Xia Yan rolled her eyes as she thought about the creatures hiding behind the door—beings that, while not ferocious beasts, were even more terrifying than any monster. She started the car engine, gripped the steering wheel with both hands, and drove off with a flourish, leaving behind a stylish display for them to see.
The people hiding behind the door watched the car carrying their dream lover disappear from sight, sighing in unison while simultaneously envying Xia Yan for her good fortune in being with him.
When it came to driving, Xia Yan was a true novice, handling the car as if she were half-asleep. She paid no attention to the traffic around her, focusing only on speeding forward. Lu Zhengting could barely tolerate her fast driving, but her habit of making sharp turns was something he truly couldn't stand.
Not every time, but at least nine out of ten, he felt it was more dangerous than riding a roller coaster. Lu Zhengting rubbed his forehead in exasperation, glancing sideways at the woman who looked so excited. For others, driving was a pleasure; for her, it was a death wish.
Though her driving skills had improved significantly compared to when she first dared to hit the road.
Lu Zhengting couldn't bring himself to criticize her, so whenever Xia Yan wanted to drive, he had to be by her side.
Xia Yan weaved unsteadily along the road, pretending to be at ease as she glanced at Lu Zhengting, who looked utterly speechless. She said dismissively, "Lu Zhengting, I knew you were silently badmouthing my driving again!"
"What's the point of badmouthing if it doesn't help?"
"I know what you mean—you're saying I don't follow your instructions!"
"Xia Yan, focus on the road. Watch the car ahead."
"Are you getting sick of me?" Xia Yan instinctively slowed down, but her distraction caused her to accidentally hit the accelerator. Reacting in the shortest time possible, she slammed on the brakes abruptly.
The sudden jolt forward and back made Lu Zhengting's face darken like a thundercloud.
Xia Yan hung her head, too scared to look at Lu Zhengting. All she wanted was to find a hole to crawl into. Luckily, there weren't many cars on the road, so no accident occurred.
Lu Zhengting glanced at Xia Yan, who dared not lift her head, and said in a low voice, "Are you driving a bumper car?"
"I wish I were driving a bumper car..." Xia Yan muttered under her breath.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. Can I keep driving?" Xia Yan cautiously peeked one eye out to glance at the stern Lu Zhengting.
Hearing this and seeing Xia Yan's pitiful expression, Lu Zhengting swallowed the words of reproach that had reached his throat. Scolding her harshly would only make him feel bad, but not scolding her meant that if her driving skills led to an accident, he'd regret it forever.
After mulling it over, Lu Zhengting figured that since she was destined to be with him for life, worrying about such things was pointless.
Xia Yan, however, paid no attention to Lu Zhengting's thoughts. This time, she drove much better than before, keeping her speed between 20 and 30 miles per hour. Earlier, she had been racing; now, she was crawling like an ant.
On the wide road, everyone saw a car slowly passing by.
Xia Yan silently reflected on what had just happened. Though she knew it had been dangerous, she couldn't help blaming Lu Zhengting. It was all his fault—her mind was still fixated on those hungry women hiding behind the door!
Lu Zhengting noticed Xia Yan was distracted again and finally spoke coldly, "Pull over."
"What are you going to do? Walk?"
Walking was Xia Yan's first thought, and she couldn't help laughing at herself. It was more realistic for her to walk than for Lu Zhengting to do so.
Xia Yan pulled the car over, willingly gave up the driver's seat, and obediently sat in the passenger seat. Truth be told, she really wanted to keep driving.
Once Lu Zhengting took the wheel, his driving was worlds apart from Xia Yan's. The car's heater was on, making Xia Yan feel a bit stuffy. She touched her cheeks and found them warm.
Lu Zhengting drove straight to the mall.
When the car entered the mall's underground parking lot, Xia Yan was a bit confused. She turned to Lu Zhengting with a flushed face and asked, "Why are you bringing me here?"
"What else do you do at a mall?"
"Eat, shop, watch movies." As soon as she said it, she raised her hands to cover her mouth in mock surprise and added, "Are you taking me on a date?"
It seemed Xia Yan had guessed his intentions. Lu Zhengting immediately put on a stern face and walked ahead nonchalantly. At the elevator entrance, he noticed Xia Yan still standing by the car, staring at him. He coughed lightly, covering his mouth with his fist, and said, "Aren't you coming?"
Hearing this, Xia Yan snapped to attention, certain she hadn't misheard.
She was overjoyed inside but tried to appear calm, maintaining her usual expression as she slowly walked over to Lu Zhengting. She glanced at him and said, "You blockhead... ahem, I mean, why would you want to go on a date with me?"
