"This is my business. Looks like you've sobered up—take a cab home yourself." Ye Yunchen abruptly pulled the car over to the curb, his voice icy.
Lin Xujia stared at him in disbelief. "Brother Ye, you—"
"Get out."
The harshness in Ye Yunchen's tone sent a chill through Lin Xujia's heart. Furious, she unbuckled her seatbelt and shot him a venomous glare. The moment she stepped out, Ye Yunchen revved the engine and sped off. She stood dumbfounded, watching the disappearing taillights as tears streamed down her face.
Just as she thought he wouldn't come back, his car reappeared in her blurry vision. But before she could feel relief, he drove right past her without stopping.
In that moment, Lin Xujia hated Xia Yan with a burning passion, and she hated Ye Yunchen too. Wiping away her tears, she stared darkly in the direction he'd vanished, knowing he wouldn't turn back. That night, she suddenly realized that Ye Yunchen was just like her—they belonged to the same world, shared the same values. She understood now that the man who always wore a warm smile, who brought a spring breeze to everyone, also harbored a dark soul.
Lost in thought, Lin Xujia began to smile. Someone like Ye Yunchen was only truly suited for her. In this world, only she knew the deepest, hidden side of him—just as he knew hers.
******
Ye Yunchen drove aimlessly through the streets of Jiangcheng, Lin Xujia's words hammering against his heart like a sledgehammer, nearly shattering the confidence and pride buried deep within him. He was painfully self-aware, knowing full well that his family background offered him no advantage in his career, and he understood the coldness of the world.
Lu Zhengting was a threat he couldn't afford to ignore. Ye Yunchen parked by the river, bought a few bottles of liquor from a nearby convenience store, and sat alone in his car, drinking. Back when he had nothing to show for himself, he believed he couldn't make Xia Yan happy, so he kept his feelings hidden. Now that he had some capability, he suddenly realized that his affection had become insignificant.
He took a large gulp, pulled out his phone, and dialed Xia Yan's number. The ringing echoed loudly in the empty night, almost carrying a resonance.
The moment the call connected, Ye Yunchen froze.
He hurled his phone in anger, crushing the bottle in his hand until it deformed. His face darkened, his cold, sharp gaze locked onto the night.
Xia Yan had let her phone ring for a long time, thinking someone had urgent business. She hurried out of the shower in her nightgown, glancing at the sofa as she passed through the living room. Huh, Lu Zhengting was gone?
When did he leave without saying a word?
Drying her hair, she shuffled back to her room and sat on the bed. She picked up her phone from the nightstand, unlocked it, and checked the call log. Ye Yunchen had called—missed. But one call showed as answered? That was odd.
She pulled back the covers while dialing back, then suddenly noticed something off about the bed. She hadn't paid attention before, but now she hesitated, then boldly yanked the covers all the way off. Her eyes went wide as she stared at the man lying there, eyes half-closed.
"Lu Zhengting!" she couldn't help but roar.
Lu Zhengting cracked an eye open, looking annoyed at having his sleep disturbed. He stared at her blankly and grunted in acknowledgment.
Xia Yan felt like she was losing her mind. "Are you planning to just stay here and never leave?"
"I'm tired."
"If you're tired, go home and sleep! What does it look like, you sleeping here? If anyone finds out, who knows what rumors will spread!"
"That's not your concern."
Xia Yan ignored him, speaking rapidly. "No, no way. If you sleep here, I'll end up on the couch again. Lu Zhengting, just go..."
Lu Zhengting glanced at the chattering Xia Yan, his eyes catching the phone in her hand still showing an active call. A faint, almost mocking smile tugged at his lips. "It's not like we haven't slept together before."
Xia Yan exploded. "What do you mean, 'not like we haven't slept together'? When did I ever sleep with you? Don't talk nonsense."
"You have a mole on your right shoulder blade, don't you?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Xia Yan fell silent. He glanced at the now-disconnected call, then suddenly sat up, grabbed her arm, and pulled her onto the bed. In one swift motion, he pinned her beneath him.
Xia Yan's eyes went wide, a mix of anger and panic. "Lu Zhengting, you pervert! You scumbag!"
"I thought you were trying to seduce me."
"Screw your seduction! Get off me!"
The words burst out of her, and Lu Zhengting blinked, his gaze locking onto hers. He reached out and touched her damp hair. "Dry your hair before you sleep."
