“Yuan’er?”
Xia Ke saw his sister rushing in, looking distracted, and didn’t even notice him sitting there. He couldn’t help but call out to Xia Yuan, who was heading upstairs.
Xia Yuan paused and turned her head to see her brother sitting in the hall, dressed in a perfectly pressed suit with a gentle smile on his lips, looking both elegant and kind.
He was completely different from the always cool and aloof Meng Xiyue.
Just thinking about the name ‘Meng Xiyue’ made Xia Yuan’s cheeks feel even hotter, especially the spot where she had been kissed. It burned intensely, and her heart pounded so hard that her ears buzzed, her mind filled with one question:
Why did Meng Xiyue kiss her?
Xia Ke: “…Yuan’er?”
Xia Ke watched his sister sit down, clearly not herself, her fair cheeks flushed red, and a hint of spring in her eyes.
His heart skipped a beat, and he casually asked, “How’s the filming going lately?”
“Huh?” Xia Yuan looked at Xia Ke in a daze; she hadn’t heard what he said at all.
Xia Ke had no choice but to repeat himself.
Xia Yuan answered somewhat perfunctorily, “It’s fine, pretty good.”
Xia Ke continued nonchalantly, “Has anyone come to see you recently?”
Meng Xiyue.
The name flashed quickly through Xia Yuan’s mind, her long eyelashes trembling, and her mouth went dry. “No… no one.”
Xia Ke looked at his sister, who was almost completely red, and her obvious attempt to hide something made him even more helpless. “…Yuan’er, is there something wrong with your left cheek? Why do you keep touching it?”
She kept touching her cheek, which was still as smooth and fair as ever, so Xia Ke had to ask.
Hearing this, Xia Yuan’s fingers on her cheek trembled, and she guiltily tossed her hair behind her back, placing her hands properly on her knees, her eyes darting around. “Nothing, brother. Do you need something?”
Xia Yuan’s state was clearly off, so Xia Ke decided to get straight to the point. “Yuan’er, Tianyu wants to form a marriage alliance with the Xia family.”
Speaking of this, Xia Ke was extremely displeased. Tianyu had privately released news of the two families’ marriage alliance to alleviate their crisis, acting as if they had already secured his sister. Their behavior was so shameless that it made Xia Ke feel a wave of disgust.
He could only pray that his sister wouldn’t do anything foolish in this matter. If the Xia family tried to fill the huge hole that Tianyu had dug, it would severely damage their vitality.
If…
Xia Ke thought about it. He only had this one sister…
Xia Yuan chuckled, “Brother, don’t be silly. Whoever wants to jump into Tianyu’s pit can go ahead. As for a marriage alliance, they can keep dreaming.”
Xia Ke felt relieved and smiled lightly, “I know.” As long as his sister didn’t act foolishly, he wouldn’t even touch the Tianyu issue.
Thinking about how Tianyu was in trouble because of that piece of land, Xia Ke still felt a chill run down his spine.
He knew that Tianyu had promised a lot of benefits for that piece of land, and after winning the bid, they had to fulfill those promises.
If they hadn’t been so extravagant back then, Tianyu wouldn’t be in such a dire situation now.
Seeing that his sister Xia Yuan had no lingering attachment in her eyes, and that her youthful obsessions had faded with time, Xia Ke felt more relieved but still reminded her, “Be careful with Aunt Li.”
After tonight’s conversation, the Xia family would announce that they were not forming a marriage alliance with Tianyu.
Xia Ke wasn’t sure what Li Ting would do, but he had a good idea about Uncle Li and Aunt Li.
Especially since Li Ting’s mother saw Xia Yuan as her future daughter-in-law. With Tianyu facing a major crisis, she would definitely start with Xia Yuan.
Xia Yuan thought of that elegant lady. Whenever she visited the Li family, the woman was always very warm to her, treating her like a future daughter-in-law. She even suggested that Xia Yuan work at Tianyu to help Li Ting focus. Xia Yuan found it too troublesome and refused.
She pursed her lips and nodded, “Brother, don’t worry. I know what to do.”
Xia Ke ruffled Xia Yuan’s hair, “Go to sleep.”
Xia Yuan nodded and went upstairs.
While removing her makeup, she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her previously calm heart started pounding again.
