The three of them sat together eating, each lost in their own thoughts.
Xia Yan ate a little, then put down her chopsticks and looked at the old lady, saying flatly, "Old lady, if there's nothing else, I'll head to the hospital."
"Hold on."
Hearing the old lady's words, Xia Yan smirked inwardly. *This old fox is finally showing her tail.* She shifted her posture slightly, waiting for what the old lady was about to say, as calm as if the upcoming topic had nothing to do with her.
"Xia Yan, how are things between you and CEO Lu lately?"
Her relationship with Lu Zhengting was just the same as before—no real change. But she wouldn't say that to Old Madam Xia right now. She paused, then gave a含蓄 smile. She hadn't wanted Lu Zhengting to keep carrying this burden, but given the current situation, she couldn't afford to overthink it.
"It's fine. Pretty good." Xia Yan said with a smile, admitting to herself that she was being vague. Her subtext was that things were the same as before—no special relationship. But they all had preconceived notions, assuming she meant Lu Zhengting's feelings for her were unchanged.
The old lady's wrinkled eyes curved slightly as she smiled at Xia Yan. "That's good."
With that thought, the tension in the old lady's heart finally eased.
"Old lady, since there's nothing else, I'll go to the hospital." Xia Yan finished speaking, slowly pushed back her chair, glanced briefly at Xia Siyue, who had been sitting silently beside her, and left the dining room expressionlessly.
Seeing this, Xia Siyue angrily threw her chopsticks and bowl onto the table without a second thought, crossed her arms, her face flushed red. She turned to look at the old lady, who was deep in thought, and said indignantly, "Grandma, what were you doing today?"
"Isn't this all your doing?"
"What did I do?" Xia Siyue fumed.
"You have the nerve to ask? Do you really think I don't know about you setting Xia Yan up with Yang Jinkuan? I'm warning you—stay out of trouble for a while and stop scheming."
Xia Siyue had never seen the old lady speak to her so harshly. She was both angry and resentful. *So what if Xia Yan has latched onto Lu Zhengting? Now Grandma is scolding me for her sake!* Thinking of Xia Yan's smug expression, she felt nothing but hatred.
"Grandma, I'm not being unreasonable. Lu Zhengting and Xia Yan really don't have a relationship. Why don't you believe me?"
"Believe you? Yang Jinkuan believed you, and it got him directly targeted by Lu Zhengting."
"Grandma, what do you mean?"
"Stay out of trouble for now. Don't provoke Xia Yan." With that stern command, the old lady grabbed her cane and left the dining room with vigor, leaving Xia Siyue sitting alone.
*How did Xia Yan get so lucky? Could it be that Lu Zhengting and Xia Yan are really involved? Otherwise, why would Lu Zhengting go after Yang Jinkuan for her sake?* Xia Siyue narrowed her eyes, brooding. She just couldn't believe a man like Lu Zhengting would ever fancy a woman like Xia Yan!
After leaving the Xia family home, Xia Yan took a taxi straight to the hospital. As the cab pulled up to the entrance, she turned her head and inadvertently caught sight of Lu Zhengting helping a woman through the hospital doors.
"Miss, that'll be 25 yuan."
"Oh, sorry." Xia Yan smiled awkwardly, quickly handed the money to the driver, and scrambled out of the car. After getting out for no apparent reason, she stealthily circled around to another entrance of the hospital. Standing under a tree, she quietly watched the woman Lu Zhengting was supporting.
The woman had fair skin. Xia Yan glanced down at herself—*she's even paler than me.* Her face was a classic oval shape, probably no bigger than a palm. Comparing that to her own face, which felt slightly larger, she noted the woman's eyes—like peach blossoms or maybe almond-shaped—and a high, straight nose. Perhaps the only flaw was her mouth, which wasn't great on its own, but combined with her other features, it became beautiful. Her tea-colored hair was styled into big waves, and a red dress accentuated her even fairer skin. Xia Yan's gaze involuntarily drifted—*curvy in all the right places...*
*Lu Zhengting sure is lucky.* But a strange familiarity crept over Xia Yan, as if she'd seen this woman somewhere before.
"Zhengting, I'm really sorry to trouble you." Ke Yaru looked up slightly at the man supporting her, a flicker of infatuation in her eyes.
"Can you walk?"
"I think so. Why don't you let go, and I'll try?"
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting seriously released Ke Yaru's hand and stood aside without a word. Without his support, Ke Yaru seemed to lose her balance, her body suddenly tilting to one side, nearly falling.
Xia Yan wasn't far from them. She couldn't hear their conversation clearly, but she saw Lu Zhengting's abrupt release clearly. *He really doesn't know how to care for a woman,* she thought.
