Ningxi watched Lu Zhengting sitting alone, drinking in silence. He figured that the reason Lu Zhengting chose to keep things from Xia Yan must be due to some concern of his own. Then, remembering that his own hot porridge still hadn’t cooled down, his mood turned incredibly gloomy.
After a few rounds of drinks, Xu Su and Ning Nan strolled in casually. Seeing the two drunkards sprawled on the sofa, they froze for a moment. Normally, Lu Zhengting never let himself get so wasted that he became vulnerable, and as for Ningxi, his tolerance was something even they collectively admitted they couldn’t match.
“Third brother? Zhengting?” Ning Nan walked up to them, slapping each one on the shoulder a few times. When neither reacted, he looked up helplessly at Xu Su. “What now?”
“Send them home.”
Hearing this, Xu Su called over a few tall men to help them into the car. Ning Nan was about to lend a hand, but Xu Su, for some inexplicable reason, grabbed him and said, “Let them handle it.”
Ning Nan thought for a moment and then asked, “Where are we sending them?”
“I have my own plans.”
Xu Su’s plan was to send Lu Zhengting to Xia Yan’s place and Ningxi to Zhan Meng’s. But he never expected his scheme to be rejected by both women. Xia Yan simply wouldn’t answer her phone, and Zhan Meng was even more direct, locking Ningxi out. In the end, they were sent back to their own homes.
Lu Zhengting lay drunkenly in the car, a hint of shrewdness flickering in his hazy eyes. If Xu Su had been there, he might have seen through what he was thinking.
They returned to Dongshan Villa around eleven at night. Jiang Mingxiu’s schedule was very early and punctual, usually around nine in the evening. The villa was eerily quiet, with no sound at all. As Lu Zhengting was being helped to his room, before he even entered, the door to a guest room not far from him suddenly opened. Ke Yaru appeared before him, looking tired, and seemed a bit slow to react when she saw his state.
Lu Zhengting forced himself to stand up straight and dismissed the men helping him. Seeing this, Ke Yaru suppressed the smile in her eyes and hurried over to him, steadying him as he started to tilt. “Zhengting, are you drunk?”
“No.”
“Zhengting, did something happen? Why are you drinking so much?” Ke Yaru asked with concern as she helped him into the room.
With a click, she turned on the light in Lu Zhengting’s room. In the brightly lit space, Ke Yaru’s sexy nightgown was clearly visible to him.
“Zhengting, are you feeling unwell? Let me get you a glass of water.”
Lu Zhengting didn’t refuse. Instead, he sat quietly on the edge of the bed, as if waiting for the water Ke Yaru would bring. Soon, she tiptoed back into the room with a glass.
She handed him the glass but then suddenly pulled it back, cautiously waving her hand in front of his eyes and softly calling, “Zhengting? Zhengting?”
When he didn’t respond, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and then said, “Drink the water quickly, or you’ll feel worse later.”
After drinking the water Ke Yaru gave him, Lu Zhengting felt his head start to ache inexplicably again. He frowned deeply, suddenly opening his eyes, and fixed a sharp glare on the flustered Ke Yaru. “Who allowed you into the room?”
“Zhengting, weren’t you drunk? I was just helping you in.”
“Get out.”
“Zhengting, don’t be angry. I’ll leave right away.” Ke Yaru blinked innocently and said softly.
With that, she placed the glass on the nightstand in a conspicuous spot, looking back at Lu Zhengting every few steps. Just as she was about to reach the door, she suddenly saw him clutching his head, his face pale. Without a second thought, she rushed back.
“Zhengting, what’s wrong?”
She tried to touch him, but he resisted her approach so strongly that before her hand could even reach him, Lu Zhengting’s powerful grip caught her wrist and twisted it. “I told you to get out.”
“No, I can’t leave now. Are you in pain? Tell me?”
The more Lu Zhengting tried to suppress his emotions, the worse his headache became. The images of Ke Yaru and Xia Yan overlapped in his mind. Remembering Xia Yan crying as she broke up with him, rage surged through him, and he tightened his grip on Ke Yaru’s wrist.
“It hurts…” Ke Yaru was genuinely in excruciating pain. She didn’t understand why Lu Zhengting’s anger had become so intense, treating her like an enemy. She endured the pain, her whole body breaking out in a cold sweat. This agony lasted for nearly twenty minutes.
After twenty minutes, Lu Zhengting gradually returned to normal. Exhausted, he looked at Ke Yaru’s pale face and her lips, bitten purple from the pain. Frowning, he asked in a hoarse voice, “Why are you here?”
“Zhengting, are you feeling better?”
“Why are you here?”