So, why did Meng Xiyue steal a kiss from her?
…
At the same time, Meng Xiyue, who had just driven home, noticed something in the passenger seat glinting coldly as she got out of the car.
She reached out and picked up a small mirror with a vertical handle.
She had seen Xia Yuan use it before.
Thinking of the misunderstanding, Meng Xiyue lowered her eyes, her slender fingertips touching her lips. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and the softness from the touch seemed to linger on her lips, leaving a slight tingle.
It was truly an accident…
＊
Li Ting was having a hard time. The stock price was falling, shareholders were selling off their stocks, and the board of directors was putting immense pressure on him. He was overwhelmed with work.
After several sleepless days, the number of withdrawals and contract terminations was still overwhelming. He had no choice but to agree to his parents’ suggestion of an alliance with the Xia family.
Thinking back to the last time he went to the Xia family to discuss land, and how Xia Ke had embarrassed him, Li Ting’s expression turned sour.
Now, he had to bow his head. Xia Yuan, that spoiled young lady, had finally gotten her way.
He felt both unwilling and powerless.
Li Ting swore that one day, he would repay the humiliation he was suffering now.
“Knock, knock…”
The assistant outside the door felt uneasy. As Li Ting’s subordinate, he had been bearing the brunt of his boss’s recent irritability.
When he entered and saw the low-pressure atmosphere around Li Ting at the desk, he reported in a businesslike manner, “Mr. Li, the Xia family has denied the alliance, and the stocks that had recovered are now being sold off again.”
Li Ting laughed in anger, “Well played, Xia family.”
Not long after, his phone rang. It was his mother calling.
“Li Ting, have you had a falling out with Yuan’er recently? At this critical moment for the company, you should hold back and apologize to her. The company is already in this state, and you’ve suffered enough.”
Li Ting tightened his grip, suppressing his anger, “Mom, I understand.”
After hanging up, he suddenly smashed his phone, “Very good, very good.”
Xia Yuan, that woman, seeing him in dire straits, was forcing him to bow his head and beg her.
The assistant stood to the side, pretending not to see anything.
Internally, he was grumbling.
He thought, as long as Miss Xia isn’t out of her mind, why would the other party agree to the marriage alliance?
He knew very well that it had been a long time since Miss Xia had followed the CEO around. She had clearly moved on. Now, she was busy with her acting career, while the CEO seemed to be the only one who couldn’t face reality.
He still thought Miss Xia was the same person who once loved him humbly.
Miss Xia had long since jumped out of this fire pit.
After all, as Li Ting’s assistant, he knew that this man, while thinking about his “white moonlight,” didn’t miss a chance to sleep with other women.
“Get me in touch with Xia Ke.”
Assistant: “Okay.”
…
Xia Yuan was unaware of Li Ting’s delusions. At this moment, she was on a yacht, sipping red wine and relaxing.
It was a rare sunny day.
She wasn’t taking on any acting roles, and had brought along two assistants, plus Hua Yingying, and even Wang Xuan had tagged along.
They were here to have some fun.
“The Third Person” had wrapped up perfectly with a box office of over a hundred million, making a bunch of actors famous.
Among them, the male and female leads and Xia Yuan received the most attention.
Xia Yuan’s followers were mostly fans of her looks. Recently, she had been endorsing N.S mobile phones, and her ads were playing on city billboards daily. Additionally, she was the face of Xia’s luxury brand, which boosted her popularity.
As the sole investor in “The Third Person,” it was easy to imagine how much she had earned from the hundred million box office.
Wang Xuan looked at Xia Yuan lying on the deck chair, feeling incredibly envious. She had both looks and money. Originally, this role was supposed to be hers. When it was taken from her, she didn’t think much of it, but now that it had become a hit, she deeply regretted it.
However, she didn’t dare to confront her. Looking at the expensive yacht, she was filled with envy.
Hua Yingying was lying next to Xia Yuan, squinting against the sunlight. “Yuan’er, why didn’t you invite Miss Meng along?”
Xia Yuan, who had come out to sea to avoid Meng Xiyue, picked up a pair of sunglasses and put them on. “She’s at work.”
Hua Yingying asked casually, crossing her legs slightly. “Miss Meng is indeed quite busy.”
