Xia Yan strolled to the lakeside railing, resting her elbows on it as she leaned forward slightly. Her flowing hair danced in the wind. Suddenly, her phone rang, and she answered it slowly.
"Brother Ye, is there something you need?"
"Where are you? I'm at the school gate right now."
"I'm by Mist Bridge. Just come over directly."
Ye Yunchen navigated his way to Mist Bridge with ease and spotted Xia Yan's somewhat lonely figure by the lake. His brow furrowed as he strode over.
"Not in a good mood?" Ye Yunchen stood shoulder to shoulder with her, turning his head to look at her profile. Under the gray sky, the lakeside streetlights had already flickered on, casting bright light onto her, and he found himself momentarily lost in thought.
Xia Yan turned her head and smiled faintly. This was where she had first met Ye Yunchen. Back then, she had also been in a bad mood, standing alone in the wind at the tip of the breeze, and it had been winter at the time.
Ye Yunchen patted Xia Yan's head, his low, gentle voice slowly rising. "What's got our Xia Yan feeling down? How about telling me your troubles?"
"I'm just looking for some peace and quiet. Brother Ye, did you come to the school for something?" Xia Yan casually tucked a strand of hair blown across her forehead behind her ear, speaking nonchalantly.
Ye Yunchen thought for a moment, then withdrew his hand and shoved it into his pants pocket. "The company is sending me abroad on a business trip. The flight is tomorrow afternoon."
"You've only been at the company for a week, and they're already sending you on a trip? And so urgently?" Xia Yan looked at Ye Yunchen, puzzled.
"Yeah, I fought for this myself."
Hearing this, Xia Yan nodded in understanding and gave his shoulder a hearty slap. "Brother Ye, I never used to believe that gold shines wherever it is, but now I do."
The reason Xia Yan and Ye Yunchen had such a good relationship was because of his longing for the future and his persistence in pursuing his ideals. Ye Yunchen's family wasn't even well-off. He had entered Jiangcheng University with the highest score in the college entrance exam, and from then on, he swept every scholarship at Jiangda every year.
In his sophomore year, Jiangda exchanged students with a foreign university. Ye Yunchen was selected and went abroad to study until recently. Even overseas, he remained renowned at his school.
At Jiangda, Ye Yunchen was famous not only for his outstanding grades but also for his handsome looks. He always treated girls with the demeanor of a refined gentleman—warm and elegant—making him the dream lover of many female students.
Ye Yunchen's greatest ambition was to rise above and carve out his own path. He was working hard toward that goal.
Because Xia Yan understood him, she also empathized. "Brother Ye, when will you be back from this trip?"
"One month later."
In a month, many things could happen. For instance, Xia Yan was about to officially report to the Lu Corporation; Lin Xujia ended up interning at her father's company; Xia Siyue continued to be deeply involved with Mu Chengfeng; and Xia Minghui remained the same as before.
As for the old Madam Xia, knowing about her relationship with Lu Zhengting, she no longer forced Xia Yan to do things she disliked. As for Xiao Lanzhi, her condition had noticeably improved.
With graduation approaching, Xia Yan didn't plan to return to the Xia family home. She intended to find a place to live on her own. Until she found a place, she still stayed in the school dormitory. She packed up simply and received a call from Xiaohan in the morning. That little rascal wanted cake again. Over the past month, to avoid direct contact with Lu Zhengting, Xia Yan had made sure to find out his whereabouts every time she got a call from Xiaohan.
When she reached the school gate, she saw Xiaohan rolling down the car window, sticking his head out, grinning at her with a toothy smile, and waving his little arms in the air. "Sister Yan, here, here! I'm over here!"
The car Lu Zhengting arranged to pick up and drop off Xiaohan every day was a Mercedes, not as flashy as his own ride, especially since the one waving at her was a child.
Although the forum post about Xia Yan being kept had never faded away, over time, she stopped caring. It was all about attitude—whatever happens, happens!
Xiaohan opened the car door and invited Xia Yan in, immediately grabbing her arm and nuzzling his little head against her like a puppy begging for affection. He was so adorable that Xia Yan had no resistance. She reached out, scooped him onto her lap, and gently pinched his cheek.
"Xiaohan, have you been sneaking cake lately?"
Hearing this, Xiaohan wiped his mouth. "No, I haven't."
"Really?" Xia Yan raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him. "But it looks like you've gained some weight."
"Huh? How could I gain weight! I only ate a little cake..." Xiaohan realized he'd slipped up and quickly covered his mouth with his hand, blinking his sparkling eyes in an endearing way.
"Hmph, lying isn't being a good kid. Who told me that?"
"A white lie is to protect people from getting hurt."
"Xiaohan, how is it that you've said both the good and the bad?" Xia Yan rolled her eyes. Did Xiaohan really seem like a five- or six-year-old?
