From the outside, the quiet and sprawling villa appeared empty, pitch-black, hiding everything within. Through an open window, the cold wind from the west swept into the living room, causing the curtains to flutter faintly. As they swayed, a shadowy figure could be vaguely discerned.
Yang Jinkuan raised his hand; the cigarette pinched between his fingers burned freely, its faint ember flickering in the darkness. He squinted, casting a sidelong glance at the phone set aside. Its glowing screen was strikingly conspicuous.
The phone rang again. The expression on Yang Jinkuan’s face seemed far from pleasant. He answered the call, and the person on the other end immediately spoke in an urgent tone.
“How did it go?”
“It didn’t succeed tonight, but since I promised you this, I won’t let you down.”
“Not succeeding means failure? Do you think I want to hear that answer?”
“Next time, I won’t disappoint you.”
“Fine. Remember your words. I hope I’ll hear good news next time.”
Yang Jinkuan hung up the phone wearily, his eyes seemingly vacant as he stared at the clouds in the sky. Lu Zhengting, whether in the shadows or in the open, had brutally halved his influence.
There was no denying that Lu Zhengting’s methods were far more ruthless than his older brother Lu Jingchen’s. At least for now, Lu Zhengting showed no signs of backing down.
Stubbing out his cigarette, Yang Jinkuan abruptly turned and headed to the study. After being suppressed by Lu Zhengting for so long, it was time for him to strike back.
The moment Yang Jinkuan made a move, Lu Zhengting received word immediately.
Jiang City was now a calm surface hiding turbulent undercurrents.
The slumbering night enveloped the entire city. By four or five in the morning, the myriad lights of the city had gone out, though the street lamps still illuminated their small patches of ground. The streets were empty, devoid of a single soul. A gust of wind rustled the leaves, carrying a chill that made the scene eerily unsettling.
Lu Zhengting had exhausted every effort to soothe Xia Yan, who had been throwing a tantrum after watching a horror movie. Perhaps the few days apart had been too painful for them, so tonight, neither went home. Instead, they holed up in Xia Yan’s small apartment. As for the so-called battlefield, it was everywhere.
Every corner of the apartment had become a fiery battleground for the two.
In the modestly sized room, walls painted in a blend of white and gray, paired with ocean-blue floor-to-ceiling curtains, evoked a sense of the sea, soothing the mind. On the pristine double bed, two figures lay, the blanket revealing their intertwined toes.
The faint moonlight, slipping through the not-quite-closed curtains, timidly illuminated the gray wool rug at the foot of the bed. Xia Yan’s slender arm rested outside the blanket, deliberately pressing against Lu Zhengting’s chest as if asserting her dominance. Her face, mostly hidden by her hair, was buried in the crook of Lu Zhengting’s arm. If one listened closely, a faint breath could be heard.
Lu Zhengting wrapped one arm tightly around Xia Yan, pulling her into his embrace. His chin rested on the top of her head. As the moonlight shifted, it fell upon his face.
His features were fully revealed. Though his eyes were closed in deep sleep, his cool, aloof demeanor was accentuated. The sharpness and dominance were softened, replaced by a gentle warmth, yet his inherent nobility remained palpable. His straight nose and sensual thin lips seemed to hint at a pleasant dream, the corners of his mouth curving upward.
Time was infinitely beautiful, the essence lying in their embrace, feeling each other’s heartbeats, possessing each other’s hearts and bodies.
The next day, as dawn broke, the sky just began to show a hint of pale white. The cold night wind had yet to fade when the morning chill arrived. A sudden thick fog blanketed every corner of Jiang City, mist swirling above the skyline, obscuring half of the towering buildings. At first glance, it looked like a mirage.
Xia Yan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as a ringing sound broke the room’s silence. Squinting, she nudged Lu Zhengting beside her. When he didn’t respond, she yawned, reached for the phone on the nightstand, and answered it without checking whose it was.
“Where are you?”
“Is there something you need?”
“Who are you? I’m looking for Lu Zhengting!”
“Looking for Lu Zhengting? He’s still…” Xia Yan trailed off slowly, then suddenly snapped awake, staring at the ceiling and chandelier above. Listening to the voice on the phone, she froze completely. Was the caller asking for Lu Zhengting?
She glanced at the phone in her hand and instantly stiffened. It wasn’t her phone—it was Lu Zhengting’s. More importantly, the person calling him was his mother, Jiang Mingxiu.
Realizing this, Xia Yan nearly flung the phone away.
First thing in the morning—did it have to be this thrilling?
She hesitated, saying nothing, but clearly heard Jiang Mingxiu’s voice. Xia Yan immediately turned to wake the still-sleeping Lu Zhengting, only to find him already awake, staring at her.
“When did you wake up? Why didn’t you say anything? Do you know that was your mother calling? Do you know I answered it half-asleep? Do you know she now knows we…” Xia Yan blurted out in a rapid, unbroken stream.
