Zhan Meng looked at Xia Yan with a guilty conscience. Seeing her lost in thought, she secretly guessed that Xia Yan probably still didn't know what she did for a living, so the reason she sought her help must be because she was a journalist now.
Xia Yan squinted slightly, unsure how to answer Zhan Meng's question. Fortunately, she didn't ask again later.
"But, Xia Yan, did you tell Lu Zhengting about your suspicions?"
Xia Yan nodded. "Zhan Meng, I'll leave this to you."
"Alright, if I hear anything, I'll let you know right away. Is there anything else? If not, I need to head home—there's a little girl waiting for me there." Zhan Meng winked and smiled.
Xia Yan thought for a moment and realized there was nothing else she needed investigated. Suddenly, the phone in her bag rang sharply. Frowning, she wondered who would be calling her at this time.
Seeing Xia Yan pull out her phone and glance at it indifferently, Zhan Meng propped her chin on her hand, blinking at her. Xia Yan answered the call, her voice somewhat cold.
"What is it?"
"Xia Yan, do we really have to be this distant now?"
It was Ye Yunchen on the line. When she heard his words, Xia Yan froze for a moment, her thoughts drifting elsewhere. She pressed her lips together and softened her tone slightly. "Brother Ye, you know better than I do where we stand."
"Indeed, no one would have expected our relationship to end up like this. Do you remember Zhang Yuan from our department? I ran into him a few days ago, and he mentioned you."
Xia Yan listened impassively as Ye Yunchen rambled on about the past on the other end of the line, her expression blank, showing no interest in what he was saying. Ever since the car accident, ever since she lost her first child, she had become wary of everyone and everything around her.
It was like when she was a child, living in the Xia family—she trusted no one except Xiao Lanzhi, and sometimes not even herself. Ye Yunchen's inexplicable call, rambling about irrelevant things as if reminiscing, made her instinctively ponder the underlying reason.
This state of hers had completely reverted to how she was before she met Lu Zhengting.
Xia Yan hung up and glanced at Zhan Meng, who looked curious. "It was Ye Yunchen. He wants to meet me."
"Are you going?"
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I want to know if he's involved in this."
Hearing this, Zhan Meng lowered her head, lost in thought. After a pause, she suddenly looked up and stared intently at Xia Yan. "Do you remember Xia Siyue getting taken to the police station?"
"Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?"
"That happened not long ago. Xia Minghui tried everything he could to get her out, but he couldn't. You know why—Lu Zhengting was applying pressure behind the scenes."
"Yeah, I heard about that later."
"Right around then, an unexpected person stepped in, saying they could get Xia Siyue out, but only if Xia Minghui traded ten percent of Xia Corporation's shares."
Xia Yan didn't even furrow her brow. She had known since childhood that Xia Minghui's attitude toward her was neither good nor bad—just decent on the surface. Outsiders thought he doted on her, but in reality, in Xia Minghui's heart, Xia Siyue was his only daughter.
"Xia Minghui will agree," Xia Yan said flatly.
"Of course. I heard he was furious but ultimately had no choice but to agree. And the one who claimed he could solve the problem was Ye Yunchen, the guy who just called you. Honestly, I'm curious about what method he used."
"Are you sure it was Ye Yunchen?"
"Absolutely. Don't forget what I do."
Xia Yan didn't argue, but she felt a bit unsettled. The current state of Xia Corporation didn't seem great. Because of Xia Siyue's incident, she was starting to seriously reevaluate Ye Yunchen, her senior whom she had known for five years.
Zhan Meng had to go home to check if Feng Yuan was there, so she parted ways with Xia Yan. Xia Yan sat in the car, with the bodyguard following in the vehicle behind. She tilted her head back against the seat, squinting. Ye Yunchen had said he would wait for her at their old spot.
After a moment of thought, Xia Yan opened her eyes, leaned forward, and ordered the driver, "Don't go back to the apartment. Head to Jiang University."
Their old spot was the pavilion on Mist Bridge at Jiang University.
Xia Yan told the bodyguards to wait in the car and entered the school gate alone. It had only been a year since she'd been back, yet the changes were so striking. Back when she was a student, she always wanted to escape school, but now, it was the complete opposite.
Jiang University was full of new faces. Seeing a few girls dragging suitcases along the tree-lined path, she couldn't help but smile. Reflecting on the past, she realized she rarely smiled back then.
