As soon as Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting exited the airport, they spotted Ke Yaru waiting for them not far away. Seeing this, Xia Yan blinked. Right now, she especially wanted to go home and continue sleeping. On the plane earlier, Lu Zhengting had promised her two days off to make up for her missed rest days. She certainly wasn't about to turn down such a perk.
Ke Yaru locked onto Lu Zhengting's figure in the crowd at a glance, her brows slightly curved as she watched the two walking side by side. A flicker of ruthlessness passed through her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. She stepped forward, approaching Lu Zhengting with a worried expression. "Zhengting, where are you planning to go now?"
"East Mountain."
East Mountain was the most prestigious villa area in Jiangcheng. Owning a villa there meant one was either wealthy or powerful—ordinary people couldn't afford it. The East Mountain villas were built on the eastern side of Jiangcheng, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, with beautiful scenery.
Standing beside Lu Zhengting, Xia Yan, who had been ignored, pursed her lips. She remembered that Xia Minghui had once wanted to buy a villa in East Mountain too, but she had never asked why he didn't end up doing so. Of course, she never bothered with the affairs of the Xia family.
After Lu Zhengting got into the car, he glanced at Xia Yan, who was still standing by the door, and frowned slightly. "Aren't you getting in?" he said coolly.
At his words, Ke Yaru's expression shifted instantly, then, as if performing a quick change, she put on a smiling face. "Xia Yan, get in."
Xia Yan furrowed her brow. She knew Ke Yaru disliked her, but with Lu Zhengting present, she was putting on this friendly facade. After a pause, she figured that if she got in the car, she'd likely have to endure more of Ke Yaru's fake friendliness. So she decisively said, "President Lu, I'm not going the same way as you. I'll just take a cab back."
Seeing Lu Zhengting purse his lips, Xia Yan quickly added, "President Lu, you go ahead. There's an empty cab coming up behind."
With that, she grabbed her luggage and dashed toward the empty cab pulling up behind them, treating Lu Zhengting as if he were a flood or a wild beast. Only after she got in did she breathe a sigh of relief. Just imagining it—sitting in that car with two wolves in sheep's clothing, how could she handle that alone?
In that situation, wouldn't she run? Was she supposed to charge in?
Xia Yan sat comfortably in the cab, rolling the window halfway down. The wind howled past her ears as it rushed by. She had checked the weather forecast earlier and knew that Jiangcheng's temperature would drop significantly in the coming days, signaling that the height of summer was truly about to pass, ushering in early autumn. Feeling the cool breeze brush against her, Xia Yan couldn't help but think that her internship at the Lu Group had already passed three months without her realizing it. In those three months, the things she had experienced left a deep impression on her.
Suddenly, Xia Yan remembered that she still hadn't shown Lu Zhengting the things her father had left her in the safe. She picked up her phone to call him, but then thought of Ke Yaru being with him. She paused, hesitated, and put the phone back in her bag. After a moment, she curled her lips into a faint smile, recalling what had happened on the last night in Beicheng. Honestly, if Lu Zhengting had really wanted to do something that night, she felt she wouldn't have been able to resist—whether physically, mentally, or emotionally...
The longer she spent with Lu Zhengting, the more Xia Yan found her feelings toward him becoming unclear.
When Xia Yan returned to her apartment, she had left in such a hurry that some things hadn't been tidied up. Seeing the messy living room, she had to start organizing. By the time she finished, most of the time had passed. She lay on the sofa like a paralyzed patient, listening to her stomach growl. She wondered if the food in the fridge was still edible. Rubbing her stomach, she slowly walked to the kitchen and realized, to her dismay, that she urgently needed to go grocery shopping.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhengting and Ke Yaru returned to the East Mountain villa. Xiaohan was already waiting excitedly outside the door for them to get out of the car. As soon as he saw Lu Zhengting, he dashed over and hugged his leg, lifting his little head. "Dad, you're finally back."
Seeing this, Ke Yaru couldn't help but smile. "Xiaohan, let's go inside first."
Lu Zhengting glanced at Ke Yaru, then crouched down, scooping Xiaohan up with one arm, and walked steadily toward the main door. Ke Yaru was about to mention his injury, but a look from Lu Zhengting stopped her. She paused, withdrew her outstretched hand, and watched his back with concern before quickly following behind.
Back in the Lu residence, Xiaohan clung to Lu Zhengting the whole time. It was probably only at moments like this that Xiaohan's childlike innocence shone through. Chen Ma poked her head out from the kitchen, sneaking a peek at the scene in the living room. A pang of worry for Xia Yan rose in her heart. The three in the living room really did look like a family...
