Hearing the address “sister-in-law,” Lu Tingyan froze for a moment before realizing that the only person his brothers could call “sister-in-law” was Xie Ning, the woman he had legally married.
Lu Tingyan instinctively followed Li Xinglang’s pointing finger, his peach-blossom eyes narrowing slowly.
A tall, slender figure, straight and long legs beneath a short skirt, a slim waist faintly visible under a halter top, and a delicate, oval face framed by waist-length hair.
It was indeed Xie Ning.
She was talking to a man, her face tilted upward, his ear inclined toward her. They stood close together, their posture intimate.
Lu Tingyan’s expression darkened, his thin lips pressed into a sharp line.
Seeing Lu Tingyan’s expression, Li Xinglang knew he hadn’t mistaken the person and couldn’t help but start brainstorming.
What was going on between these two? Did Third Brother humiliate the girl at the wedding because he didn’t like her? But if he didn’t like her, why did he marry her after just a few months of dating?
So, was Xie Ning planning to give Lu Tingyan a green hat on their wedding night to get back at him for standing her up at the wedding?
At this thought, Li Xinglang shuddered. Glancing at Lu Tingyan’s expressionless face, he suddenly felt the weather had turned even colder.
He couldn’t help but shift slightly to the other side, quietly distancing himself from the low-pressure center.
Lu Tingyan stared at Xie Ning below, took another deep drag of his cigarette, and flicked the butt with a fluid arc, sending it accurately into the liqueur glass on the table.
Meanwhile, Xie Ning’s mind was entirely preoccupied with the heavily drunk Song Ziyan, unaware that she was being watched.
The man talking to Xie Ning was the one who had called earlier, assuring her that although Song Ziyan was drunk, she hadn’t been mistreated and that Xie Ning could rest easy.
Seeing her struggling to lift Song Ziyan, who was sprawled like mud in the booth, the man immediately added, “Miss, let me help you.”
Xie Ning wanted to decline, but she wasn’t in the best condition today. Aside from her high heels, the dress she was wearing had been altered by herself, and the drunken Song Ziyan was flailing her arms. If she accidentally tore it off, it wouldn’t be good.
So, she had no choice but to say, “Thank you for your help, sir.”
The man draped Song Ziyan’s arm over his neck, clenched his other hand into a fist, and used his wrist to support her waist as they made their way through the bustling crowd and out of the venue.
The lights in the nightclub flickered erratically, casting bizarre shadows. From Lu Tingyan’s angle, he could only see the man’s silhouette, completely obscuring Song Ziyan behind him.
Seeing Xie Ning follow the man out, Lu Tingyan abruptly stood up.
The anger he had barely suppressed surged once again. What, was she really going through with this?
The others watched in confusion as Lu Tingyan strode away.
Halfway out, Xie Ning slapped her forehead, remembering that Song Ziyan’s bag was still in the booth. She immediately turned back, gathered the scattered lipsticks, foundation compacts, and keys from the sofa, and stuffed them into the bag.
Just as she finished packing, a tall shadow fell over her.
Recognizing the expressionless face of the newcomer, Xie Ning was momentarily stunned.
Before Lu Tingyan could even question her, Xie Ning took the initiative: “Are you following me?”
These four words instantly choked Lu Tingyan’s interrogation in his throat, leaving him speechless and uncomfortable.
He let out a derisive sneer: “You think you’re worth it?”
Xei Ning clearly didn’t believe him. Huacheng was so big, yet he had shown up at this nightclub right after her. How could anyone not think otherwise?
She gave Lu Tingyan a once-over and sneered back, "A thousand years from now, when your corpse is dug up, everything else will have softened, but your mouth will still be as hard as ever."
Lu Tingyan impatiently reached to loosen his tie again, but he wasn't wearing one.
That only annoyed him more.
People kept bumping into him from behind, pushing his irritation to the limit. His handsome brows furrowed tightly, and a fierce glint flashed in his peach-blossom eyes. The sharp line of his jaw tightened into a severe angle, adding to his icy demeanor.
He grabbed Xie Ning's slender wrist and dragged her into a nearby corridor.
The lights in the corridor were brighter than the strobe lights in the ballroom, making their expressions clearer.
Lu Tingyan held her wrist with one hand and braced the other against the wall beside her, staring intently as he took in the anxiety on her face.
His expression was disdainful, but his eyes were dark and menacing. "Are you in such a hurry?"
"Of course I am!" Xie Ning tried to shake him off, but his grip felt like it had fused to her wrist. Unable to break free, she stomped hard on his foot. "Let go of me!"
Song Ziyan was allergic to alcohol, and after drinking so much, she definitely needed to go to the hospital. In Huacheng, Song Ziyan had no family or friends—only her, her best friend. How could she just abandon her?
Besides, Song Ziyan had ended up like this because she was upset on Xie Ning's behalf!
The sharp heel of her shoe made Lu Tingyan's eye twitch, but it only fueled his anger. Was she really this desperate to leave with that man from earlier?
"My best friend—"
Lu Tingyan leaned in close, his dangerous aura overwhelming her. "Are you so empty, so lonely, that you're in a rush to give me a green hat?"
Xie Ning, who had always preferred quiet, was already dizzy from the blaring dance music. The day's frustrations had piled up, pushing her to her breaking point.
And now this bastard Lu Tingyan had followed her here just to cause trouble. She glared at him furiously and snapped, "What do you want me to give you? A leak-proof urn?"
Lu Tingyan gripped her chin, his teeth clenched. "Can't you speak properly?"
"I speak properly to people, not to dogs."
Not satisfied, Xie Ning added, "You really are a dog."
She raised her hand again, but this time, before she could strike Lu Tingyan's face, he caught her wrist.
Xie Ning struggled, but her strength was no match for Lu Tingyan's fury.
He pressed her slender body against the cold wall, as if trying to embed her into it.
Her resistance only fueled his anger—though Lu Tingyan himself didn't understand why he was so enraged. The thought of her leaving with that man made his temper flare uncontrollably.
This marriage was her punishment. She was the absolute sinner. What right did she have to give him a green hat?
What right did she have to act so defiantly in front of him?
She didn't deserve it. She should suffer in this marital prison, repaying her past mistakes and the life she owed!
Xie Ning's phone rang again. She knew it was the man calling because she hadn't come out for so long.
She immediately reached for her phone, but before she could answer, Lu Tingyan snatched it away.
An unfamiliar local number—Lu Tingyan didn't need to guess to know it was the man from earlier.
Seeing Xie Ning still anxiously trying to snatch the phone, Lu Tingyan flicked his wrist with a careless flourish. The phone flew out, crashed against the wall, and instantly fell silent.
“So eager for a man, are you?” Lu Tingyan scooped her up in his arms, looking down at her with a cold gaze. “Fine, I’ll satisfy you.”