Xia Yan sighed and walked onto Mist Bridge. The water in the artificial lake was crystal clear, filled with countless goldfish swimming around—fish that hadn't been there before. The willow trees by the shore had sprouted tender green buds, their long branches drooping over the lake's surface...
A gentle breeze blew from the east. Xia Yan looked up at the pavilion at the other end of the bridge. Ye Yunchen stood there, hands behind his back, upright, wearing a simple black-gray casual outfit. His hair seemed a bit tousled by the wind, giving him a vaguely Korean or Japanese heartthrob look.
Xia Yan stood still in the middle of the bridge, locking eyes with him. Her face was calm, without a smile. After a pause, she walked toward the pavilion.
"You came after all." Ye Yunchen smiled faintly.
"I'm here. What do you really want to tell me? Or rather, what are you planning to do now?"
"Xia Yan, do you remember what I said to you here three years ago, the day before I left to study in the U.S.?" Ye Yunchen turned his head, his gaze seeming to land on the goldfish leaping out of the lake for air.
Xia Yan frowned, confused by his words. Three years ago? She had no memory of it—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall.
"Don't bother trying to remember. If you've forgotten, then forget it."
"Brother Ye, do you even know what you're doing right now?" Xia Yan hesitated for a long time before asking. Because the person standing before her had genuinely helped her a lot over the past five years.
Her words made Ye Yunchen pause. He turned to face her. He was about the same height as Lu Zhengting, so standing next to Xia Yan, they created that classic cute height difference. Xia Yan looked up, meeting his gaze without backing down.
Seeing this, Ye Yunchen suddenly smiled gently. "Of course I know what I'm doing. It's you who doesn't. I'm just fulfilling a promise I made three years ago."
A promise? Xia Yan didn't understand. A promise from three years ago?
Ye Yunchen's expression darkened. He reached out, grabbing Xia Yan's arms, and lowered his head. "Xia Yan, trust me. In a little while, I'll have you back by my side."
"Ye Yunchen, what are you talking about?" Xia Yan stared at him in disbelief. "What do you mean, 'back by your side'?"
"I know Lu Zhengting is forcing you to stay with him. Just wait a bit longer. Once I'm strong enough to stand against him, I'll take you back."
"Ye Yunchen, are you insane? I don't know why you think Lu Zhengting is forcing me. The truth is, I—I genuinely like him, so I'm with him. Don't do anything reckless."
"I'm not being reckless. Just relax and leave it to me."
Xia Yan looked at Ye Yunchen in front of her, anger rising. She tried to break free from his grip, but he resisted, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Xia Yan, you have to believe I love you. Lu Zhengting doesn't mean you well."
"Crazy! Let me go!" Xia Yan shouted angrily.
Ye Yunchen held her firmly, refusing to let go no matter how much she struggled. Xia Yan caught a whiff of his cologne—it was familiar, the scent Lin Xujia loved most.
Gritting her teeth, she stomped hard on his foot. "Ye Yunchen, you're insane." Then, shifting gears, she spoke rapidly, "Ye Yunchen, was the car accident..."
The stomp made him wince, but it was her follow-up words that truly made his expression change.
"You suspect I caused the car accident?"
"I suspect everyone right now. Anyone could be responsible."
"And Lu Zhengting? Have you suspected him?" Ye Yunchen let out a cold laugh that sent a chill down Xia Yan's spine.
Before she could answer, she saw Lu Zhengting storming toward them from Mist Bridge, looking furious. Her instinctive reaction was to avoid his gaze.
Lu Zhengting and Ye Yunchen stood face to face, neither backing down. Xia Yan stood between them, and without hesitation, she moved to Lu Zhengting's side. He, in turn, pulled her possessively into his arms.
His cold, sharp gaze didn't even glance at Xia Yan as it bore into Ye Yunchen like a blade. Ye Yunchen maintained a calm exterior, but when he saw Xia Yan instinctively return to Lu Zhengting's side, his entire demeanor turned dark and menacing.
Even Xia Yan noticed the shift.
"Everyone should stick to their place. Don't reach for what isn't yours."
"Mr. Lu, your words are so profound. I'm afraid I'm too dull to fully grasp them."
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting stepped forward, grabbed Ye Yunchen by the collar, and leaned in to whisper, "Ye Yunchen, let me tell you this: you will never have Xia Yan."
Ye Yunchen's face changed. He tried to pry Lu Zhengting's hand away, and when he couldn't, he swung a punch at Lu Zhengting's face.
Xia Yan gasped as Lu Zhengting, holding her waist, swiftly dodged to the side of the pavilion, evading the blow.