“I know.”
“You know and you pretended to sleep! You let me answer on purpose!?” As soon as she finished, Xia Yan remembered the call was still active. Hastily, she shoved the hot potato at Lu Zhengting. “Answer it!”
She had been exhausted to death last night, only to be startled awake this morning. Now, she had no trace of sleepiness left. Feeling the ache screaming through her entire body, she shot Lu Zhengting a glare, threw off the covers, and headed to the bathroom without looking back.
She didn’t know what Lu Zhengting said to Jiang Mingxiu. When she came out of the bathroom, his face showed no change. But then again, his thoughts were so deeply hidden that ordinary mortals like her could never guess them.
And Xia Yan was one such ordinary mortal.
So frustrating, yet she still had to keep a cheerful mood. She had long seen through Lu Zhengting, that sly old fox.
During this break, Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting were practically inseparable. These days confirmed just how dependent Xia Yan was on him. More than once, she wondered if she’d have the courage to go on if she ever left him.
Xia Minghui could only turn a blind eye, having no other choice. Xia Siyue felt nothing but jealousy and resentment. The stronger Lu Zhengting and Xia Yan’s bond grew, the more Jiang Mingxiu disliked Xia Yan. Meanwhile, Ke Yaru, temporarily staying at the villa, went from feigned calm to outright panic.
Aside from them, probably only Xiao Han was happiest. He had long wanted his dad to marry Sister Yan, so he could stop calling her that and just call her Mom.
On the eighth day of the new year.
All departments of the Lu Corporation resumed normal operations. Everyone returned to the office after the holiday, inevitably chatting with colleagues or sharing local specialties from their hometowns. Li Ru met Xia Yan at the entrance and handed her a specially prepared bag.
“This is a specialty from Shu City I brought just for you. Oh, and remember to share it with your dear one!”
Xia Yan tried to decline, but Li Ru forced it on her, leaving her no choice. Carrying the bag back to her office, Xia Yan began focusing on work.
******
In Beicheng, Ning Xi had quietly flown to Jiang City on the second day of the new year, keeping it a secret. If those troublemakers found out why he was in Jiang City, they’d never let him hear the end of it. He wasn’t about to give them that chance.
Arriving in Jiang City on the second day, Ning Xi recalled Zhan Meng saying no one was home. Skeptical, he headed straight to her place after landing, only to find it empty! When he called Zhan Meng, he realized he’d been tricked. In the following days, her phone was constantly out of service.
Returning to his own place, Ning Xi mulled it over and realized he’d been too easily led by Zhan Meng. That wouldn’t do—he needed to regain control.
One day, Zhan Meng lay bored out of her mind in front of Feng Yuan’s vanity, staring at her own stunning reflection in the mirror. Through it, she watched Feng Yuan rummaging through the wardrobe for clothes and asked lazily, “Yuan Yuan, do you think Ning Xi has gone back yet?”
“Cousin, you’ve asked me that several times already. If you’re so worried he’s returned to Beicheng, just call him right now.”
“I’m just asking. Are you going out?”
“Yeah. Cousin, remember that senior I mentioned last time? He came back from the U.S. a while ago. I’m meeting him today.”
“I think I remember you mentioning him, but you didn’t say he was from Jiang City.”
“I didn’t?” Feng Yuan paused, then added, “Maybe I forgot. But it’s not too late to say it now.”
“Want me to come with you?”
“Cousin, I’m not a kid anymore.”
“That’s not about being a kid—it’s about IQ. With you looking like that, you’re just asking to stir up a man’s primal instincts.”
Feng Yuan’s lips twitched in amusement. “The senior is a very modest man. He… well, never mind, you wouldn’t know anyway.”
“What’s his name?”
“Vern.”
“Who’s asking for his English name? I mean his Chinese name. Don’t tell me he doesn’t have one.” Zhan Meng rolled her eyes, speaking languidly.
“Chinese name? I think it’s Ye… Ye something…”
“Miss, do you know what I want to do right now? Grab a knife and crack your head open. I’m coming with you.”
“Cousin!”
“I’m worried you’ll get scammed.”
“Sis, relax. He and I have a good relationship. I trust him…”
“You…”
“I remember now! His name is Ye Yunchen.”
At that, Zhan Meng froze, her face darkening instantly. She shot up from the vanity, strode over to Feng Yuan, and stopped her from changing clothes. “What did you say his name was?”
“Ye Yunchen. What’s wrong? Do you know him?”
“Oh, I know him—he probably doesn’t know me.” Zhan Meng grabbed Feng Yuan’s hand and pulled her to the bed. “Sit down. I’ll show you something.”
“What?”
Zhan Meng picked up the laptop beside her, opened it, and her fingers flew across the keyboard.