Lu Zhengting knew that Xia Yan was by the river near the church, so he drove from the Xia family home to the riverside again. Since this area was designated for setting off fireworks, there were many police officers patrolling about a hundred meters from the church, blocking off the walkways and vehicles. Lu Zhengting parked his car in the designated spot and walked through the crowded人群, frowning slightly. Seeing the smiles on the faces around him, he seemed somewhat unaccustomed to this atmosphere.
The wind blowing off the river made it even colder. Although Xia Yan was dressed warmly and thickly, her fear of the cold made her instinctively wrap her arms around herself.
A woman standing alone by the river in the cold winter wind, especially on New Year's Eve, inevitably drew some stares. Xia Yan ignored them all uniformly. She glanced at the people who occasionally looked her way—the same group of girls who had been gathering to release sky lanterns earlier. She pursed her lips and gave a faint smile.
Seeing this, one of the girls, probably realizing Xia Yan had noticed them watching, blushed and quickly pulled her companions away.
Lu Zhengting pushed through the sea of people and found Xia Yan by the river. In his line of sight, she stood not far away, slightly bent over, her hands resting on the railing. Her flowing hair was blown by the wind, and when strands likely stuck to her lips or face, she raised a hand to tuck the hair behind her ear, revealing an ear reddened from the cold.
Xia Yan's thoughts were still wandering when suddenly she felt a pair of exceptionally strong arms wrap around her from behind. The touch was incredibly gentle, as if she were a fragile porcelain doll, pulling her softly into his embrace.
A faint scent of cologne mixed with tobacco surrounded her. She pursed her lips, the corners curving upward, and naturally leaned back, placing her hands over Lu Zhengting's. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "How did you know I was here?"
In truth, Xia Yan had only told Lu Zhengting she was by the river near the church, without specifying her exact location. Yet he had found her without error. Surprised, and feeling happy with him by her side, she smiled as she asked.
She didn't expect him to answer; Lu Zhengting's personality meant he only replied to what he wanted to, staying silent on anything else.
"With a heart-to-heart connection, I'll always find you," Lu Zhengting said, lowering his eyes slightly, his chin resting on Xia Yan's head. Feeling her turn her head, he seemed to guess her inner thoughts and couldn't help but smile.
Xia Yan was stunned herself. She had no resistance to Lu Zhengting's sweet talk, especially in a moment like this.
The sight of the handsome man and beautiful woman together indeed drew many eyes. Some photography enthusiasts even cautiously approached, trying to take their picture. Knowing Lu Zhengting disliked being photographed, Xia Yan declined.
She turned and looped her arms around his neck, her clear eyes fixed on his black-and-white pupils. His eyes seemed to spark, and Xia Yan was momentarily dazed. When she came to, she saw the smile in his eyes and shot him a playful glare, saying softly, "There's only an hour left. Tonight will be over soon."
"Mm, how about we do something meaningful?"
"Something meaningful?" Xia Yan pondered his words, catching the mischievous glint in his eyes. Her mind clicked, and she rolled her eyes. "No."
"Really not?"
"Go by yourself if you want."
Lu Zhengting laughed heartily, pulling Xia Yan close by the shoulder, ending that meaningful topic.
In another hour, they would truly step into a brand-new year.
In Lu Zhengting's usual life, work occupied almost all his time. Walking hand in hand with Xia Yan along the riverbank like this was a first in his life. Xia Yan wasn't talkative, and Lu Zhengting's words often led her thoughts in that direction.
They hadn't walked far along the river when Xia Yan led him to the church. The crowd there was half again as large as it had been around eight or nine o'clock. Seeing this, Lu Zhengting pressed close to Xia Yan, pulling her into his arms. Whenever he noticed another man's gaze lingering on her, his dominant aura would unceremoniously flare, intimidating anyone who dared look her way.
Xia Yan was unaware of all this. If she knew, she would have burst out laughing on the spot.
Among the crowd were many vendors, mostly selling fireworks. Xia Yan walked straight over to pick out a firework tube, planning to set it off later. Without her needing to say a word, Lu Zhengting automatically reached for his wallet, paid, and led her away.
After some dawdling, Xia Yan hugged the firework tube and blinked at Lu Zhengting. "You go, or should I?"
