After returning to the company from outside, Lu Zhengting's cold and stern expression clearly signaled that he was in a do-not-approach mode. Sitting in his office, the image of Xia Yan being held in Ye Yunchen's arms kept replaying in his mind. He tried desperately to control his emotions, only to find that the more he suppressed them, the fiercer the fire in his heart burned.
No one in the company knew what had happened to Lu Zhengting in that short hour or two. When they reconvened for a meeting, the moment they stepped into the conference room, they could feel an icy chill as if from the depths of hell.
Everyone sat upright, exchanging uneasy glances. The conference room was dead silent, no one daring to speak first, as if all were waiting for Lu Zhengting to break the silence. A seat to his lower left remained empty. Lu Zhengting narrowed his eyes and asked coldly, "Who else hasn't shown up?"
The newly promoted project manager, feeling Lu Zhengting's gaze land on him, braced himself and stammered, "Mr. Lu, it's President Ke who hasn't arrived yet."
No sooner had he spoken than Ke Yaru pushed open the conference room door, clutching a stack of documents, and appeared before everyone. She pursed her lips slightly, smiled, glanced at her watch, and looked apologetically at Lu Zhengting. "Mr. Lu, sorry I'm late."
Lu Zhengting lowered his eyes, his thoughts inscrutable. Ke Yaru took her seat normally, scanned the room, and, noticing Xia Yan's absence, felt pleased. She handed the documents to Lu Zhengting.
The meeting proceeded as usual, but the atmosphere remained heavy and oppressive. Everyone spoke with caution, not only weighing their words but also gauging Lu Zhengting's mood and trying to divine his intentions.
The Lu Group's subsidiaries were spread across the country. The branch in Yuzhou seemed to be facing internal financial issues, the exact cause still under investigation. The urgency to address this stemmed from the fact that the Yuzhou branch had just established a connection with a foreign company.
The documents Ke Yaru handed to Lu Zhengting were analyses compiled by their data department based on collected information.
The meeting dragged on for nearly two hours before finally ending.
As people filed out of the conference room, most couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The atmosphere had been unbearably tense, compounded by having to endure Lu Zhengting's sharp, sweeping glances.
Ke Yaru deliberately quickened her pace to catch up with Lu Zhengting. Seeing that he didn't seem to be heading back to his office, she grew puzzled. She followed him all the way to the company lobby and watched him get into a car driven by his chauffeur. One thought crossed her mind: Lu Zhengting was going to see Xia Yan again.
Her guess was correct. Lu Zhengting was indeed going to see Xia Yan. He had rushed back to the company after dropping her off at the apartment earlier.
Xia Yan was alone in the apartment. The TV in the living room was off. The wind-blown curtains behind the sofa occasionally brushed against her hair. She sat upright, staring blankly, lost in thought.
The sound of a key turning in the lock snapped her out of it. She silently shifted her gaze to the entrance, watching Lu Zhengting appear before her with a still-cold face. She couldn't fathom his mood, only knowing that his current state unsettled her.
Lu Zhengting walked expressionlessly to Xia Yan, looking down at her from above. His piercing gaze locked onto her, as if trying to see through her, or perhaps just staring at her intently.
Xia Yan blinked, then suddenly lowered her head, pulling her legs up onto the edge of the sofa and wrapping her arms around her knees. She asked softly, "What do you want to say to me?"
"Why did you go see Ye Yunchen?"
"I already explained this before. Ye Yunchen said—"
"You believe everything he says? I remember telling you to minimize meetings with Ye Yunchen." Lu Zhengting shot Xia Yan a cold glare.
"I've already cut back on contact with Ye Yunchen. This time, he really said he knew about the car accident." Xia Yan looked at Lu Zhengting with indignation, a mix of anger and anxiety churning inside her. When she first got Ye Yunchen's call, she had hesitated, but the thought that he might know something made her unable to refuse.
To Lu Zhengting, Xia Yan's explanation sounded utterly unconvincing. Ever since he returned to the apartment, every minute he saw Xia Yan seemed to fuel an uncontrollable surge of emotion, bursting forth with force. His anger, as Xia Yan saw it, became indescribable.
"Lu Zhengting, I really just went to see Ye Yunchen, that's all."
"Just a simple meeting? Are you unaware of Ye Yunchen's feelings for you?" Lu Zhengting snapped.
Hearing this, Xia Yan froze, then suddenly lifted her head to meet Lu Zhengting's gaze. She stood up from the sofa, refusing to back down. "So what? What are you trying to say with that? Don't tell me you're genuinely unaware of Ke Yaru's feelings for you!"
"Between her and me, it's just a straightforward superior-subordinate relationship."
