Zhan Meng entered the villa like a curious child, immediately stunned by what she saw. She remembered correctly—the painting hanging in the center of the living room had once been hyped up to tens of millions, eventually bought by an unknown buyer, after which it vanished without a trace.
Initially, the artist who created this painting was just a nobody in the scene, but one day, news of their death suddenly broke, turning this unfinished work into a piece full of regret. Later, someone with an agenda capitalized on the hype, giving it its current value.
Don't get her wrong—Zhan Meng had zero interest in these refined arts. The reason she knew so much was purely by chance; she just happened to find out.
Aside from the painting in the living room, the ornaments scattered around were equally recognizable to Zhan Meng as priceless treasures. One of them, if she recalled correctly, dated back to the Qing Dynasty and was supposedly used by Emperor Qianlong in his imperial study.
She'd heard plenty of legends, but whether they were true or not, she had no idea.
Xia Yan stood in the center of the vast living room. Around them, there was no one else in sight—not even a single servant seemed to be in the entire villa.
Zhan Meng instinctively grew alert. She nudged Xia Yan's waist with her elbow and lowered her voice. "Honestly, I'm kind of curious about Yang Jinkuan now. Look at the stuff he's got in his living room—it's weird."
Xia Yan never paid attention to such things. Only when Zhan Meng spoke did she glance up, scanning the room with a frown. It did clash with the villa's decor.
One was antique, the other modern minimalist.
But none of that mattered, because soon they heard footsteps from the stairwell—a dull, rhythmic thud of wooden slippers on a wooden floor, impossible to ignore.
Xia Yan had assumed she'd see Yang Jinkuan, but she never expected to find Lin Xujia here.
Lin Xujia showed no change in expression when she saw Xia Yan, as if she'd known all along that Xia Yan would come. She was utterly calm, composed, and at ease.
"You're here to see Mr. Yang. He's not home right now. You can tell me whatever it is."
"Tell you? Are you saying you can speak for Yang Jinkuan now?" Xia Yan stared fixedly at Lin Xujia's face, her tone icy.
Used to Xia Yan's usual indifference, Lin Xujia was momentarily taken aback by this sudden sharpness and coldness. She paused mid-step on the spiral staircase, where Xia Yan couldn't see her expression.
Beyond surprising Xia Yan, even Zhan Meng felt startled. Wasn't Lin Xujia madly in love with Ye Yunchen? So why was she here in Yang Jinkuan's villa, wearing pajamas? Zhan Meng sized her up with a knowing smirk.
"I may not be able to speak for—"
"Then if you can't, shut up." Zhan Meng cut her off. She'd never liked Xia Siyue, and though she still didn't, she'd added another name to her hate list: Lin Xujia.
"Who are you?" Lin Xujia hated being interrupted, especially while talking to Xia Yan. She turned her sharp gaze on Zhan Meng.
"Oh, you don't recognize big sister here? We've met before."
Lin Xujia's piercing eyes locked onto Zhan Meng as she recalled, finally remembering where she'd seen her. Still, Zhan Meng didn't back down. She lifted her chin, puffed out her chest, and glared back without flinching.
In her eyes, Lin Xujia was basically in the same category as Xia Siyue—a classic green tea bitch.
When it came to sharp tongues and fearless attitudes, no one around Xia Yan could top Zhan Meng.
For some reason, Xia Yan felt Lin Xujia wasn't in great shape. A closer look revealed a pallor to her face. Just as she hesitated to approach, Yang Jinkuan's voice suddenly rang out.
"Heard you were looking for me?"
Xia Yan spun around, fixing her gaze on the man who had appeared before them. "I was looking for you."
"Is that so? What for? Did you regret choosing Lu Zhengting over me?"
Before Xia Yan could react, Zhan Meng, standing beside her, let out a snort of laughter. When everyone's eyes landed on her, she reined it in a bit, but not for long.
Zhan Meng really wanted to ask Yang Jinkuan where he got the audacity to compare himself to Lu Zhengting. Sure, she was annoyed with Lu Zhengting right now, but the guy's face was still damn handsome.
"Was the car accident your doing?" Xia Yan's tone was forceful. Though it was a question, her meaning was unmistakably certain.
