Xia Yan sat on the sofa with extreme caution, pulling Zhan Meng close to her side and whispering, "Don't move around."
She stared warily at the elderly man sitting across from them on the sofa, leaning on a cane. His weathered face bore the marks of time, with slightly sagging skin and drooping eyelids. When his kind gaze fell on her, faint wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes. He wore a dark red Mao suit, and on his thumb was a jade thumb ring. Xia Yan silently furrowed her brow, gave him a once-over, and said flatly, "Old man, we've already escorted you home and come inside."
"Where are you two staying now? It's getting late—why not settle down here for the night?"
"No need, we're in a hurry." Xia Yan refused outright.
"Even if you're in a hurry, you need to be careful. Those people earlier..."
"We don't know those people." Xia Yan cut in quickly.
Zhan Meng rolled her eyes at the back of Xia Yan's head, took a step to the side, and said, "Sure, I'm really tired anyway."
"Zhan Meng!"
Xia Yan glared at Zhan Meng in frustration, calling her name angrily, then leaned in close to whisper under the old man's intense gaze, "Lu Zhengting and his people have already found us."
"I know."
"Then shouldn't we leave here right now?" Xia Yan shuddered at the memory of the street brawl earlier, feeling a lingering fear. Sensing a burning gaze fixed on her, she suddenly looked up and stared intently at the old man.
"That's true, but where do we go? Think about it—Lu Zhengting must already know we used fake IDs. And the people looking for us now, well, not us, but you, aren't just Lu Zhengting's people." Zhan Meng pursed her lips and smiled faintly.
Hearing this, Xia Yan was momentarily stunned. Zhan Meng waved her hand grandly and said cheerfully to the old man, "Sir, if you don't mind us being a bother, then we'll take you up on that offer."
"Make yourselves at home. It's usually just me here alone. Having you around will keep an old man like me company."
Zhan Meng blinked, turned to look at the still-dazed Xia Yan, sighed softly, and helplessly draped an arm over her shoulder. "Xia Yan, you have to trust me."
Xia Yan pondered for a moment. She had no choice but to nod. Indeed, the only reason they'd made it safely to Yuzhou was because of Zhan Meng's thorough preparations. If it had been just her, she'd probably have been caught before even leaving Jiangcheng.
Seeing Xia Yan relent, the old man's wrinkled face instantly lit up with a smile. The bodyguard who had been following him had disappeared as they entered the gate. He set his cane aside and instructed the servants to prepare some late-night snacks for them.
Probably worried they'd feel restrained, the old man only stayed in the living room for a short while before being helped back to his room by the butler.
"Old Zhou, look into that young lady's background for me."
"Sir, are you suspecting a connection with Miss Lanzhi?"
"Yes. How could there be two people so alike in this world? And bring me all her information."
"Understood."
"Fulfill any request they make."
Xia Yan sat restlessly, her uneasy gaze fixed on Zhan Meng, forcing the snacking Zhan Meng to stop mid-bite.
"Xia Yan, why are you suddenly so on edge?"
"It's all because of you. We don't even know who he is, and you dare to stay here. If he's connected to Lu Zhengting, aren't we walking right into a trap?"
Zhan Meng leaned forward, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, and cracked one open as she spoke. "Xia Yan, honestly, you're overthinking this."
"What are you talking about?" Xia Yan was completely baffled by Zhan Meng now.
"Ugh, how do I explain this? Let me make it short. I only know that besides Lu Zhengting's people, there's another group looking for you. For now, I'm sure staying here is the safest option."
"Why?"
"Are you a walking encyclopedia of 'whys'?" Zhan Meng rolled her eyes and beckoned Xia Yan closer. Just as she was about to speak, she caught sight of the butler coming down the stairs and quickly smiled. "I'll tell you in the room."
"The master said you two ladies can stay as long as you like. Feel free to ask for anything."
"No need to trouble yourselves. We're only staying one night—ah..."
Zhan Meng discreetly pinched Xia Yan's waist and looked at her with concern. "Are you okay? You must be exhausted?" She immediately turned to the butler. "Great, we won't hold back."
"Who said—"
Zhan Meng's eyes curved into thin slits as she pulled Xia Yan close, stopping her from speaking. "Butler Zhou, where will we be staying tonight?"
"Please follow me, ladies."
Seeing this, Xia Yan was furious but had no choice but to follow Zhan Meng. Once in the room and the butler had left, she stood in front of Zhan Meng, bewildered. "What are you playing at?"
"Hey, don't rush. Xia Yan, come here, I'll tell you." Zhan Meng patted the bed, then flopped back comfortably, arms spread, tilting her head to look at Xia Yan with a grin. "Come on."
