Under Xia Yan's urging, the taxi driver managed to arrive at the Lu residence ten minutes early. The area was lined with identical standalone villas, each spaced a proper distance apart. After getting out of the car, Xia Yan stood at the main gate of the Lu residence for a few seconds before quietly ringing the doorbell.
Chen Ma answered the door. She always looked especially kind when she saw Xia Yan. Xia Yan smiled and greeted her with a "Chen Ma" before entering the living room. At that moment, Xiao Han was still in his room studying with the tutor, leaving Xia Yan alone in the spacious living room. Chen Ma brought her a glass of juice from the kitchen.
"Miss Xia, the young master is in the study."
"Mm, I'll just wait for him here." Xia Yan took a small sip of the juice. It was freshly squeezed watermelon juice, which she loved, and Chen Ma had thoughtfully added a bit of ice.
"The young master said you should go directly to the study to see him."
Hearing this, Xia Yan set down the cup with a slight frown and gave Chen Ma a faint smile. She remembered that Lu Zhengting's study was on the third floor. She walked straight to the stairs and made her way to the study. The door wasn't fully closed, perhaps because Lu Zhengting knew she was coming. She raised her hand, bent her fingers slightly, and knocked. Only after hearing a deep voice from inside did she slowly push the door open.
Lu Zhengting sat lazily in a black chair, his hair slightly tousled, a faint smile on his face. She met his eyes and walked over to the main desk, puzzled. "Why did you call me here so urgently?"
Lu Zhengting pressed his lips together, pulled a sealed bag from the drawer, and handed it to Xia Yan.
Xia Yan stared at him, taking the bag slowly. After a moment's hesitation, she opened it and pulled out the document inside—a will. It bore not only Xiao Lanzhi's signature but also Xia Minghui's. She skimmed through the contents quickly.
"This will..." It matched exactly what Xiao Lanzhi had set down while alive. Xia Yan paused, her gaze landing on the line with Xia Minghui's handwritten signature. "He agreed?"
"He doesn't have the right to disagree."
For a moment, a ripple stirred in Xia Yan's heart. She stared at the will in her hands, feeling both melancholy and sorrowful. After a brief silence, she looked up at Lu Zhengting. "Lu Zhengting, thank you." She took a deep breath and added, "Don't worry, I'll keep my promise to you too."
"There's no rush." Lu Zhengting said flatly, the atmosphere in the study suddenly turning strange. He lightly tapped his fingers on the desk.
Xia Yan lifted her head, squinting slightly. The thought of her mother's sudden death nearly brought tears to her eyes. She clutched the document tightly, now more eager than ever to uncover the truth of what happened over a decade ago.
Lu Zhengting knew what was on her mind. He paused, then suddenly stood up from his chair and strode over to her. With a sweep of his long arm, he pulled her into an embrace, his thick palm gently stroking her head. His chin rested on top of her head as he murmured, "I'll investigate what happened back then."
Xia Yan buried her face and hummed in response, forcing back the tears threatening to spill, her voice catching.
Outside the window, the setting sun cast a golden glow that seemed to envelop the entire house, flooding the room with yellow light and casting the shadows of the embracing pair onto the floor.
"What are you doing?"
A startled voice snapped Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting back to reality. Xia Yan quickly pulled herself out of his arms, discreetly wiping the corner of her eye, then looked up at the person who had suddenly appeared at the door.
Xiao Han's bright eyes fixed on Xia Yan. He bounced over to her, suddenly crouched down, and wrapped his arms around her legs like a little accessory. "Sister Yan is playing huggy with Daddy!"
Behind Xiao Han stood the tutor. Xia Yan, amused and exasperated, lifted Xiao Han up. To prevent him from saying anything shocking, she quickly changed the subject. "Finished your homework?"
"Ages ago." Xiao Han grinned proudly.
"So you came straight to the study as soon as you finished?"
"Yeah! Chen Ma said you were in Daddy's study, so I ran right over. Surprised?"
Xia Yan pursed her lips and smiled. "Very surprised."
Lu Zhengting stood nearby, watching their interaction. A hint of tenderness crept onto his stern face, though his gaze flickered to the silent tutor at the door, and in an instant, it turned cold again.
Xia Yan glanced at the tutor—it wasn't the same one from last time. This tutor looked at her with a hint of admiration and respect. She pondered it briefly but, unable to figure it out, decided not to dwell on it.
As soon as Xiao Han saw Xia Yan, he pestered her for cake. Xia Yan, utterly defeated by his coaxing, looked back at Lu Zhengting, then took Xiao Han's hand and led him out of the study. The tutor reported Xiao Han's progress to Lu Zhengting before leaving the residence.
In the study, Lu Zhengting sat with a stern, cold expression, a slender cigarette pinched between his index and middle fingers. He squinted, raised the cigarette to his lips, took a sharp drag, paused for a few seconds, then exhaled a large ring of gray smoke.
