Lu Zhengting spread his hands in disbelief, then pointed at Xu Su, who was sitting in the lounge. He pursed his lips into a faint smile and stopped paying attention to the frantic Ning Nan.
"What made you think of coming to the company to find me?" Lu Zhengting casually sat down on the sofa, took the coffee handed in by his secretary, brought it to his nose to sniff, took a small sip, and fixed his gaze on Xu Su. Shouldn't he be busy dealing with matters involving Ning Nan right now? How could he have the mood to come here?
Xu Su was silent for a moment, then lifted his eyes slightly to glance at Ning Nan, who was sitting on the other side with an air of indifference, as if it had nothing to do with him. A headache immediately set in. He then looked at Lu Zhengting. "Yang Jinkuan has been a bit restless these past few days."
"Yang Jinkuan?" Lu Zhengting had previously secretly ordered people to seal off Yang Jinkuan's assets, then quietly suppressed and acquired them. Yang Jinkuan's counterattack now wouldn't have much impact on him.
Suddenly recalling something, Lu Zhengting smiled. He had forgotten one detail: Yang Jinkuan had approached Ning Nan, trying to keep him as a mistress. Yang Jinkuan's desires indeed knew no gender boundaries. Back then, Xu Su's first reaction upon learning this was to go after Yang Jinkuan, but Ning Nan, wary of the man's status, had forcefully stopped Xu Su.
Thinking about it now, Xu Su was the type to hold a grudge and had likely been itching to make a move against Yang Jinkuan all along.
Ning Nan showed no particular reaction to the name Yang Jinkuan. He was munching on snacks the secretary had brought in, crunching loudly. Seeing this, Lu Zhengting's face darkened in exasperation. He glanced at Xu Su, who wore an expression of utter indifference, and suddenly felt that Xu Su's indulgence toward Ning Nan was utterly lawless.
Between him and Xu Su, it was clearly Xu Su who hated snacks more.
Xu Su cast a cold glance at Ning Nan, who was eating happily, and added, "This time, Yang Jinkuan is targeting the Xia family. I've received word that he's set a deliberate trap, and Xia Minghui has already fallen for it. Now we're just waiting for the outcome."
"Going after the Xia family? Hasn't he given up on Xia Yan yet?" Ning Nan took a sip of water and said slowly.
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting's expression shifted slightly. He recalled that morning when Xia Yan had returned to the Xia family—could it be because of Yang Jinkuan? On second thought, given that the Xia family now dared not act recklessly, knowing Xia Yan was his woman, if they wanted to solve their current problems, they would likely have Xia Yan come to him for help.
With this realization, Lu Zhengting's mood suddenly brightened. Following the Xia family's usual style, they would definitely make Xia Yan come to him for assistance. He found himself somewhat looking forward to whether she would actually do so.
"Ah Ting, cancel all of Ning Nan's work for the time being."
"That would cost the company a lot of losses." Ning Nan didn't hesitate to wink at Lu Zhengting. As a signed artist under the entertainment company of the Lu Group, he had no doubt that one word from Lu Zhengting could put him on a break.
But he didn't want to rest.
Lu Zhengting curled his lips and smiled at Xu Su. "No problem."
"Come on, Boss Lu, let me tell you, you need to think this through. Suspending all my current work means we're unilaterally breaching the contract. The compensation won't be small—it's too much of a loss." Ning Nan shook his head vigorously. He didn't want to go back and face Xu Su's stone-cold face.
Xu Su shot Ning Nan a piercing glare like a sharp sword, and he and Lu Zhengting reached a consensus.
Ning Nan's pitiful look was completely ignored by Lu Zhengting. He silently followed behind Xu Su, his heart feeling ice-cold. Wasn't he just caught up in a bit too much gossip lately and teased Xia Yan a little? Why did he feel like two people were ganging up on him? Xu Su always preferred to drive himself, so he rarely had a chauffeur. Coming out of the elevator on the third basement level, the parking lot, he quickly found his car. Ning Nan trailed unhurriedly behind, and when he saw the Maserati, his face changed instantly.
"Get in." Xu Su commanded.
"..."
Seeing Ning Nan standing frozen in front of the car, Xu Su forcefully slammed the door he had just opened, the bang echoing as he shut it. He strode over to Ning Nan, grabbed his hand roughly, and with a powerful pull, pinned him between the car body and his arm. Lowering his head, he stared at Ning Nan with a fierce gaze.
Ning Nan frowned deeply. The more he struggled, the harder Xu Su held on. Finally, he stopped resisting, lifted his head, and glared at Xu Su. "This is a parking lot. People come and go all the time. Xu Su, what are you trying to do?"
"What about that night? How do we settle it?" Xu Su said coldly.
"Oh, that night. Uncontrollable passion, blazing fire, mutual need?" Ning Nan slowly let the words slip from his lips. As soon as he finished, he felt the air pressure around him drop sharply. He lowered his voice and cleared his throat.
"Xu Su, I'm a public figure. There are paparazzi everywhere. Are you sure this position we're in is appropriate?"
