't you just have someone investigate me? Aren't you the third young master of the Ning family? Isn't it easy for you to dig up someone's background?" Zhan Meng said fearlessly, smiling. Even if Ning Xi wanted to investigate, it would take time.
"Stubborn as a mule."
"Haha... tonight was a bit intense. I'm realizing it's really draining." Zhan Meng's subtext was that she wanted to shower and sleep.
Ning Xi glanced at her, released his hand from the door, and stepped aside to let her pass.
******
The next day, at dawn, the sky was gray and overcast, with clouds drifting over the city. Winter in Jiang City didn't bring snow, but it often brought drizzling rain. Compared to Northern City's dry cold, Jiang City's damp cold felt worse, though to Xia Yan, both were equally chilly. Rain made it even colder. She wondered if she'd forgotten to close the window last night, as a cold wind kept seeping in.
She squinted, turned over, and snuggled toward a warm spot, a small smile curling at her lips.
Xiao Han was woken by Xia Yan's movements as she scooted closer. He opened his sleepy eyes to see her smiling at him with half-closed lids. Rubbing his eyes, he was a bit slow to react. He touched the blanket, noticed Xia Yan seemed to be moving, hesitated, blinked his big eyes, and cautiously leaned close to her lips. From her mouth, he heard his father's name: Lu Zhengting.
Hearing this, Xiao Han was startled at first, then had a bright idea. Throwing off the blanket, he reached for the phone on the nightstand and quickly recorded it while Xia Yan was still murmuring. Then he lay back down for a bit more sleep. The rain came quietly, pattering against the windowsill with a pleasant sound. When Xia Yan rubbed her eyes awake, the bed was clearly empty except for her. Groggily, she got up, walked to the window, and pulled open the curtains, realizing it was raining again in Jiang City.
The rain, which had stopped for less than three days, had returned. Compared to rainy days, Xia Yan preferred overcast ones—neither hot nor cold.
She opened the door and stepped into the living room, hearing a gentle female voice reporting the morning news on TV. Frowning, she took a few more steps forward but didn't see Xiao Han. Her gaze was involuntarily drawn to a figure in the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes hard, unable to believe what she was seeing.
It was only seven in the morning. Why was Lu Zhengting here?
Xiao Han darted out of the kitchen, ran up to Xia Yan, and hugged her waist as usual. "Sister Yan, are you hungry? Wait a bit longer—Dad's almost done cooking."
Xia Yan looked down at Xiao Han grinning at her. With a woman's intuition, she felt his smile held deeper meaning, hiding some secret she didn't know. She pinched his cheek. "When did Dad get here?"
"About six-thirty, I think? I'm not sure. When I woke up, Dad was already in the kitchen."
"You don't know when your dad arrived?"
"Of course not—I was sleeping soundly too."
Xia Yan didn't dwell on the topic with Xiao Han, having learned from experience that talking to him often led to being subtly led into traps.
She told Xiao Han to go play in the living room while she went to the kitchen, leaning against the wall and staring intently at Lu Zhengting, who was cooking in an apron. She couldn't help blinking, a sweet smile spreading across her lips. "Why are you here?"
Lu Zhengting pursed his lips, a hint of a smile playing on his face. "I heard someone was dreaming about me."
Xia Yan looked at him in confusion, then suddenly a scene flashed through her mind—Lu Zhengting holding her as they slept, then waking up to find him cooking in the kitchen...
But wasn't that just her dream last night? Thinking it over, Xia Yan's face flushed slightly as she tried to act calm. "What dream?"
Lu Zhengting saw through her but didn't call her out. Glancing at her, he suddenly pulled her into his arms, kissed her on the lips, and said, "Go get ready."
"Lu Zhengting! Xiao Han is still in the living room!"
"Hmm?" Lu Zhengting withdrew his hand and continued stirring the porridge in the pot.
"I said Xiao Han is in the living room. If he accidentally walks in and sees this, I'll..."
"Don't worry, Xiao Han won't mind."
Xia Yan rolled her eyes. "I'm not worried about whether Xiao Han minds—I'm worried he'll pick up your shamelessness."
Lu Zhengting didn't argue, glancing at her. "Don't you like my shamelessness?"
"Get lost. I don't like it at all."
"Really?" Lu Zhengting asked seriously again.
"Yes, I don't like it one bit."
Lu Zhengting smiled, a hint of mischief in it that sent a shiver down Xia Yan's spine. His clear, dark eyes were usually sharp and unfathomable, but when a flicker of charm passed through them, he became even more captivating, as if proving the saying: bad boys attract good girls.