Xia Yan shook her head in exasperation, walked casually to the bed, and crouched by its edge. "Spit it out."
"Remember how you were so interested in that story about the richest man in Yuzhou's daughter that the landlady told? So I used my skills to investigate it. And guess what? I found something. That old man just now is the richest man in Yuzhou. Get it? Here, they won't find us for a while."
"What about the hotel?"
"The hotel's not safe anymore. I figure Lu Zhengting already knows about it. He might even be waiting there for us to walk right in." Zhan Meng rubbed her chin, getting more convinced of her own reasoning, and gave herself an approving look.
"Then, according to you, why would the richest man in Yuzhou, a complete stranger, help us?"
"That's the key point I'm getting to. Do you know what his surname is?" Zhan Meng suddenly sat up, grabbing Xia Yan's wrists. "It's Xiao."
"Isn't Xiao a common surname?" Xia Yan replied reflexively. Then a thought flashed through her mind. "Are you saying he's connected to my mother? How is that possible? There are so many people with the surname Xiao in the world—they can't all be related."
"Why not? Trace it back far enough, and we're all from the same ancestor."
Xia Yan's mouth twitched. "I still think your theory is too far-fetched."
"It's just a theory, isn't it? What theory isn't far-fetched?" Zhan Meng waved it off, yawning. "I'm getting sleepy again."
Seeing this, Xia Yan remembered the little one in Zhan Meng's belly and couldn't help asking, "Have you really decided?"
"Yeah. Since I can't bring myself to let go, I'll keep her."
"Are you going to tell Ning Xi?"
"What's the point? He doesn't have feelings for me anyway. And being a single mom isn't the end of the world." Zhan Meng said nonchalantly, though she couldn't help thinking that if her father found out she was pregnant out of wedlock, he'd probably skin her alive.
Skin her alive? Just the thought gave her goosebumps.
"Forget it, let's not talk about this. We'll take it one step at a time. Roads are made by walking—they can't all lead to dead ends."
Zhan Meng caught the look in Xia Yan's eyes and found it amusing. "Don't make that face. I'm not as fragile as you think. And I really can't find a reason to tell Ning Xi."
"Why?"
"You really are a walking encyclopedia of 'whys'?" Zhan Meng teased.
******
That night in Yuzhou, a hint of unease crept in as it slowly descended into the late hours. Stripped of its daytime bustle and noise, the quiet of the night lulled the weary into dreams. The stars twinkled gently in the sky, accompanying the half-moon that cast a cool, clear light.
On the empty streets, leaves rustled in the wind, their mottled shadows falling on the bluestone path. Warm orange streetlights glowed softly, harmonizing with the scene.
As Zhan Meng had predicted, Lu Zhengting had indeed chosen their hotel, the Yuzhou International Hotel.
In the presidential suite, Ning Xi was sprawled on the sofa, refusing to leave, staring intently at Lu Zhengting, who was working at his desk. "If you can't find Xia Yan, you go crazy. When you do find her, you let her roam free. And now you're so calm."
Lu Zhengting didn't look up. His well-defined hand held a black fountain pen as he scanned a document, signing his name with a flourish at the end. The saying "the handwriting reveals the person" didn't apply to Lu Zhengting. His script was unusually fluid, slightly wild, leaning toward a cursive style that was a bit messy.
Xia Yan had been shocked the first time she saw him write. She'd initially thought he only wrote his name that way, but it turned out his handwriting itself was a pleasure to behold.
Ning Xi rolled over in boredom, seeing Lu Zhengting completely ignore him. "So what's your plan now? Yang Jinkuan and Xia Minghui's people know Xia Yan's in Yuzhou. Aren't you going to do something?"
"You talk too much."
"Want me to shut up? Then tell me what you're going to do next."
Lu Zhengting finally looked up, casting a calm glance at Ning Xi. "Lure the snake out of its hole."
"Lure the snake out? You're willing to use Xia Yan as bait?"
"Who said I'm using Xia Yan as bait?" Lu Zhengting frowned.
"Then you... you're using Zhan Meng as bait?" Ning Xi's mind raced. He swung his legs around and sat up straight on the sofa, staring fixedly at Lu Zhengting.
"Everyone knows she's with Xia Yan. Where she shows up, Xia Yan will be."
"I won't agree to that." Ning Xi snapped. "You won't risk Xia Yan, and I won't risk Zhan Meng."
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting's lips curled slightly, though his expression remained serious. "You're just ordinary friends with her. Why do you care so much?"