"If you can't, don't push it." Lu Zhengting frowned slightly, then reached out to support Ke Yaru again.
"Zhengting, I..."
This time, Xia Yan caught his words. She rolled her eyes. *Not only is he ungentlemanly, but he's also so stern with someone injured?*
"Thud..."
A young man on a bicycle came barreling from behind, heading straight for her. By the time she noticed, it was too late to dodge. She instinctively stepped back, forgetting she was standing under a tree. The retreat spared her from the bike but slammed her head into the trunk. A wave of dizziness washed over her.
"Miss, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I'm in a hurry and didn't see you standing there. I'm really sorry... Did you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine, just a bit dizzy. If you're in a hurry, go ahead." Xia Yan rubbed her head softly.
"Are you sure you're okay? Here, this is my number. Contact me if anything comes up."
Xia Yan took the paper with his number from him, and as she looked up, she saw Lu Zhengting's gaze fixed on her. It was too late to hide. She instinctively placed her hands at her sides, watching him walk toward her.
*Why does he seem to be moving so fast?*
"CEO Lu, what a coincidence. I didn't expect to see you here." Xia Yan spoke first, putting on a straight face.
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting stared at her with a hint of a smile, his deep eyes seeming to glimmer. He pressed his lips together and replied, "Indeed, quite a coincidence."
"Ha, I think so too. Really coincidental."
Xia Yan noticed the woman limping over and blinked in her direction toward Lu Zhengting.
Ke Yaru looked at Lu Zhengting with gentle eyes, naturally reaching out to take his arm, a slight smile on her lips. "Zhengting, who is this?"
"Xia Yan."
"The eldest Miss of the Xia family?" Ke Yaru said in surprise. Spotting the redness on Xia Yan's forehead, she pointed a slender finger at it. "Miss Xia, is your injury okay?"
*Zhengting? So cheesy.*
Xia Yan grumbled inwardly while touching her forehead. *It's probably a bit swollen.* She waved her hand grandly and said, "I'm fine. I've got things to do, so I'll be off."
"Miss..."
"Xia Yan."
Both voices rang out at once. Xia Yan silently rolled her eyes. *Did I forget to check the calendar before leaving today?* She turned around slowly and said to Lu Zhengting, "CEO Lu, it looks like this lady needs some rest. You should let her get some. I have things to do, so I won't disturb you."
She paused, then addressed the culprit who had caused this mess: "I'm really fine, don't worry. If I weren't, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you. Since you're in a hurry, go ahead and don't waste any more time."
Without caring about the expressions of the three people in front of her, Xia Yan turned and entered the hospital. She made her way to Xiao Lanzhi's room with ease. Today, Xiao Lanzhi's complexion was much rosier than before.
After spending nearly an hour in the room, Xia Yan slowly walked out of the hospital, munching on an apple she had just peeled. In summer, even at eight or nine in the evening, the sky in Jiangcheng never went completely dark—it stayed a faint grayish blue.
And now, the sun hadn't even set yet. The air was still thick with heat, and walking on the ground, she could feel the scorching warmth radiating up. Xia Yan wiped the sweat from her forehead. It wasn't rush hour for taxis, but somehow, hailing one was proving impossible.
"Beep beep... beep"
A black Maybach pulled up ostentatiously by the roadside, honking incessantly. The loud horn drew more attention from pedestrians and drivers than the car itself. Xia Yan glanced at it, thinking how flashy the owner must be. She even walked a short distance away to put some space between her and the vehicle.
Lu Zhengting, sitting inside the car, watched Xia Yan's every move and felt a surge of irritation.
Xia Yan took a few steps forward, and the car followed, still honking. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed—it was like the car was tailing her. Then it hit her: Lu Zhengting drove a Maybach, didn't he? But shouldn't he have left the hospital by now?
"Beep beep... beep"
Xia Yan stopped, eyeing the Maybach that had also halted. After a moment's thought, she walked toward it and knocked on the window.
The window rolled down slowly, and Xia Yan instinctively jumped back, putting distance between herself and the car. *Why is it Lu Zhengting?* She blinked rapidly. "Aren't you supposed to be gone?"
"I'm waiting for you."
"Waiting for me? CEO Lu, don't joke around. What would you be waiting for me for?" Xia Yan said with a forced laugh.
"Get in."
"Does CEO Lu need something from me? If so, just say it while I'm standing here. If not, I'll be on my way."
"Get in first, then we'll talk." Lu Zhengting said flatly.
"Is getting in really necessary?"
"If you keep dawdling, this road will get blocked because of you." Lu Zhengting looked at her seriously, his face so stern that Xia Yan believed he meant what he said.
She thought it over, gritted her teeth, and reached for the back door handle. Lu Zhengting shot her a sharp glare, leaving her with only one choice.