"Fine. Then between me and Ye Yunchen, it's just a straightforward meeting."
"Xia Yan!"
"Lu Zhengting, I said you're the one who refuses to believe."
"Believe?" Lu Zhengting let out a cold laugh. "If you really believed me, would you have asked Zhan Meng to help investigate the car accident?"
"You know about that?" Xia Yan faltered. "I can explain why I asked Zhan Meng for help. I was just worried you'd keep me in the dark, like with my father's case, refusing to tell me anything. I don't want to be someone who knows nothing."
"Enough." Lu Zhengting cut her off with a cold glare.
"Enough?" Xia Yan repeated the word softly.
"From now on, you're not allowed to leave this apartment."
"Are you crazy? Why can't I leave the apartment? My legs are mine—I go where I want, without your permission! Do you realize this is illegal?"
"Illegal?"
"Yes, you have no right to restrict my freedom." Xia Yan was provoked by Lu Zhengting's words. She could tolerate many things, but she couldn't stand having her personal freedom limited.
As Xia Yan's stance grew firmer, Lu Zhengting's face turned uglier, alternating between pale and flushed. He felt as though he was losing control of his emotions. Before his mind could fully process her words, his body acted first.
A sharp, resounding slap echoed through the room, as if freezing the air and the clock on the wall.
Xia Yan tilted her head, staring in disbelief at Lu Zhengting's still-raised hand. A searing pain spread across her cheek. For a moment, her mind seemed to stop working.
They stood there, locked in a stare. Only when Lu Zhengting saw the fury in Xia Yan's eyes did he seem to realize what he had just done. He shifted his gaze to his own hand, paused, then looked at her now-swollen cheek. He lowered his head, as if unable to believe his own actions. He stiffly reached out to touch her flushed face, but Xia Yan flinched away.
"Lu Zhengting! You bastard! Get out of here right now!" Xia Yan's cold gaze fixed on him as she pointed at the door, her voice trembling with rage.
She had never expected Lu Zhengting to lay a hand on her.
Xia Yan's whole body seemed to shake with fury. Lu Zhengting looked at her with guilt, only to hear her say, "Lu Zhengting! Don't you dare—don't think you can slap me and then offer me a sugar cube!"
At that, Lu Zhengting's outstretched hand froze mid-air. His voice, low and heavy, carried guilt. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? How about I slap you and then say sorry? How would that be? Just go. At least don't show up in front of me right now. I don't want to see you."
With that, Xia Yan slowly slid down against the sofa back, sitting cross-legged on the floor. She closed her eyes, ignoring the burning pain on her face. She didn't want to think about what had just happened, but the image kept surfacing.
That slap had come out of nowhere—she hadn't had time to dodge or react.
Seeing this, Lu Zhengting crouched down, as if trying to say something to draw her attention, but it was futile. He himself didn't know why he had acted that way. He had never thought he would hit Xia Yan.
The air grew heavy. Lu Zhengting furrowed his brow deeply, then silently stood up and left the apartment.
The door clicked softly shut. Xia Yan's eyelashes fluttered, likely hearing the sound. Only then did she slowly open her eyes, raising a hand to cover her face. Tears that had been welling up in her eyes fell without warning.
She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it. When Lu Zhengting was still there, she had desperately wanted to cry but held it in. Xia Yan couldn't understand why a simple meeting with Ye Yunchen had sent everything spiraling in the opposite direction.
Lu Zhengting left the apartment and sat in the car, his brow furrowed into a deep crease. It was the first time he had lost control of his emotions.
He leaned back against the seat, eyes closed, arms crossed over his chest. The image of Xia Yan's gaze just now involuntarily surfaced in his mind. His expression was no longer the sharp, intimidating one from before, but one of sheer exhaustion.
Lu Zhengting pinched the bridge of his nose. Suddenly, a phone rang in the car. He slowly opened his eyes and pulled out his phone. Seeing it was Ning Xi calling, he hesitated, wondering whether to hang up.
After a moment's thought, he decided to answer.
Ning Xi was rambling incoherently on the phone, leaving Lu Zhengting confused, until finally, Ning Xi clearly blurted out his current location.
Lu Zhengting hung up, rubbed his aching temples, and ordered the driver to head to the Heavenly Realm.
It was still light out, not yet dark, when Ning Xi was already soaking in the Heavenly Realm. Lu Zhengting reluctantly went to retrieve him. When he arrived, he easily found Ning Xi's private room. Pushing open the door, he saw Ning Xi sprawled out on the carpet between the table and the sofa, a glass still in his hand.
Bottles lay scattered on the floor and table. Before Lu Zhengting could get close, Ning Xi seemed to spot him, suddenly stood up, and threw his arms around Lu Zhengting.