"Mind your own business! Get off me first!" Xia Yan hated being in this position, with him on top and her below. But her strength was like a kitten's to him—nothing but a tickle, no threat at all.
"Be good. Dry it first."
"..."
Lu Zhengting's voice was a deep baritone, low and resonant. The moment he spoke, Xia Yan felt the allure in his tone, and she blushed despite herself. Holding her breath, she dared not blink as her heartbeat quickened, faster and faster...
Before she could snap out of it, Lu Zhengting leaned down and kissed her lips.
"Stop messing around."
"..."
Xia Yan was completely stunned. A thousand questions flooded her mind. Why had Lu Zhengting suddenly turned so gentle? Why, when she looked into his eyes, did she see stars twinkling? Why was he acting like this?
She felt like a walking encyclopedia of "whys," and her brain seemed to short-circuit. Lu Zhengting chuckled, rolled over, and lay beside her as if nothing had happened.
Xia Yan stole a glance at him, his eyes now closed. She secretly touched her lips, feeling like his presence still lingered there—strange and unsettling.
She slowly got out of bed, his words echoing in her ears. She found herself walking to the storage box, pulling out a hairdryer, and tiptoeing to the living room. The whirring of the dryer couldn't drown out the panic that crept up on her.
Yes, panic.
After drying her hair, she stood on the balcony for a long time. Earlier, Lu Zhengting had made her whole body heat up, but now the night breeze only made her hotter. She thought distancing herself from him would help.
She didn't sleep well that night, waking up repeatedly from her dreams.
It felt unreal. Completely unreal. Besides her intermittent insomnia, Ye Yunchen didn't sleep at all. He sat by the river all night, watching the sky turn pale, the sun slowly rising, and the empty riverbank gradually filling with morning joggers.
His eyes were bloodshot, his face unshaven. Ignoring the curious glances from passersby, he returned to his car and drove home.
Xia Yan's severe lack of sleep left her with a terrible temper. The incessant doorbell chipped away at her last shred of patience. She kicked her feet in the air, sending the blanket sliding to the floor, then snapped her eyes open and stormed to the door.
Xia Siyue and Xia Minghui were startled by her terrifying expression.
"Yanyan, you—"
"It's you?"
"Xia Yan, what kind of tone is that?" Xia Siyue jumped in immediately.
"What do you want?"
"What else would we want besides your signature?"
Xia Yan shot her a cold glare, then turned her gaze to Xia Minghui, who had remained silent. "You want my signature?"
"Yanyan, settling this early is best for everyone, don't you think?"
"Best for everyone? Who's 'everyone'?" Xia Yan sneered.
"Yanyan, I'll say it again. If you're willing to sign and agree to split the property fairly, I'll give you whatever you want."
"Including the entire Xia family?"
Xia Siyue bristled. "What a big mouth!"
"If you can't deliver, why keep pestering me? You want what my mother left me? I'll give you two words: dream on."
"Xia Yan." Xia Minghui's face hardened, his voice turning cold.
Lu Zhengting was a light sleeper; he'd woken up when Xia Yan opened the door but hadn't bothered to get up. Now, he slowly rose, opened the bedroom door, and walked into the living room. He glanced at Xia Yan, who was blocking the other two at the entrance, and said casually, "Yanyan, who's here?"
...
His voice was just loud enough to be heard. While Xia Yan remained calm, Xia Minghui and Xia Siyue's expressions shifted oddly.
Xia Yan didn't answer. Xia Siyue caught a flicker of hesitation in her eyes and, assuming she'd caught Xia Yan cheating on Lu Zhengting with another man, grinned triumphantly. "Xia Yan, I'm coming in."
"No."
The stronger Xia Yan's refusal, the more suspicious Xia Siyue became.
"Xia Yan, why won't you let us in? Afraid we'll find out the man inside isn't Lu Zhengting?"
Xia Yan gave her a cold, dismissive look, as if calling her an idiot.
That only made Xia Siyue more determined to see who Xia Yan was hiding.
Xia Minghui's silent observation was tacit support for Xia Siyue's actions. Xia Yan knew it but didn't call him out—she was already thoroughly disillusioned with the Xia family.
Lu Zhengting listened to the exchange from inside, frowned, and slowly stepped into their line of sight. Xia Yan watched their faces change and knew it was because of him.
"How is this possible? How... how could it be?"
Lu Zhengting glanced coldly at the stunned Xia Siyue, then said in a low voice, "President Xia, are you here with your younger daughter to bully my woman?"