City Hospital.
Lu Zhengting followed Xia Yan to the hospital. As soon as they reached the ward door, they heard arguing inside. Xia Siyue's voice was exceptionally loud, filled with indignation, countered by Xia Minghui's calm tone. Xiao Lanzhi seemed to say nothing. Xia Yan stood at the door for a long while, then, with a cold expression, pushed the door open directly, appearing before everyone.
"So lively?" Xia Yan stared expressionlessly at Xia Siyue, catching the smugness flickering across her face, as if she was fully confident this time.
"You're just in time..." Xia Siyue spoke up, seeing Xia Minghui sitting silently on the nearby sofa. Knowing her father was surely on her side, she couldn't help but look a bit triumphant.
Xia Yan raised a hand to stop her. "Just in time? Isn't it that you deliberately came to the hospital to cause a scene, forcing me to show up like this?"
"Say what you will. In the end, I just need to confirm one thing—I must get half of what Mom left you."
"No." Xiao Lanzhi lay in the hospital bed. Though her condition seemed to improve on the surface these days, she alone knew her body had been deteriorating day by day. Now, before she was even dead, seeing Xia Siyue so fixated on Xia Yan's belongings stirred a hint of displeasure within her.
"Lanzhi, don't be angry. Yueyue is your child too. It's understandable she's dissatisfied that you only left things to Yanyan. Seeing this mess now, I, as a father, do bear some responsibility." Xia Minghui spoke seriously yet gently, staring at Xiao Lanzhi. Watching her increasingly gaunt face, he couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy. He had fallen for Xiao Lanzhi at first sight, drawn to her untainted purity. She was a woman he had once loved, and seeing her like this now, he let out a sigh.
"Minghui, you know Yanyan's father passed away early. These things are the only legacy he left her, so I won't budge on this." Xiao Lanzhi said softly.
"How about this—let Yueyue take a look at those things..."
"I disagree." Xia Yan refused without a second thought. Why should her father's belongings be shown to Xia Siyue?
"Yanyan."
"Father, don't say anymore. I won't agree."
Xia Minghui saw Xia Yan's resolute stance for the first time, and for the first time, he glimpsed her father's shadow in her. He recalled his brotherly bond with Xu Guang in the past, and how if Xu Guang hadn't confessed to Xiao Lanzhi before him, things might have turned out differently.
Realizing he wasn't yet ready to have a falling out with Xia Yan, Xia Minghui glanced at Xiao Lanzhi's grave expression, suppressing his inner unease. He was now desperate to know what Xu Guang had left for Xia Yan and whether it was connected to what happened back then.
With that thought, he paused, pulled back Xia Siyue who was about to speak, and smiled at Xia Yan. "Yanyan, Lanzhi isn't well right now. Let's leave it for now and talk about it later."
Hearing this, Xiao Lanzhi looked at Xia Minghui with some confusion. If they didn't handle it while she was clear-headed, it would become troublesome later.
Lu Zhengting had been taking a call in the stairwell, unaware of what was happening in the ward. By the time he finished and returned, Xia Minghui had already left with Xia Siyue, leaving a fuming Xia Yan sitting silently on the sofa, while Xiao Lanzhi seemed lost in thought.
Lu Zhengting suddenly sat beside Xia Yan, the sofa dipping under his weight. Xia Yan snapped out of it, glanced at him, and blinked. "Don't you have things to handle?"
"All done."
"That fast?"
"How long did you think it would take?" Lu Zhengting looked at Xia Yan with amusement, as if pondering her words.
Xia Yan shook her head, then noticed Xiao Lanzhi staring at them. Understanding the meaning in her mother's eyes, she felt a surge of pressure, lowered her head, and fell silent for a long time.
Xiao Lanzhi thought for a moment, then looked at Xia Yan. "Yanyan, I'm a bit hungry. Go downstairs and buy me some porridge."
"Alright." Without overthinking, Xia Yan stood up abruptly. Seeing Lu Zhengting still unmoving, she nudged his shoulder, turning her back to Xiao Lanzhi and mouthing silently, "Aren't you coming with me?"
"Yanyan, let Mr. Lu stay and chat with me."
Xia Yan looked at Xiao Lanzhi with confusion. When had her mother and Lu Zhengting become close enough to talk alone? She had no idea. Despite her doubts, she withdrew her gaze and slowly walked out of the ward.
Inside, Lu Zhengting leaned back on the sofa, arms crossed over his chest, gazing at Xiao Lanzhi meaningfully. "Auntie, do you remember what happened before Uncle's accident?"