After playing with Xiaohan for a while, Lu Zhengting went to the study. He had a lot of work piled up from his time recovering. When he turned on his computer, he received a message from his secretary and replied. After a pause, he rubbed his temples and sent another message. The phone on his desk suddenly rang. Squinting slightly, he picked it up and swiped his slender finger across the answer button.
As he listened to the voice on the other end, his expression grew increasingly serious. "Continue investigating this matter."
Ke Yaru stood outside the study door, holding a cup of tea, and knocked. Only after hearing a response did she enter. The study was brightly lit. She looked at Lu Zhengting, bathed in the light, and couldn't help but stare. When she felt his sharp gaze land on her, she quickly looked away, placing the tea on the desk, hesitating as if she wanted to say something.
Seeing this, Lu Zhengting said coldly, "What is it?"
"Zhengting, you've just recovered. Don't overwork yourself."
After saying this, Ke Yaru glanced at the man, whose expressionless face showed no interest in her. His attention seemed fixed on the computer. Disappointed, she blinked and sighed inwardly. Seeing him like this, she had no choice but to silently leave the study.
******
Xia Yan rested for two consecutive days. During that time, she vanished like she had evaporated, not contacting anyone, just staying home alone doing her own things. She woke up early today in a good mood. It seemed to have rained last night. When she opened the window, she caught the faint, fresh scent of雨后香草 in the air. She closed her eyes involuntarily. Autumn in Jiangcheng was very short; it might even skip straight to winter before one could fully appreciate its beauty.
As usual, Xia Yan checked the weather forecast and learned it would rain again today. She put a folding umbrella in her bag before heading to the company.
The leaves in the apartment complex were starting to turn yellow. Sometimes a gust of wind would blow, carrying away a few fallen leaves. Humming a tune, Xia Yan arrived at the company entrance and happened to run into Ye Yunchen. His gaze was fixed on her, and she immediately fell silent. Frowning slightly, she watched him approach and forced a smile. "Brother Ye, what a coincidence."
"Yeah, in a good mood?"
"Pretty good."
After saying that, Xia Yan didn't know what else to say, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward. She chuckled and rubbed her nose. "Going in together?"
"Sure."
At that, Xia Yan walked ahead. As soon as she entered the company lobby, she felt many strange gazes on her. When she looked up and glanced around, everyone quickly averted their eyes. Confused, she walked forward. The receptionist's voice was neither loud nor soft, but it reached her ears as she passed. Her expression instantly changed. She walked up to them, expressionless, and asked, "What did you mean by that just now?"
"Xia Yan, haven't you gotten the notice yet? You're now President Lu's assistant."
"President Lu's assistant?" Xia Yan stared blankly at the speaker. When had she become Lu Zhengting's assistant? She hadn't received any news about it! She instinctively turned to look at Ye Yunchen, who was standing not far away. Seeing his serious expression, she twitched her mouth. Was she the only one in the whole company who didn't know?
Ye Yunchen caught up. He wanted to ruffle her hair but stopped himself, thinking it might be inappropriate in public. He withdrew his hand casually and said gently, "Xia Yan, the elevator's here."
Hearing this, Xia Yan was still absorbed in the fact that she was now Lu Zhengting's assistant. At Ye Yunchen's voice, she snapped out of it and saw the elevator doors open. She was about to step in when Lu Zhengting's private elevator suddenly opened beside her. His tall figure appeared before her, with Secretary Zhou behind him.
Xia Yan was just about to go find Lu Zhengting and ask about this when Secretary Zhou, walking behind him, spotted her and looked at her like she was a lifeline. He reached out and pulled Xia Yan to his side, quickly handing half of the documents in his arms to her.
Xia Yan stared at Secretary Zhou in shock. After a pause, she realized it was impossible to hand the documents back to him. Lu Zhengting glanced at Xia Yan, then at Ye Yunchen standing beside her, and said flatly, "Xia Yan, read through these documents immediately. You're coming with me to meet a client now."
"Meet a client?"
"Secretary Zhou, brief her on the key points." Lu Zhengting checked the time and added, "We have half an hour."
With his orders, Secretary Zhou eagerly dragged Xia Yan away, rattling off instructions nonstop. Out of the corner of her eye, Xia Yan saw Ye Yunchen standing in the elevator, watching her with a gaze that felt strange—tinged with something meaningful. The elevator doors slowly closed. Xia Yan accepted the situation, pushed aside her thoughts, and focused on the task at hand. She would deal with everything else later.
During the client meeting, since Xia Yan had only crammed at the last minute, she was a bit flustered organizing things. Secretary Zhou had been sent somewhere by Lu Zhengting, leaving her alone by his side.