Lu Zhengting couldn't be bothered to dwell on Xia Yan's half-finished sentence. He looked at her calmly and said, "You're my girlfriend. Isn't it normal to go on a date?"
"It should be normal, but coming from you, it feels so awkward."
Lu Zhengting shot her a cold glare, and Xia Yan quickly linked her arm through his, forcing a smile. "I misspoke. How could I use 'awkward' to describe it?"
Maybe "strange" would be more fitting than "awkward." Xia Yan decided to keep that thought to herself. If she said it out loud, Lu Zhengting would surely turn and leave immediately, and she didn't want that. To be honest, she and Lu Zhengting had never really had a proper date.
"Ding..."
"Hey, Lu Zhengting, don't go! The elevator's here. See, the doors are open. Get in." Afraid Lu Zhengting might change his mind, Xia Yan didn't hesitate. She moved behind him, placed her hands on his waist, and shoved him into the elevator.
Seeing this, Lu Zhengting looked down at Xia Yan, who had her head lowered. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, his eyes hiding a hint of affection. He let out a soft laugh and allowed Xia Yan to drag him along.
Xia Yan raised an eyebrow and sneaked a glance at him. Her heart felt like cotton candy, sweet enough to make him drop his usual composure. Pretending to be calm around Lu Zhengting was truly a test of acting skills. Right now, she couldn't possibly compete with someone who was always expressionless.
When the elevator doors opened, they were on the second floor of the mall. The second and third floors were dedicated to women's clothing, with styles that dazzled the eyes. Xia Yan knew there was a dessert shop around the corner on the left. It wasn't big, but it was famous for its ice cream.
Whenever she passed by and had time, she would stop for an ice cream.
Xia Yan loved sweets, not Lu Zhengting. So when he, a grown man, found himself holding an ice cream cone, he felt like the world was collapsing. Passersby kept glancing at him—who could imagine a man with a blank or disdainful expression holding an ice cream?
Lu Zhengting glared at the woman happily eating her ice cream. Earlier, Xia Yan had said that since it was a date, she got to call the shots...
Xia Yan felt perfectly justified in her actions. She shot a sly glance at Lu Zhengting and noticed his ice cream was starting to melt. For a moment, she felt a pang of sympathy.
She threw her trash into the bin and returned to Lu Zhengting's side, unaware of the ice cream residue on her lips.
"Stop." Lu Zhengting's sudden low voice startled Xia Yan, freezing her in place. She turned her head in surprise.
"Stand still. Don't move." Lu Zhengting took out a tissue and gently wiped the area above Xia Yan's lips. Seeing her stunned expression, he couldn't help but laugh. "There, all done."
"Lu Zhengting, you scared me to death!"
The second floor was crowded, mostly with women. Some sharp-eyed shoppers seemed to recognize Lu Zhengting but weren't sure. Still, a man like him naturally drew attention.
Xia Yan glanced around, grabbed Lu Zhengting's hand, and pulled him closer. Through gritted teeth, she said, "You should go to Korea!"
"Xia Yan."
It sounded like someone was calling her name. Xia Yan let go and looked around again. Ye Yunchen stood in the crowd, staring at her with burning eyes. She should have felt warmth, but instead, she felt a chill colder than the dead of winter.
Lu Zhengting dropped his gentle demeanor, unleashing his full dominance. His sharp gaze locked onto Ye Yunchen. When he saw Xia Yan take a step forward, he instinctively grabbed her hand and said in a low voice, "Stay right here."
"Shouldn't I go say hello?"
"Xia Yan, don't forget the past."
Lu Zhengting's words made Xia Yan pause. Her mind flashed back to what had happened that day—like a TV drama, where someone appeared out of nowhere just when things seemed hopeless, turning everything around.
Ye Yunchen saw Xia Yan stop in her tracks and smiled bitterly. Lin Xujia returned to his side with two ice creams, noticing his expression. She looked up and followed his gaze, spotting Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting standing together.
Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting? It was true that enemies were destined to meet.
Seeing Lin Xujia appear was even more shocking to Xia Yan than seeing Ye Yunchen. If she remembered correctly, wasn't this the woman who had publicly denounced Ye Yunchen in front of the reporters? And yet, here she was with him.
Lin Xujia glanced at them, smiled slightly, and walked straight toward Xia Yan. "Xia Yan, we haven't seen each other since that incident."
"That's true. After you were taken away that day, I looked for you."
"Really? But it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Lin Xujia said with a smile.
Xia Yan looked at Lu Zhengting, thought for a moment, and said, "Give me an hour."
Lu Zhengting nodded. Without another word, Xia Yan grabbed Lin Xujia's hand—whether she wanted to come or not—and dragged her into the elevator, heading to the café upstairs.