Li Ru set down her utensils slowly, looking puzzled at Xia Yan, who seemed lost in thought. She couldn't help waving a hand in front of her face. "What's up?"
"..."
"Xia Yan, what are you thinking about?" Li Ru frowned, turning to follow Xia Yan's gaze. She spotted Lu Zhengting appearing in the lobby, with Ke Yaru beside him, holding Xiao Han's hand. The three of them together looked like a perfect match, forming a striking scene in the hotel lobby.
"I thought you saw something important, but it's just Mr. Lu. Look at you, your eyes are practically glued to him." Li Ru snapped her fingers, then turned to grin at Xia Yan.
Hearing this, Xia Yan snapped back to reality and said flatly to Li Ru, "This place doesn't taste as good as the last one."
"Really? But I think this one's pretty decent." Li Ru trailed off, lowering her head and sneaking a sly glance at Xia Yan. "Are you feeling down?"
Xia Yan shot Li Ru a look. "If you think this hotel is good, why not just book it here?"
"Don't rush, we've still got two more to try."
"Li Ru, are you just making excuses for being a foodie? Does your boyfriend know you're like this?" Xia Yan was stuffed, and the thought of two more hotels made her whole body resist.
"Let me correct you, he's my husband now." Li Ru paused, then added shyly, "We got our marriage certificate yesterday."
Hearing this, Xia Yan offered several congratulations, then shifted the topic. "So you still want to go to the other two?"
"Hey, this one seems fine too." Li Ru patted her belly and said lazily, "I can't eat anymore either."
Xia Yan sat in her chair, her only feeling being fullness.
Li Ru propped her chin on her hands, staring at Xia Yan without blinking, and asked curiously, "Do you know Mr. Lu?"
"Why do you ask?" Xia Yan lowered her eyes and said lazily.
"So you do know him? But speaking of which, our Manager Ke always targets us women at work, but I have to admit, she and Mr. Lu do look like a perfect couple when they're together."
Xia Yan raised an eyebrow at Li Ru, thoughtful.
"And I've noticed that Manager Ke looks a bit like Mr. Lu's son. There are rumors at the company that she's the mother of his son. Xia Yan, do you know about that?"
"No, I know Mr. Lu, but he doesn't know me. Besides, that's our boss's private business. Don't gossip. Let's finish up and head to the next place."
"Didn't you say you were too full to eat anymore?!"
"I can eat now."
Li Ru rolled her eyes. "But I can't."
Xia Yan glanced at the mess on the table, imagining a table full of dishes in front of her, and her stomach immediately protested. They rested for a while until Li Ru's husband arrived, finally ending their tasting session.
Li Ru and her husband had been together since college, and after their careers stabilized and they weathered the seven-year itch, they decided to get married. This was Xia Yan's first time meeting Yang Qi. She had only heard from Li Ru about how charming and gentle he was, and now that she saw him, he lived up to the reputation. "Xia Yan, this is Yang Qi, my husband."
Xia Yan watched the overjoyed Li Ru. Yang Qi's gaze never left Li Ru, except when greeting her. Seeing Li Ru cling to him like a little woman, with Yang Qi's eyes full of undisguised adoration, a phrase popped into her mind: this must be what marrying for love looks like.
Leaving the hotel, Li Ru offered to drive Xia Yan home, but she politely declined.
Walking alone on the bustling street, she felt a hollow emptiness inside. Since childhood, countless boys had confessed to her, but she had never been moved. Now, seemingly stirred by Li Ru and Yang Qi's relationship, she suddenly felt a longing and anticipation for love.
Xia Yan knew her own personality well, and she knew she always carried a hint of fear when it came to feelings.
The muggy weather made her even more irritable. Standing at the entrance of a department store, she was hit by a wave of cool air. She had checked the weather forecast at noon, which predicted a heavy rain tonight. Now, looking at the sky as if drenched by a flood, she inexplicably thought of Lu Zhengting.
In the hotel private room.
Xu Xiao glanced coldly at Ke Yaru, then her eyes landed on Xiao Han beside her, and her face instantly lit up. She waved at Xiao Han. "Sweetie, come here and let Auntie give you a kiss."
"Auntie." Xiao Han obediently walked over to Xu Xiao, showing two little fangs and calling out softly.
"Good boy. Did you miss Auntie?"
Xiao Han silently looked at the group, blinking his big eyes, instantly amusing Ning Dong.
Seeing this, Xu Xiao looked sad, then turned to her beloved with a pout. "I've decided not to leave for now."
Ning Dong had no objections and fully supported Xu Xiao's decision, which put the other men in the room in a tough spot. It meant they'd have to hear Xu Xiao call them Su Su, Nan Nan, Xiao Ting...