Xu Su stared at Ning Nan expressionlessly, then without another word, shoved him into the car. He quickly got into the driver's seat, buckled his seatbelt, and started the engine.
Ning Nan remained silent the whole way, and Xu Su said nothing either, driving straight to his own place. When they arrived, Ning Nan sat in the passenger seat, staring ahead, and said flatly, "Xu Su, forget about that night. It's better for both of us."
******
Xia Yan didn't spend much time handling her school withdrawal procedures. She had just stepped out of the advisor's office when she received a call from the hospital. Thinking it might be about Xiao Lanzhi's condition worsening, she didn't dare delay. Clutching a stack of documents, she ran straight to the school gate to hail a taxi to the hospital.
At the city hospital, Xiao Lanzhi coughed a few times in a row, her face pale as she looked at Xia Siyue, who had burst in angrily. Seeing her furious expression, she guessed what was going on. "Yueyue, when did you get here?"
"When did I get here? If I hadn't come, how would I know you were planning to leave everything to Xia Yan? I'm your daughter too. Why does Xia Yan get something and I don't?"
Xia Siyue shouted angrily at Xiao Lanzhi, then glanced at the lawyer standing nearby, her fury intensifying.
"Yueyue, these things were left to Yan Yan by her late father..."
"You're married to my dad now, so you're my mother too. I should have a share of everything you own. Why should only my sister get it and not me?"
"Yueyue, don't be unreasonable. These are things Yan Yan's father left for her." Xiao Lanzhi said wearily, looking at Xia Siyue. She had wanted to settle these matters while she was still conscious and clear-headed, but she hadn't expected Xia Siyue to barge in and catch her.
When Xia Yan arrived, she saw Xia Siyue filled with anger and resentment toward her. She glanced at the inexplicably hostile Xia Siyue, then walked to the bedside and noticed the unfamiliar man standing to the side. Somewhat surprised, she asked, "Mom, who is this?"
"Yan Yan, this is Lawyer Li."
Hearing this, Xia Yan looked at Xiao Lanzhi in confusion. "Mom, why did you contact a lawyer?"
"I wanted to take care of everything while I'm still clear-headed..."
"Mom, what are you talking about? Your condition has been improving lately. Don't overthink things."
"Silly child, I know my own condition." Xiao Lanzhi held Xia Yan's hand and patted it gently, then turned to the lawyer. "Lawyer Li, just do as I said before."
"Alright, Ms. Xiao. I'll get it sorted out as soon as possible."
"No way." Xia Siyue suddenly stood up, interrupting them. She crossed her arms and walked to the bedside. "I don't agree. I want half of what you're leaving to Xia Yan."
Xia Yan frowned deeply, lowering her eyes to look at Xiao Lanzhi. "Mom, what's going on?"
"Yan Yan, I know I don't have much time left. So while I can, I want to give you what your father left for you."
"What Dad left for me?" Xia Yan said in surprise. She remembered being in class when she suddenly got a call from home, learning that her father had died in a car accident on the way to the hospital.
Xiao Lanzhi hummed in acknowledgment. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly her breathing became labored. Her face turned pale, then flushed, and her brows knitted tightly. Xia Yan quickly pressed the emergency button.
A swarm of doctors and nurses rushed to Xiao Lanzhi's bedside. Seeing her writhing in pain, several nurses held her down while the doctor held a thin syringe and injected it into her vein.
"Miss Xia, your mother's condition has suddenly worsened..."
"Then start chemotherapy right away! Why are you standing around?"
"Miss Xia, please calm down. Given your mother's current physical state, she's no longer fit for chemotherapy."
"If not chemotherapy, then do something else. There has to be a way. Her condition was improving before—why has it suddenly gotten this bad?"
"Miss Xia, please stay calm."
"How can I stay calm! The person lying in that bed is my mother. You're telling me she's beyond saving! How am I supposed to stay calm!" Xia Yan grabbed the doctor's arm, shouting angrily.
The doctor sighed softly and said nothing more.
Xia Yan felt as if she had lost all her center of gravity, floating aimlessly. She let go of the doctor's arm, dazed, and collapsed weakly onto the sofa. The room was thick with the smell of disinfectant. She blinked and whispered, "Can't we try again?"
"Miss Xia, we're considering the patient's current condition."
"I understand." Xia Yan said weakly, her voice drained.
Xiao Lanzhi's pain had clearly eased. Xia Yan stared at the pale, bloodless face on the bed, her heart aching. She forced back her tears, stood up slowly, and said to the lawyer, "Just do as my mother wishes."
"Alright, Miss Xia. I'll go handle it now."
"Don't leave!" Xia Siyue shouted angrily.
"Lawyer Li, go do what you need to do."
Hearing this, Xia Siyue's face twisted with rage. Especially when she saw the lawyer leave the room with his briefcase, she pointed a trembling finger at Xia Yan. "What gives you the authority to decide? I must get a share of what Mom left you."
"Xia Siyue," Xia Yan said coldly, enunciating her name, then added, "Dream on!"
"You! Hmph, you want to hog it all? I won't let you have your way." She was determined not to let this go.