Something he said must have struck a nerve. Ye Yunchen suddenly stood up, swaying unsteadily as he glared at Lin Xujia and roared, "Get lost."
"Ye Yunchen, you're telling me to get lost?" Lin Xujia stared at the furious Ye Yunchen in disbelief, then let out a cold laugh in retaliation. "You and Xia Yan will never be together! She'll never like you! In this world, I'm the only one who truly loves you!"
Hearing this, Ye Yunchen was beside himself with rage. He abruptly grabbed a wine bottle from the table. Lin Xujia, startled by his sinister expression, took two steps back. Then, as if something crossed her mind, she fixed her gaze on him, strode forward two steps, and shouted, "You want to hit me with that bottle?"
"Get lost."
"Ye Yunchen, I'm not leaving! I'm not going anywhere today!"
"I said get lost!"
Lin Xujia suddenly snatched the bottle from his hand and drained it in one gulp. In the dim light, she tossed the bottle aside, lunged into Ye Yunchen's arms, tilted her head up to fumble for his lips, and gripped his arms tightly. Reacting, Ye Yunchen shoved her away and bellowed, "Are you insane!"
He pushed her onto a chair. She lifted her head with a blank expression. Seeing this, Ye Yunchen felt his head spin and his vision blur. The damn alcohol hit him hard, and he lost his balance, collapsing onto the chair behind him.
Lin Xujia blinked, walked over to Ye Yunchen, shook him, and whispered a few words in his ear. When he still showed no response, she thought for a moment, paid the bill, draped his arm over her shoulder, and dragged him out of the bar.
In the car, Lin Xujia stared blankly at Ye Yunchen's drunken state. She knew he liked Xia Yan, and watching him drown his sorrows over her drove her nearly mad with jealousy. Why was her love so worthless to him? Why did the person she loved have to fall for Xia Yan? Her mind churned with countless whys and grievances, and a thought crept in.
Lin Xujia drove Ye Yunchen back to his place and laid him on the bed. A meaningful smile curled at her lips. She lay down beside him, began unbuttoning her clothes, and when she was bare, she laughed joyfully. Rolling over, she climbed on top of him and said in a tender voice, "Yunchen."
Hearing her, Ye Yunchen frowned, feeling a strange heat engulfing him like fire. Instinctively, he flipped over, pinning Lin Xujia beneath him. In the stifling night, with the intoxicating wine and the subtle allure, as Lin Xujia felt her body and soul torn apart, she was filled with boundless satisfaction.
She had finally gotten Ye Yunchen. She surrendered to his gentleness and intensity, her soft moans blending with their passionate union—until Ye Yunchen tenderly murmured Xia Yan's name. All the passion and emotion came to an abrupt halt.
Lin Xujia felt both pain and pleasure, despair and resentment. Ye Yunchen's final surge left her mind blank. The man on top of her suddenly went still. She half-opened her eyes to look at him, saw the smile on his lips, and felt a surge of委屈. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbed quietly, and rasped, "I'm Lin Xujia, not Xia Yan! Ye Yunchen, do you even know that!"
The next day.
When Ye Yunchen woke up, he rubbed his aching temples. Half-opening his eyes, he saw Lin Xujia lying beside him and immediately sprang out of bed. Realizing he was completely naked, his face darkened. Lin Xujia, who hadn't slept all night, slowly opened her eyes and stared at him as she sensed his movement.
"Why are you here!"
Lin Xujia glanced at him sadly and said nothing.
Seeing this, Ye Yunchen raised his voice again, "I asked why you're here! Why are you in my bed!"
Lin Xujia lowered her head, hesitating. "I... I saw you drunk at the bar last night and kindly brought you back. But then you grabbed my hand and wouldn't let me leave. I..."
"How is that possible? Why would I grab your hand?" Ye Yunchen said incredulously.
"Brother Ye, if it wasn't you, would it be me making the first move?"
"This isn't how it should be!"
"I get it. You're afraid Xia Yan will find out, because you know once she does, she'll never like you."
Hearing this, Ye Yunchen's face grew even darker. What Lin Xujia said was exactly what he feared most. He turned to her and said quietly, "About last night..."
"I know what to do. I won't let Xia Yan know." Lin Xujia stared at him expressionlessly, then let out a cold laugh.