“I saw you come back drunk and wanted to…”
“Didn’t I tell you that no one is allowed in this room without my permission?”
“I know. Fine, it’s my fault. Seeing you safe puts my mind at ease. I’ll go back to my room now. Get some rest.”
As Ke Yaru finished speaking, Lu Zhengting lowered his head, his peripheral vision catching the glass on the nightstand. His eyes narrowed, and he said sharply, “Did you put that water there?”
Startled, Ke Yaru turned to follow his gaze to the glass. “I brought it up to quench your thirst.”
Ningxi had said that the drug dissolves in water, colorless and odorless, usually taken that way. Although Lu Zhengting had taken the temporary suppressant Ningxi gave him, he still had to avoid letting the drug seep further into his system. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up and fixed his gaze on Ke Yaru.
Seeing this, Ke Yaru’s heart tightened. She clenched her hands at her sides into fists. Could Lu Zhengting have noticed something? Did he know she had drugged his water? No, she had to stay calm.
“Zhengting, is there something else bothering you?” Ke Yaru said as she moved closer, reaching out to touch his head.
But Lu Zhengting was quicker, grabbing her hand again and shoving her aside. He stood up from the bed, towering over her, and said coldly, “What did you put in the water?”
“Zhengting, what are you talking about? What drug in the water?”
“Ke Yaru, I’ll ask you one more time. What did you put in the water?”
“Zhengting, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I really didn’t do anything.” Ke Yaru looked at him, genuinely frightened when he threw her to the ground. She had known him for so long, and in her memory, Lu Zhengting had never laid a hand on her. Even if he didn’t consider her a woman, he would at least respect Ke Qinglan’s reputation.
Lu Zhengting pursed his lips expressionlessly, staring intently at Ke Yaru. “Ke Yaru, I’m warning you. If I ever find out you’ve done anything to hurt Xia Yan, I won’t let you off.”
Hearing this, Ke Yaru was shocked. She looked at him in disbelief, tears welling up in her eyes. “Zhengting, I’ve never done anything to wrong you, let alone hurt Xia Yan.”
When she saw the disbelief in his eyes, she froze, her face crumpling as she continued, “I know Xia Yan is precious to you, untouchable and unbreakable. How would I dare to hurt her?”
“Ke Yaru.”
“Zhengting, believe me, please. I really haven’t done anything to harm you two.”
“If I find out otherwise, Ke Yaru, be ready to leave.”
“No, no, Zhengting, I don’t want to leave. I won’t do anything to hurt you. I promise.” Ke Yaru said urgently. She knew Lu Zhengting was a man of his word, and she feared him speaking to her like this most of all, because she could tell he was serious now.
And he was this serious for another woman—it was enough to break her heart.
Ke Yaru knelt on the floor, utterly humiliated. She didn’t want to leave Lu Zhengting, and she couldn’t bear to see another woman have him.
Her silent sobs echoed in the room. Lu Zhengting rubbed his temples, his head aching. The reason he had staged this tonight was a spur-of-the-moment decision, just to test Ke Yaru. If she was involved, things would indeed be difficult.
Ke Qinglan’s greatest worry before she died, aside from Xiao Han, was Ke Yaru, and Lu Jingchen’s greatest concern was Ke Qinglan.
“Get out.”
Ke Yaru looked up with tearful eyes at Lu Zhengting’s cold expression, sniffled, and slowly stood up despite the pain. She didn’t dare linger and left his room, returning to her own.
All night, Ke Yaru lay in bed unable to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Lu Zhengting’s warning gaze, feeling both pain and anger, but mostly resentment toward Xia Yan.
The next day, as dawn broke, Ke Yaru finally drifted off to sleep. She slept for less than three hours before she had to get up for work. When she changed and appeared in the dining room, Lu Zhengting, Jiang Mingxiu, and Xiao Han were already seated. She smiled faintly.
“Sorry, I overslept.”
Jiang Mingxiu looked at Ke Yaru with affection and said, “Yaru, did you not sleep well last night? You look a bit pale.”
“No, no, maybe I have a slight cold. It’s nothing serious.”
“A cold is no small matter. Zhengting, I think since Yaru isn’t feeling well today, you should give her the day off to rest. What do you think?”
Lu Zhengting hummed in agreement, took a sip of milk, and added casually, “I’ll take you back later.”
Hearing this, Jiang Mingxiu was taken aback and asked before Ke Yaru could, “Zhengting, have you lost your mind? Isn’t Yaru staying here?”
Lu Zhengting shot a meaningful glance at Ke Yaru. She froze, looking back at him, her heart sinking. So you really are kicking me out.