Asking the obvious. Lu Zhengting gave her a doting look. "Stay here and wait. I'll go."
"Hehe, I'll wait right here. Be careful."
Xia Yan had initially wanted to go with him, but then thought better of it—she felt a bit nervous.
With one minute until midnight, the large clock atop the church had begun its countdown. The ticking sounds stirred a thrill in Xia Yan's heart. She glanced at the people around her, all wearing expressions of excitement and joy. She smiled to herself and tightened her grip on Lu Zhengting's hand.
"Three, two, one..."
The gathered crowd shouted in unison, their voices booming and deafening. As the final count fell, the dark sky over Jiangcheng seemed to ignite in an instant. Fireworks shot up from the ground one after another, bursting into various shapes before fading into the darkness.
The booming explosions and human screams filled Xia Yan's ears. She closed her eyes for the last three seconds, and when she opened them, she instinctively looked at the person beside her. In that glance, it felt like a moment that lasted a thousand years. She saw the depth in his eyes and her own reflection in his pupils. Overcome, she couldn't help but rise on her tiptoes, tilting her head to kiss his lips.
With her eyes closed, she felt his gaze on her. When she opened them, a slight turn of her head showed her that the person she loved was looking back at her. It was a strange, thrilling sensation.
At that moment, even the sky full of fireworks paled in comparison to Lu Zhengting's star-bright eyes.
In the darkness, it seemed a pair of eyes were fixed on Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting. Hidden in the crowd not far away, their gaze was sharp and cold.
Ke Yaru stared intently at Lu Zhengting's hand. She had followed him since he left the house, trailing him to every place he went, including where he and Xia Yan appeared. She watched their every move, and this sweet scene pushed her over the edge, gnashing her teeth in hatred.
If before she had believed Lu Zhengting would ultimately choose her, allowing her to act recklessly, now she knew clearly that unless she eliminated Xia Yan, she would never have a chance at him.
She stopped following and disappeared into the crowd. Back in her car, Ke Yaru gripped her phone until her fingers turned white. She had to suppress her anger and not act impulsively. At least she knew Jiang Mingxiu was on her side. As for Lu Zhengting, she just needed to maintain her usual facade and not let him catch on.
With that thought, Ke Yaru recalled Ye Yunchen's earlier call and his words. Without a doubt, this was something she could handle.
Starting the engine, she drove straight to find Ye Yunchen.
Ye Yunchen wasn't surprised at all to see Ke Yaru coming to him, as if he had expected it—it was only a matter of time.
In the study, they sat facing each other, neither speaking first, each testing the other's thoughts. Ye Yunchen took off his glasses, wiped the lenses gently, and squinted at Ke Yaru. After a pause, he smiled. "Miss Ke, coming to me now means you agree?"
"Exactly. What else would I be here for?"
"Looks like something has provoked you."
"What provoked me is none of your business. All you need to know is that I agree with your plan."
"Fine. I've already explained the general approach. I trust Miss Ke won't disappoint me."
"Rest assured. On your end, don't let me see a repeat of last time. I advise you to clean up your loose ends." Ke Yaru said displeasedly.
At this, a flicker of unease crossed Ye Yunchen's face. The incident she referred to was indeed his oversight. He had calculated everything except Lin Xujia choosing to expose him, and Lu Zhengting had traced it back to Coco sooner than he'd estimated. After a pause, Ye Yunchen clasped his hands on the desk and smiled at Ke Yaru. "Didn't Coco take the fall for you?"
Ke Yaru frowned. "Do you know where Coco is now?"
"Of course not. Wasn't she blacklisted by Lu Zhengting in the industry?"
"Ye Yunchen, you'd better not know Coco's whereabouts," Ke Yaru said coldly.
Coco was just a minor figure in the finance department, incapable of accessing company secrets. After learning Coco liked Ye Yunchen, Ke Yaru had tacitly allowed him to use her to get close to the new project manager, secretly feeding information to the manager and then to Coco, who passed it to Ye Yunchen. He then connected all the dots, pointing the blame at Xia Yan.
Throughout, Ke Yaru kept herself uninvolved. Even when Coco and the project manager were investigated one after another, she remained untouched.