The computer was on, the screen displaying the latest email. Lu Zhengting frowned deeply, his eyes locked on the content. After a long silence, he stubbed out the cigarette, his long fingers gripping the mouse to close the email.
Since Xia Yan often came over to bake cakes for Xiao Han, the kitchen was fully stocked with cake-making ingredients, including various flavors. This time, Xia Yan chose mango. Knowing they'd have dinner soon, she made only a small cake. When Xiao Han eagerly waited for it to come out of the oven, he immediately pouted, his watery eyes looking at Xia Yan with full grievance.
"Sister Yan, why is this cake so small? It's not nearly enough for me."
"Xiao Han, we're having dinner soon, so you can't eat too much cake now. Don't you remember your stomachache last time?"
"But this cake is really tiny." As he spoke, Xiao Han edged closer to the cake, lifted his little hand, scooped up a tiny bit, and popped it into his mouth. "Yummy, it's mango cake."
With that, he scooped up another bit and ate it.
Seeing this, Xia Yan couldn't help but laugh. "Little glutton, wash your hands first before eating."
"Sister Yan, I already washed my hands." Xiao Han rolled his eyes and continued digging into the cake with his fingers.
As night fell, Ye Yunchen had been tailing Xia Yan all the way to the Lu residence villa. Sitting in his car, he watched her get out of the taxi and enter the villa. He stayed in the car from dusk until dark, never seeing her come out.
Ye Yunchen's gaze was fixed on the Lu residence's gate, his slender hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. The phone he'd tossed onto the passenger seat kept buzzing incessantly. He glanced coldly at the caller ID, knowing it was Lin Xujia, and his mood grew even darker.
The phone screen gradually dimmed. Ye Yunchen suddenly picked it up, scrolled to Xia Yan's number, and hesitated for a long time. The ringing tone made his emotions oddly tense. When the call connected, he was momentarily stunned.
Xia Yan said "hello" a few times, but when Ye Yunchen didn't respond, she assumed he'd accidentally pressed the wrong button. Just as she was about to hang up, his voice came through.
"Xia Yan, where are you now?"
Hearing this, Xia Yan froze, feeling Lu Zhengting's gaze on her. She covered the receiver and said cautiously, "I'm at home."
The lie made her heart start pounding. Her hand holding the phone grew sweaty. She knew deceiving Ye Yunchen wasn't right, but she couldn't tell the truth—that she was at Lu Zhengting's place. Hearing his heavy breathing on the line, she quickly changed the subject, exchanged a few hurried words, and ended the call with an excuse.
Ye Yunchen's cold gaze locked onto the brightly lit villa before him. A bitter smile curled at the corners of his mouth. He tossed the phone carelessly into the car, started the engine, and drove away.
On the inner ring highway, a black Mercedes sped past every car like the wind. Ye Yunchen's heart was filled with intense jealousy and a kind of heartbreak. In his mind, images of Xia Yan's every smile and frown flashed—the day they first met.
It was the day of university freshman registration. He was representing his department to welcome new students. The temperature was scorching, the air thick with heat. Ye Yunchen sat under a tree to cool off as a wave of new students approached, Xia Yan among them.
He remembered it clearly. Xia Yan wore a strapless dress, her long black hair cascading smoothly down her back, a faint smile on her delicate face. Yet despite that, she exuded a cool aloofness. She walked over to him with small steps, dragging her luggage, her voice soft, her manner polite but distant...
From that first sight, he couldn't forget her.
Ye Yunchen knew that back then, he lacked the courage to confess his love at first sight to Xia Yan. Instead, he got to know her through mutual friends. Later, after seeing how coldly she rejected others, he decided to stay by her side as a friend.
Now, being just a friend no longer satisfied his feelings for Xia Yan.
He drove through the city streets, surrounded by the dazzling lights and nightlife, but loneliness spread endlessly in his heart. When he thought of Xia Yan with Lu Zhengting, it wasn't just loneliness anymore—it was jealousy and a sense of inferiority that Lu Zhengting unconsciously instilled in him.
He found a bar and sat alone in a corner, brushing off women who approached him with a faint smile. He gripped his glass and downed the drink in one gulp. The dim light of the bar enveloped him, and the numbing effect of alcohol seemed like a good thing. His blurry eyes focused on a figure suddenly appearing in his line of sight—Lin Xujia.
A slight smirk tugged at his lips as he muttered, "What are you doing here?"
Lin Xujia stared expressionlessly at the already drunk Ye Yunchen. "Do you really like Xia Yan that much?"
"That's none of your business."
"None of my business?" Lin Xujia said flatly, a cold smile forming on her lips. "Do you believe now that Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting have a relationship?"