"The car accident?" Yang Jinkuan toyed with the thumb ring on his hand, feigning confusion.
"I know you arranged it. I have evidence now!"
"Xia Yan, I know you lost your child in that accident—the one who never got to see this world. But that's no reason to frame me. Besides, I'm a legitimate businessman. Why would I resort to murder and arson?"
"Yang Jinkuan, I wouldn't say it if I didn't have proof."
"Fine, if you have proof, then go ahead and call the cops on me."
"You!" Xia Yan stared at his calm demeanor. Zhan Meng was right—that video alone wasn't enough. Yang Jinkuan could easily pin all the blame on the man in the footage. She'd come here hoping to bluff him into slipping up.
"Xia Yan, since you rarely come to see me, let me give you a free surprise. Lu Zhengting flew to the UK today, and I hear he's got a stunning woman by his side." Yang Jinkuan paused, then smirked. "I thought it was you."
Xia Yan's face paled instantly. She remembered the photo Ke Yaru had sent her—Lu Zhengting lying next to that woman, the blanket barely concealing the scene. She dug her nails into her palm, the sharp pain snapping her back to reality.
"Thanks for the info." Xia Yan's voice was cold. She turned to Zhan Meng. "Let's go."
Before leaving, Zhan Meng glanced again at the living room's decor, letting out a soft chuckle. Yang Jinkuan's eyes snapped to her, but she ignored him entirely, and his expression soured.
Back at the apartment, Zhan Meng watched Xia Yan force a smile and couldn't hold back. "You know your smile right now is uglier than crying? And I had to look at it the whole way back."
Xia Yan dropped the smile, looking at Zhan Meng with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Xia Yan, I can't figure you out. You went to see him without solid evidence? That's just tipping him off."
"I was trying to bluff him. But I didn't expect to see Lin Xujia there." Xia Yan sounded surprised.
"Me neither. Logically, Lin Xujia cut ties with you because she fell for Ye Yunchen, and Ye Yunchen fell for you. She even tried to harm you. She probably dreamed of marrying him. So why's she with Yang Jinkuan now?"
"..."
"Am I wrong?"
Xia Yan pursed her lips. "Maybe only they know the real reason."
"True, but the real issue isn't them. It's what Yang Jinkuan said before we left—about Lu Zhengting going to the UK with some gorgeous woman."
Zhan Meng stared at Xia Yan, who stayed silent. "You know about it?"
"Yeah. I even know who she is."
"Damn, and you're okay with that? If it were me, I'd be on a plane to the UK to tear them apart. No one steals my man and gets away with it."
But Xia Yan wasn't Zhan Meng. Her first reaction upon learning this was to cut herself off from the world, spiraling into her own thoughts instead of asking Lu Zhengting for the truth. She was afraid of the answer, afraid it wouldn't be what she wanted.
She couldn't be as tough as Zhan Meng.
Zhan Meng glanced at Xia Yan's current state and sighed, frustrated. "You're suffering here, and Lu Zhengting has no clue. He's probably having a blast over there."
She paused, then asked, "You know who she is?"
Xia Yan nodded painfully. After a long hesitation, she turned her phone back on, found the photo Ke Yaru had sent, and showed it to Zhan Meng. "It's her."
Zhan Meng stared at it for a long time, hoping to find signs of photoshopping, but came up empty. It was real.
"Tch, I never thought Lu Zhengting was that kind of guy. Grabbing at everything in sight. All crows are black, I guess."
That remark inadvertently dragged Ning Xi into it too. Zhan Meng grabbed Xia Yan's wrist like an indignant warrior. "Does it hurt? So much you feel like dying?"
Xia Yan shook her head, then nodded. It did hurt—like someone was stabbing her heart with a razor-sharp blade, blood spilling from her chest.
It felt like a fishbone stuck in her throat, making it hard to breathe, a suffocating chokehold.
"Want a drink?"
"I can't hold my liquor."
"That's fine, neither can I. Let's go grab one." Zhan Meng said quickly.
Xia Yan frowned. Her tolerance wasn't as bad as she thought. She followed Zhan Meng to the Heavenly Palace, where they ran into Feng Yuan, who was there to party. The three of them teamed up, downed some drinks, and stumbled onto the dance floor, dancing wildly.