Xiaohan's fingers twitched slightly as he looked up, puzzled. "Sister Yan, why aren't you walking?"
Xia Yan snapped back to reality, glanced down at Xiaohan, and shook her head. "It's nothing. Let's go."
Ye Yunchen narrowed his eyes and strode over to Xia Yan, about to speak, but before he could, the bodyguard behind Xiaohan suddenly stepped forward to block his path. He froze for a moment, and the manager behind him quickly said, "Manager Ye, this is the young master of the Lu family."
Hearing this, Ye Yunchen's gaze toward Xia Yan shifted abruptly. Xia Yan caught the change and frowned slightly. "Brother Ye, we'll be going now."
Xia Yan took Xiaohan's hand and walked to where the car was parked. The bodyguard stepped forward swiftly, opening the car door first. Xia Yan and Xiaohan got in, and even after the door closed, Xia Yan still felt that strange gaze lingering on her. Xiaohan, sitting beside her, seemed to sense something and remained silent.
The car moved slowly along the road, with other vehicles speeding past. Xiaohan tugged at Xia Yan's sleeve. "Sister Yan, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing. Aren't you hungry, Xiaohan? We'll go eat now." Xia Yan patted Xiaohan's head gently.
"Okay, and after we eat, we'll go to the amusement park."
As soon as Xiaohan finished speaking, Xia Yan raised her hand to check the time. "Xiaohan, well, you see, it's getting late now, and the amusement park needs to rest too, right? So how about we go tomorrow instead?"
Xiaohan pouted, blinked, and looked at Xia Yan with a face that seemed ready to cry but couldn't squeeze out any tears. Seeing this, Xia Yan couldn't help but laugh and pinched his cheek. "Little one, I'll spend the whole day with you tomorrow."
The matter with the North City branch was finally resolved satisfactorily. Lu Zhengting returned to the hotel, exhausted, and sat in a chair, lost in thought for a long time. Suddenly, Xia Yan's image surfaced in his mind, and he picked up the phone on the table without hesitation to call her.
The phone rang for a long time before someone answered.
Lu Zhengting listened to the noise coming through the phone and frowned. "Where are you?"
"Mc—a place to eat." Xia Yan almost said "McDonald's" but stopped when Xiaohan kept blinking at her. She didn't understand why and changed it to "a place to eat."
"At McDonald's? Is Xiaohan with you?"
Lu Zhengting's deep voice slowly reached Xia Yan's ears. There was no denying that Xia Yan was a true sucker for voices; every time she heard Lu Zhengting's low tone, it was like a calm heart being stirred, sending tingles through her. She covered the receiver and asked in surprise, "How did you know?"
As soon as Xia Yan said this, Xiaohan shot her a look that screamed "idiot" and mouthed something.
The bodyguards Lu Zhengting had assigned to Xiaohan weren't just there to protect him; they also reported on Xiaohan's activities. Xia Yan followed Xiaohan's gaze to the two stern-faced bodyguards sitting at the next table, noticing how no one dared to get near them. She suddenly understood.
Lu Zhengting let out a low laugh, as if imagining Xia Yan's expression and actions at that moment. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly. His long fingers rested leisurely on the sofa armrest, tapping it occasionally. Half-closing his eyes, he looked out at the darkening sky and loosened his tie.
"Xiaohan, you're not allowed to eat anymore!" At this, Lu Zhengting's brow furrowed instantly, but before he could speak, Xia Yan quickly said, "Lu Zhengting, I'm hanging up now."
He stared at the disconnected call. He couldn't remember when it started, but almost every time they talked, Xia Yan hung up first, or she wouldn't answer at all. Thinking about it, he realized he could count on one hand the number of times Xia Yan had called him voluntarily.
Lu Zhengting wasn't particularly interested in receiving a call from Ning Nan. Whenever Ning Nan asked him out late at night, it was never for anything good. After filming at Jiang University, the crew had moved back to North City, and Ning Nan had come along. As soon as today's shoot ended, he immediately called Lu Zhengting to go out for a meal.
As Lu Zhengting left his hotel room, he happened to run into Ke Yaru coming out of hers. She was holding a box of pastries. She glanced at the well-dressed man, paused, and walked up to him with a bright smile. "Zhengting, are you going out?"
Lu Zhengting grunted in acknowledgment, glanced at Ke Yaru, and walked past her.
Seeing this, Ke Yaru instinctively reached out to grab him, but before she could say anything, Lu Zhengting turned back and coldly stared at her hand. That single look made her let go immediately. She stood frozen in place, watching the man who didn't look back until his figure disappeared as the elevator doors closed.
Ke Yaru looked down at the pastries in her hand. She knew Lu Zhengting loved this particular brand, so she had driven out during her break to buy them. But now, in this moment, the pastries seemed to have lost their purpose. Saddened, she lowered her eyes, a bitter smile forming on her lips. She turned and walked back to her room in her high heels. Passing a trash can, she hesitated for a long time before ultimately taking the pastries back to her room.