Ke Yaru sat beside Lu Zhengting, maintaining a faint, proper smile. Xu Su was a man of few words, Ning Nan was still filming at Jiang University and would come later, and Xu Xiao had never liked Ke Yaru, often not even bothering with pleasantries. Ning Dong followed his wife's lead and had no opinion.
Xu Xiao glanced at Ke Yaru, picked up a peeled orange, and put it in Xiao Han's mouth, saying flatly, "Xiao Ting, why did she come along?"
"Sister Xiaoxiao, I just got back from a business trip, and Zhengting came to the airport..."
"Did I ask you?" Xu Xiao glanced at Ke Yaru, whose expression was a bit awkward, then turned her gaze back to Lu Zhengting.
"To pick up Xiao Han."
Hearing this, Xu Xiao glanced at Ke Yaru again and said lightly, "What about Yan Yan? Why didn't you bring her?"
Ke Yaru didn't know that the "Yan Yan" Xu Xiao mentioned was Xia Yan, but her woman's intuition told her it was likely Xia Yan. She sneaked a look at Lu Zhengting and smiled at Xu Xiao. "Sister Xiaoxiao, are you talking about Xia Yan? I didn't know you knew her."
Hearing this, Xu Xiao said coldly, "You know Yan Yan?"
"Yes, Xia Yan works at Lu Corporation. She's a good girl, so she's very popular at the company. I heard that the expert we hired from abroad is even pursuing her." Ke Yaru said it casually, as if talking about an ordinary acquaintance, then added leisurely, "Last time, Zhengting and I even saw them having dinner together."
Xu Xiao frowned and smiled. "You seem to know a lot."
Xu Su glanced at his sister. These women's dramas were the most headache-inducing. He looked up and met Lu Zhengting's eyes, both seeing the same thought in each other's gaze: women are a whole play in themselves.
Ning Nan finished his last scene of the day at Jiang University and drove off on his own. Everyone was used to his behavior and took it as normal.
Halfway through his drive, the sky, which had been holding off rain, suddenly erupted into a violent storm, sweeping through the city at breakneck speed. He slowed down but, passing the commercial center, spotted Xia Yan waiting for a taxi at the department store entrance.
In such heavy rain, the girl would probably have no luck hailing a cab.
With that thought, Ning Nan turned the car and pulled over to the roadside, honking loudly. Xia Yan wasn't far away, but a sudden clap of thunder drowned out the horn. She covered her ears and crouched down. She really hated the sound of thunder, especially deafening ones like that.
Seeing this, Ning Nan reluctantly grabbed two umbrellas from the back seat, quickly opened the door, and strode toward Xia Yan. Then he stopped. This kind of heroic rescue wasn't his role; it should be left to Lu Zhengting.
With that in mind, Ning Nan ran back to the car, sat down, and grinned slyly as he pulled out his phone, found Lu Zhengting's number, and dialed.
"Xiao Ting, want a chance to be a hero in the rain?"
As soon as Ning Nan finished speaking, he heard the line go dead. Staring at the dimming phone screen, he grumbled internally for a while, watching Xia Yan still waiting for a cab, and called Lu Zhengting again.
This time, he cut straight to the point, starting with Xia Yan's name.
When Lu Zhengting didn't hang up, Ning Nan got cocky and said cheerfully, "Why aren't you hanging up now!"
"Beep, beep..."
"..."
Ning Nan stared at his phone in disbelief and muttered, "Damn it!"
He tossed the phone aside, glanced at Xia Yan, and started the engine to leave, but then felt a pang of guilt. He picked up the phone again and called Lu Zhengting, but the guy wouldn't answer. Frustrated, he sent a text message and threw the phone to the back.
Lu Zhengting looked at the message from Ning Nan, suddenly stood up from his chair, grabbed his car keys, and left the room. Xu Xiao was startled by the overly serious look on his face and, by the time she snapped out of it, he was already gone.
Ke Yaru didn't hesitate to chase after him. By the time she reached the hotel entrance, she realized she was too late; Lu Zhengting had already driven off. She stared at the pouring rain outside, lost in thought for a long time.
Ning Nan got out of the car, tossed his keys to the valet, glanced at the dazed Ke Yaru, and walked up to her with a casual grin. "Beautiful, waiting for me?"
Ke Yaru snapped back to reality, glanced at Ning Nan, smiled faintly, and returned to the room.
Seeing this, Ning Nan shrugged nonchalantly. When he appeared in the room with a bright smile, Xu Su's cold gaze shot over. He immediately dropped his casual demeanor and naturally sat down beside him, then asked, "Where's Lu Zhengting?"
"Gone," Xu Su said coldly.
Ning Nan raised an eyebrow and smiled. "He didn't say anything?" As soon as he said this, he felt Xu Su's meaningful stare.