Xiaohan looked at Xia Yan smugly and said lazily, "My dad says that's a skill too—leaving others with nothing to say."
Xia Yan's mouth twitched slightly, and she narrowed her eyes. Lu Zhengting's way of thinking really wasn't something ordinary people could guess. Xiaohan's greatest interest was still cake. Ever since she made strawberry cake once, it had become his obsession.
Back at the Lu residence, Xiaohan pulled out his phone, called the tutor, and gave her the day off. Xia Yan smiled helplessly, walked into the kitchen, and tied on the apron Chen Ma handed her.
"Chen Ma, have you sorted out your family matters?"
Over the past month, whenever Xia Yan came to the Lu residence, she hadn't seen Chen Ma. She only learned from Xiaohan that something had indeed happened in Chen Ma's family, prompting her to take a month off. As Xia Yan whisked eggs, she looked at Chen Ma, who seemed a bit haggard.
"Chen Ma, you don't look well."
"Miss Xia, I'm fine. I'll go attend to other things now. If you need anything, just let me know." Chen Ma's somewhat respectful attitude left Xia Yan puzzled.
She had liked the way they interacted before, but now it felt off. She probably didn't realize that in the eyes of the Lu household staff, she had been upgraded to Lu Zhengting's girlfriend, and the culprit was Xiaohan, sitting in the living room watching a documentary about animals.
Strawberry cake was a bit sweeter than other cakes, which was why, before making it for Xiaohan, she always made him promise that eating it once meant no cake for three days, and he had to eat some vegetables in between.
Faced with the temptation of cake, Xiaohan had no willpower, so he agreed.
Just as Xia Yan carried the cake into the living room, Xiaohan jumped off the sofa and ran straight toward her, his eyes lighting up at the cake in her hands. The little foodie was about to go into full mode.
"Xiaohan, today you can only have this much."
"Huh? That's not nearly enough for me!"
"No way. Did you forget last time when you ate too much and got a stomachache? Haven't you learned your lesson?" Xia Yan said sternly.
Xiaohan lowered his head, his round eyes darting around, a sly smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Hearing the doorbell ring, Xia Yan crouched down and patted his head. "Be good. I'll go open the door."
When Xia Yan opened the door, she froze at the sight of the person standing there. Wasn't this Lu Zhengting's girlfriend?
Ke Yaru hadn't expected Xia Yan to be the one opening the door. The smile on her face instantly stiffened at the sight of Xia Yan. She looked at the apron tied around Xia Yan and the flour smudged on her face, frowning slightly with pursed lips.
"What are you doing here?"
"I... I'm here to make cake for Xiaohan." Whether it was because Ke Yaru's gaze was too sharp, Xia Yan felt a strong wave of hostility. She stared at Ke Yaru in confusion for a moment, then quickly stepped back.
Seeing how familiar Ke Yaru was with the Lu residence, Xia Yan had her own guesses. She figured out the source of that inexplicable hostility.
"Xiaohan, are you eating cake?"
Hearing this, Xiaohan looked up from his cake at Ke Yaru and waved at her with a smile. "Auntie Ru, come quick! Sister Yan's cake is super delicious. I love Sister Yan's cake the most!"
Ke Yaru walked over to Xiaohan with a smile, glancing down at the cake in front of him with disdain in her eyes. She sat down on the sofa without a fuss, lifted her head slightly to look at Xia Yan standing nearby, and felt a bit of disgust at her messy appearance. She rubbed the tip of her nose, putting on the full airs of the lady of the house.
"So you're Xia Yan?"
"Hello, I'm Xia Yan."
"Mm. Since Xiaohan likes your cake, you can certainly make time to come over and make it for him when you're free." Ke Yaru crossed her slender fingers on her lap, her neatly trimmed nails painted with red polish. She glanced at Xia Yan indifferently, her words carrying a hidden meaning.
Xia Yan remained extremely calm, as if she understood that the woman sitting before her was treating her like a servant. Though she felt a bit dissatisfied, considering that Ke Yaru, as Lu Zhengting's girlfriend, might misunderstand seeing another woman at her boyfriend's house, she let it go and didn't bother to argue.
Without a word, Xia Yan turned and went back to the kitchen. She saw Chen Ma standing at the kitchen door, staring toward the living room with a puzzled look. She untied her apron and said softly, "Chen Ma, what are you looking at?"
"Miss Xia, why aren't you staying in the living room with the young master?"
"Mr. Lu's girlfriend is here. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to stay, and I also have something to take care of early."
"Mr. Lu's girlfriend?" Chen Ma looked at Xia Yan, who was washing her hands, confused. Was she saying that Miss Ke was Mr. Lu's girlfriend?
Xia Yan patted the dazed Chen Ma and walked slowly to the living room. "Xiaohan, I still have things to do, so I'll head out now. Don't eat any more cake after you finish what's in front of you."