She had heard from Hua Yue that something had happened at Tianyu. Such a big piece of cake, everyone wanted a bite, even Hua Yue was busy with it, so Miss Meng must be too.
Xia Yuan muttered under her breath, “She’s not busy at all.”
She had even left work early to watch her filming.
The two chatted idly with the sea breeze, when suddenly a phone rang.
Hua Yingying noticed Xia Yuan wasn’t moving and reminded her, “Yuan’er, your phone is ringing.”
Xia Yuan replied, “I… I know.” She glanced at the caller ID through her sunglasses and, seeing it was Aunt Li, felt a twinge of disappointment.
“Yuan’er, it’s been a while. Let’s have dinner together tonight.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Xia Yuan casually tossed her phone aside. Hua Yingying, seeing her cold and elegant face under the sunglasses, wisely kept quiet.
＊
When Xia Yuan arrived at the private room, the Li family trio was already waiting for her.
Li’s mother, Yan Jing, smiled warmly. “Yuan’er, you’re getting more and more beautiful. Come sit down. We haven’t seen each other in so long. Remember how you used to come to our house to play with Li Ting when you were little?”
Xia Yuan sat down, her expression softening at the memory.
Yan Jing took the opportunity to reminisce, her affectionate demeanor making it seem like Xia Yuan was her daughter, not the cold-faced Li Ting sitting beside her.
After some small talk, Yan Jing got to the point. “It’s been so many years. You and Li Ting should settle down.”
Hearing this, Xia Yuan felt a strange sense of relief. She glanced at the displeased Li Ting and smiled at Yan Jing. “Auntie, you might have misunderstood. Li Ting has always treated me like a sister.”
She smiled charmingly and looked at Li Ting, who had a vein throbbing on his forehead. “Right, Li Ting?”
Li Ting clenched his fists, “Xia Yuan, enough. You’ve gotten what you wanted, don’t push it.” Today, when he went to see Xia Ke, the other party skillfully changed the subject, showing no interest in the marriage alliance he proposed.
With no other options, for the sake of Tianyu, the three members of the Li family had to start with Xia Yuan. Everyone knew that Xia Ke’s most beloved person was his sister.
Xia Yuan placed the water cup on the table with a crisp sound.
Li Ting’s father, Li Zhuo, said in a deep voice, “Li Ting, apologize to Xia Yuan.”
Xia Yuan waved her hand and smiled sweetly, “No need, Uncle. Brother Li has been very busy lately and is in a bad mood. I understand.”
Seeing Xia Yuan’s demeanor, Yan Jing’s heart sank. She knew how much Xia Yuan loved her son. She had even cried when Li Ting found another woman, but she never gave up.
Now, seeing no trace of affection in Xia Yuan’s eyes, she panicked and quickly tried to salvage the situation, “Li Ting, apologize to Xia Yuan quickly.”
Xia Yuan lowered her eyes and took a sip of water, not stopping them.
For the sake of Tianyu and under the pressure from his parents, Li Ting had to swallow his pride, “Xia Yuan, I’m sorry.”
Yan Jing quickly tried to smooth things over, “Xia Yuan, you see, Li Ting has apologized. Considering your long-standing friendship, let’s just let this go.”
“You and Li Ting grew up together and know each other well. I will keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t mess around outside. Rest assured, the Li family only recognizes you as our daughter-in-law.”
Li Zhuo added, “Xia Yuan, Li Ting used to fool around outside. To show our sincerity, we’ll give you 20% of Tianyu’s shares. How about that?”
Originally, he planned to offer only 10%, but seeing Xia Yuan’s attitude, he had to increase the stakes.
Xia Yuan shook her head, “Uncle, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but the shareholders of the Xia Corporation won’t agree.”
“Besides, Li Ting is going to be a father. I don’t want to ruin his family.”
“Let’s not talk about the marriage alliance anymore.”
Xia Yuan stood up, “Uncle Li, Aunt Li, I have something to do, so I’ll leave now.”
Leaving the three members of the Li family with grim faces.
After leaving, Xia Yuan found herself driving to Meng Xiyue’s house.
In the darkness, she looked at the lit-up villa.
Xia Yuan’s face flushed. She was about to drive away but then thought, why should she hide? It should be Meng Xiyue who feels guilty.
She got out of the car, walked briskly to the door, and rang the doorbell.