Lu Zhengting drove to the place Ning Nan had mentioned: Tian Shang Ren Jian.
Ning Nan's favorite pastime was flitting among women, yet he never touched any of them. When Lu Zhengting entered the private room, he was caught off guard by the sight of Ning Nan sitting in the middle, flanked by two women. The women beside him had voluptuous figures and stunning faces.
As soon as he stepped in, the entire room was thick with the cloying scent of perfume. Lu Zhengting frowned deeply, his expression darkening as he walked to the other sofa. He picked up a glass of wine, took a sip, and coldly eyed Ning Nan. "What is it this time?"
Hearing this, Ning Nan paused briefly, then patted the women's shoulders dismissively. "Isn't it obvious? The old man's embarrassed again. I'm used to it by now."
"Did you go back?"
"Someone must have leaked my whereabouts. As soon as I got back to North City, the old man caught me and dragged me home," Ning Nan said gloomily. The Ning family's patriarch was stubbornly old-fashioned. Ning Nan had simply chosen a career in acting, but the old man had opposed it from the start, and anyone who tried to mediate ended up suffering. Years had passed, and everyone thought things might have eased, but the old man still hadn't let it go.
The Ning family had four brothers, named after the cardinal directions: East, South, West, and North. Ning Nan was the second, but he was the one who angered the old man the most.
Whether it was because the woman beside Ning Nan kept winking at Lu Zhengting or something else, Lu Zhengting's face grew increasingly grim. Sensing the murderous aura radiating from him, Ning Nan didn't hesitate to send the two women out.
"Brother, happy now? Two men alone is really boring."
"Xu Su said he'll come tomorrow to handle things."
"Huh?" Ning Nan exclaimed in surprise. "How come I didn't know?" "Do you dare answer his calls now?" Lu Zhengting raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ning Nan coolly.
"What's there to be afraid of? But even if he comes tomorrow, I won't have time to see him. I've got a full day of schedules."
One word to describe Ning Nan: cowardly! Two words: very cowardly!
Lu Zhengting gave Ning Nan a knowing look, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his mouth. Ning Nan felt that whenever he saw that kind of smile, he was about to be set up. That instinct was always right. Sure enough, as he picked up his glass and sneaked a glance at Lu Zhengting, he saw him smirking.
Suddenly, the door to the private room was pushed open. Ning Nan slowly turned his head to see who it was. His first reaction was to put down his glass and leap off the sofa, glaring at the leisurely Lu Zhengting.
Xu Su approached Ning Nan with an aura of menace. Seeing Ning Nan try to run, he reached out, grabbed his arm, and dragged him out of the room without caring whether Lu Zhengting was there or not. In the dim hallway, the overhead lights flickered on and off, and the soft carpet made Ning Nan feel uneasy. He stumbled along behind Xu Su.
Once they were out of Tian Shang Ren Jian, Xu Su shoved him into the car, and the vehicle sped off like the wind. Ning Nan calmly fastened his seatbelt, staring at the man driving. "Weren't you supposed to come tomorrow?"
"Weren't you supposed to have schedules tomorrow?"
"You arrived early."
"What happened this time?" Xu Su asked sternly.
Ning Nan frowned and explained casually, "Just what the reports said. Falling for someone on set."
"Screech—"
Xu Su slammed on the brakes. The car jolted violently, tires screeching against the road. Luckily, Ning Nan had already buckled up. Regaining his composure, he saw the bloodshot look in Xu Su's eyes and felt a jolt of fear. He opened his mouth but ultimately chose silence.
Xu Su punched the steering wheel in fury. "Is that the answer you're giving me?"
"Yes! That's my answer," Ning Nan replied firmly.
Hearing this, Xu Su spun around and stared at Ning Nan. "That's not the answer I want."
"Xu Su, don't do anything rash."
"Tomorrow, I'll have the PR department issue a statement to clear this up."
"It's fine to let this play out as it is." Ning Nan looked out the window, speaking lightly. He could disregard the Ning family, but he couldn't ignore the Xu family. Xu Su was the only heir of the Xu family, and this kind of relationship was unacceptable in most people's eyes.
When Xu Su heard Ning Nan say that, he angrily pressed his mouth against his. Neither gave in, and the kiss turned into a battle. The honking from behind grew incessant. Ning Nan quickly came to his senses, feeling a pang of regret, and began to struggle.
Xu Su, as if venting his anger, bit Ning Nan's lip until it bled. Tasting the faint metallic tang, he finally pulled back, his fierce eyes locked on Ning Nan. He wiped his mouth with his long fingers. Ning Nan sighed helplessly and said softly, "Let's get out of here first."
Xu Su restarted the engine and drove straight toward the hotel. Sensing something was wrong, Ning Nan's face turned serious. "Where are you taking me now?"