******
Xia Yan had given in to Xiao Han's coaxing and stayed at the Lu residence after dinner the night before. Lu Zhengting had apparently been in his study all evening. When she went down for breakfast in the morning and saw his tired face, a flicker of unease passed through her.
Riding to the company in the same car as Lu Zhengting scared her half to death. After much pleading, he finally dropped her off at an intersection not far from the office.
Back in her office, Xia Yan saw the usual roses on her desk. Frowning, she disposed of them before starting work. All morning, she wondered why she hadn't seen Ye Yunchen. Then she chided herself—was she crazy? If he wasn't bothering her, she should be relieved.
After a busy morning, Li Ru invited her to lunch, and she agreed.
They chose a decent Chinese restaurant. Li Ru was unusually warm, linking arms with Xia Yan and launching into the latest office gossip.
Xia Yan always listened to Li Ru's gossip without offering opinions.
"Xia Yan, ever since you transferred to the project department, Manager Ke has stopped messing with our team."
"Isn't that good? Then why do you sound so listless?" Xia Yan glanced at Li Ru flatly.
"That's true," Li Ru hesitated, then waved a hand. "Ah, forget it. How's the project department? Now that Ye Yunchen is manager, does he give you special treatment?"
"Same as before. Nothing special."
"So he hasn't managed to win you over yet."
"..."
"You know, some people at the company are betting on it."
"Betting on what?" Xia Yan asked casually.
"Whether Ye Yunchen can win you over." Li Ru rolled her eyes at Xia Yan's shocked expression.
"Are these people too bored at work!?"
"Well, it's not that bad."
Hearing this, Xia Yan took a sip of water and suddenly asked, "Don't tell me you joined in?"
Li Ru chuckled sheepishly, grabbed Xia Yan's hand, and said earnestly, "You wouldn't believe me if I said I didn't, right? So, Xia Yan, you can't let me lose!"
Xia Yan paused and asked quietly, "What did you bet?"
"I bet Ye Yunchen would succeed in winning you over, of course."
At Li Ru's brazen admission, Xia Yan fumed, "You're something else!"
Li Ru rubbed her nose, avoiding Xia Yan's eyes. Spotting the waiter bringing their food, she quickly changed the subject, "Food's here. Let's eat first."
Xia Yan had no appetite now, feeling too angry to eat. She glared at Li Ru, at a loss for words.
Li Ru placatingly picked up Xia Yan's favorite dish and put it in her bowl. "Xia Yan, don't be mad. It's all my fault. I swear, I'll reflect deeply."
Xia Yan ate a few bites halfheartedly while Li Ru sat nervously beside her, afraid Xia Yan might lose it and do something drastic. If this happened again, she'd never tell Xia Yan...
All day, Ye Yunchen didn't show up, which struck Xia Yan as odd. The project department had taken on a new assignment, keeping her swamped. She assumed he was busy with that.
Lu Zhengting suddenly called an emergency meeting with department heads. As soon as it ended, he left for a business trip.
So Xia Yan's days were consumed by work. Over the next few days, Ye Yunchen appeared less and less, and even Lin Xujia stopped visiting as often.
Finally, she got to leave on time today. She hailed a cab and headed straight to her apartment. Once home, she collapsed onto the sofa, too exhausted to move a finger. She turned on the TV, landing on a channel replaying an old variety show. Bored, she scrolled through her social media, checked the news, and browsed Weibo.
Her fridge was empty. Lately, she hadn't even had time for groceries, let alone sleep. Rubbing her hair, she grabbed her wallet and decided to stock up at the supermarket near her place.
Yawning as she walked down the sidewalk, she regretted the decision. She should have napped first. She wandered through the store, buying whatever caught her eye, and was back home in under half an hour, ready to crash.
Lu Zhengting had handled the will for her. She was now the legal heir and needed to find time to see what her father had left her. Lost in thought, she drifted off to sleep on the sofa.
Lu Zhengting had been in meetings for three straight days. Back at his hotel, he changed into casual clothes and sat at his computer reviewing reports from the branch office. He was in Beicheng now. It had been nearly a week since he'd seen Xia Yan, and he missed her. Setting down the mouse, he crossed his arms and rubbed his tired eyes. Leaning back, he picked up his phone to check the time. She should still be awake. After a moment's thought, he put the phone down.