The door opened.
Seeing the cold expression on the other person’s face, Xia Yuan walked right in. “I was just passing by and thought I’d check on you.”
Meng Xiyue pursed her lips and closed the door.
Glancing around as if inspecting her territory, she said, “It’s late. I might as well stay over tonight.”
“Meng Xiyue, what do you think?”
Without waiting for Meng Xiyue’s consent, she swaggered upstairs.
Meng Xiyue silently followed, watching as Xia Yuan familiarly entered the guest room. She said, “…I’ll get you some pajamas.”
Xia Yuan waved her hand. “I’ll go with you.” She hadn’t seen Meng Xiyue’s room before and was curious.
“Meng Xiyue, today Uncle Li and Aunt Li wanted me to get engaged to Li Ting. I refused.”
Hearing this, Meng Xiyue’s eyebrows relaxed, her long eyelashes lowering to hide the glimmer in her eyes.
“Today, Li Ting acted like I was forcing him. It really disgusted me. If you’re asking for something, you should have the right attitude.”
As they spoke, they arrived at Meng Xiyue’s room.
The room, like its owner, was simple, mostly in black and white, yet not dull. Two light green potted plants by the window blended perfectly with the cool-toned room.
After a casual glance around, Xia Yuan’s gaze fell on the bedside table, where a watch was neatly placed in a straight line.
It was the watch she had given Meng Xiyue, and it was clear that Meng Xiyue wore it often.
Xia Yuan couldn’t hide the smile on her face. Seeing Meng Xiyue picking out clothes, she walked over and touched the watch, tilting it thirty degrees. Only then did she notice a delicate black box beside it.
Curious, she opened it.
Inside were earrings, lipstick, and a small mirror.
Very familiar.
They were all things she had lost.
“Alright.” Meng Xiyue turned around and saw Xia Yuan staring at the box. “This is…”
Xia Yuan seemed startled and stammered, “I… I have something to do, I’ll go first.”
Watching Xia Yuan, whose face was as red as a tomato, hurriedly escape, Meng Xiyue stood in the minimalist, cold room holding pajamas.
Her cool brow bone, slightly deep brow color, and long eyelashes drooped under the light, showing a moment of confusion, with slightly pursed lips.
＊
At the bar…
Wang Yueyue teased, “Our Miss Xia, are you planning to make a comeback?”
Xia Yuan hadn’t been to the bar for a long time. She used to refuse every invitation, making Wang Yueyue think she had changed.
But what intrigued her more was that Xia Yuan had already absentmindedly drunk several glasses of wine.
Xia Yuan was very confused right now. Her mind was filled with the thought that Meng Xiyue secretly cherished the things she had lost.
After Meng Xiyue had stolen a kiss from her, she seemed to have discovered another shocking secret.
Xia Yuan took a gulp of wine and said to Wang Yueyue, “I have a friend…”
Wang Yueyue raised an eyebrow, “Uh-huh?”
Xia Yuan carefully chose her words, “This friend of mine found out that her friend stole a kiss from her while she was asleep.”
Wang Yueyue’s interest grew.
“And then, today she discovered that this friend secretly cherished the things she had lost and kept them in the bedside drawer, so close.”
“Keeping things to remember someone by.”
Wang Yueyue said, “Are you saying your friend’s friend is a lovesick fool?”
Xia Yuan quickly denied, “No… it’s not that. I just don’t understand what she means.”
Wang Yueyue glanced at Xia Yuan, whose cheeks were flushed. “So, how does this friend treat you?”
Xia Yuan’s palms were sweaty, and her heart was racing. She didn’t even notice Wang Yueyue’s change in address. “She treats me very well, better than anyone except my brother.”
Wang Yueyue asked, “And how does she usually look at you?”
Xia Yuan lowered her head and took a sip of her drink to ease the dryness in her mouth. “When I’m not paying attention, she always looks at me gently. I’ve noticed it several times.” As she said this, her eyes showed a hint of pride.
“Oh~” Wang Yueyue downed her drink in one gulp. “She likes you.”
Likes?
Meng Xiyue likes her.
In that instant, a bright and radiant smile spread across Xia Yuan’s face. No wonder Meng Xiyue treated her so well.
So, Meng Xiyue has always liked her.