At his sudden mention of the topic, especially from over a decade ago, Xiao Lanzhi grew wary. "Why are you bringing this up? What's your aim?"
"Don't be nervous. I have no other motive—I just want to understand what really happened back then. Based on my investigation, that accident wasn't an accident."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean exactly what I said: what happened over a decade ago was likely deliberate." Lu Zhengting looked at Xiao Lanzhi seriously. Xu Guang's case might be the breakthrough in this matter.
"Do you have proof that what you're saying isn't false?" Xiao Lanzhi stared at him in shock. This was something from over ten years ago, when everyone called it an accident. Now, someone suddenly told her it wasn't—she couldn't describe her feelings.
"I have evidence, but it might be in the belongings Uncle left for Xia Yan."
"Lu Zhengting, what do you mean by that? That my dad's death wasn't an accident but deliberate?" Xia Yan pushed open the ward door, appearing before them. Her face showed shock and anger. Though she was young then and remembered little clearly, she vividly recalled her mother sobbing heart-wrenchingly over her father's body.
Neither Xiao Lanzhi nor Lu Zhengting expected Xia Yan to return and overhear their conversation.
Xia Yan stared at Lu Zhengting, speaking slowly. "Is what you said true? Was my dad really not killed in an accident?"
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting paused in thought, then nodded.
Xia Yan stumbled, collapsing weakly onto the sofa. She looked up at Xiao Lanzhi, disbelief in her eyes.
Lu Zhengting's words not only shocked Xia Yan but also triggered a worsening of Xiao Lanzhi's condition.
Xiao Lanzhi went into surgery again. When she came out, Xia Yan saw the doctor's expression and felt like it was dark whether she closed her eyes or not, as if storm clouds hung over her head. She instinctively turned to look at Lu Zhengting, grabbing his sleeve, sorrowful and pitiful.
Lu Zhengting felt a pang of sympathy and stayed by Xia Yan's side.
******
Xia Family Villa.
Xia Minghui brought Xia Siyue back to find the old Madam Xia scolding someone in the living room. Xia Siyue immediately pouted, crying as she ran to her. "Grandma, you have to stand up for me. Dad went to the hospital but didn't help me at all."
"Minghui, what's going on?" The old Madam Xia looked at her granddaughter, tears streaming down her face, and felt a pang of pain, scolding her son.
"Mom, let me have some peace first." Xia Minghui had no desire to stay in the living room or dwell on the matter. He shot a glare at Xia Siyue. "Behave yourself!"
Hearing this, Xia Siyue felt even more wronged. Her own father was siding with that bitch Xia Yan instead of her.
Xia Minghui returned to his study with a grim face, slumping into his chair and staring blankly at the items on his desk. He hadn't known Xu Guang had left belongings with Xiao Lanzhi. Few knew about what happened back then, and now those items were being brought up by Xiao Lanzhi. A sense of unease rose within him. He urgently needed to know what those belongings were.
The old Madam Xia entered the study and, seeing Xia Minghui's heavy expression, spoke sternly. "Minghui, you've been in a bad mood since you got back from the hospital. What's the situation now? Is Xiao Lanzhi unwilling to split the things with Yueyue?"
"Yes. Not only is Lanzhi firm, but Xia Yan is too. Finding out what those belongings are will be difficult." That was Xia Minghui's worry. The more resolute they were, the more he sensed something fishy.
"I told you from the start not to let Xiao Lanzhi marry into our family. Now look—she's married in, but her heart is still with her ex-husband."
"Mom, what's the use of saying that now? We need to focus on solving the current problem." Xia Minghui rubbed his temples. What exactly were those belongings?
The Xia family's atmosphere turned strange because of the sudden emergence of the belongings, and the relationship between Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting also grew odd.
Xia Yan sat in Lu Zhengting's car, suddenly finding herself at a loss for words. After a moment, a question that had long puzzled her seemed to click into place. Why had Lu Zhengting appeared when she encountered Yang Jinkuan at the Xia family home? Why had he, who never meddled, suddenly helped her? And everything that followed—his attitude toward her—now had a clear explanation.
Now that the lingering doubt in her mind was resolved, why didn't she feel happy? Instead, she felt a pang of sadness—sad that the truth was nothing more than this.
Lu Zhengting didn't know what was on Xia Yan's mind, nor did he notice her low mood. He simply assumed she hadn't yet accepted what he'd said.
Xia Yan asked Lu Zhengting to drop her off at school. She didn't say a word to him until she got out of the car.
Back at the dorm, she was the only one left. Lin Xujia had already returned to the Lin family company for an internship.