Hearing her directly call Lu Xiyan by his name, Cheng Wanwan’s smile stiffened briefly before she smiled again. “Xiyan is still in a meeting, An Ning. If you have anything to discuss, you can tell me, and I’ll relay it to him.”
“Then does Miss Cheng know when his meeting will end?” An Ning looked at Cheng Wanwan with distant eyes. “There are some matters I need to ask him in person.”
“An Ning.” Cheng Wanwan walked up to her, her smile unwavering. “I hope you can understand how I feel. You know better than I do what your past relationship with Xiyan was like. But that’s all in the past now. I am his fiancée, and I hope you can maintain an appropriate distance from him.”
Cheng Wanwan smiled faintly. “Some words are better conveyed by me, his fiancée.”
An Ning could hear the underlying meaning in Cheng Wanwan’s words.
Whether it was the disparity in their relationship, status, or position.
She no longer had the right to stand before Lu Xiyan in person and take up his time.
When Jiang Yao brought in tea, he only felt the atmosphere was somewhat strange but couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was odd.
He set down the tea and quickly retreated.
“Alright, since Miss Cheng has said so, please relay this message to him.”
An Ning’s fingertips dug red marks into her palms, trying to numb the pain in her heart. “President Lu resents me, and I have no complaints. But I beg him to show mercy and not target my mother.”
“An Ning, what’s wrong with your mother?” Cheng Wanwan feigned confusion, picking up a cup of water for her. “Let’s sit down and talk properly. Has your mother encountered some trouble? Do you need my help?”
“No need. I only ask that Miss Cheng deliver my message.”
After speaking, An Ning prepared to leave.
Suddenly, the faint sound of an elevator door opening could be heard from outside. Cheng Wanwan’s eyes shifted, and she grabbed An Ning’s arm. “An Ning, have you really not considered taking your mother abroad for treatment? The conditions overseas are better than here—”
“Thank you for your kindness, Miss Cheng!” Before she could finish, An Ning coldly refused. “My mother’s illness is none of your concern.”
She firmly withdrew her arm from Cheng Wanwan’s grasp and was about to leave.
“Ah—”
A startled cry came from the other side, as if she had lost her balance and stumbled backward a few steps.
Out of the corner of her eye, An Ning saw this and instinctively reached out to support her.
Just as she extended her hand, Cheng Wanwan staggered and fell to the ground.
A crisp shattering sound echoed as the teacup in her hand fell, splattering tea everywhere, the cup itself breaking into pieces.
Cheng Wanwan fell to the ground unexpectedly, her palm landing on the shards before she could avoid them. The skin tore open, and blood flowed freely.
Her originally delicate face instantly turned pale, her brows tightly furrowed.
An Ning stood frozen in shock. The force with which she had withdrawn her arm… hadn’t been that strong.
She was about to call for help when hurried footsteps sounded at the door, followed by several people rushing in.
“Wanwan!”
“Miss Cheng!”
An Ning turned and immediately saw the man in a crisp suit. He was the first to enter, rushing straight to Cheng Wanwan’s side, kneeling on one knee to examine her wound.
“Xiyan…” Cheng Wanwan leaned weakly into Lu Xiyan’s embrace, her face pale. “It hurts so much…”
“Oh my god!” Jiang Yao exclaimed, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. “Quick, call a doctor!”
An Ning stood frozen in place, just about to check on Cheng Wanwan’s injury when she was immobilized by the man’s icy voice.
“Don’t you know she has poor health and a blood clotting disorder?” Lu Xiyan’s gaze was as cold as an ice pick, devoid of any warmth.
An Ning trembled, looking at him in disbelief.
Did he think she had pushed Cheng Wanwan?
She opened her mouth to explain, “It wasn’t me—”
“Xiyan…” Cheng Wanwan’s face was deathly pale, her voice weak, “Don’t blame An Ning… I lost my balance and fell… It has nothing to do with An Ning…”
Lu Xiyan scooped Cheng Wanwan into his arms and strode toward the suite upstairs in the office building.
He didn’t spare An Ning so much as an extra glance.
An Ning’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she lowered her gaze to the shattered fragments on the floor, where dark red blood mingled with the spilled tea.
She knew how precious Cheng Wanwan was.
The only daughter of Cheng Corporation, frail since childhood, with panda blood and a blood clotting disorder.
If anything happened to her, everyone here would be held responsible.
Especially her.
Soon, a private doctor in a white coat hurried over and went straight upstairs to the suite.
The messy fragments on the floor were cleaned up by the janitor.
Liang Xu and the others had heard the commotion and came over to check on Cheng Wanwan’s condition.
An Ning leaned against the wall outside the office, unable to shake Lu Xiyan’s sharp, frosty glare from her mind.
He detested her intensely.
The more she thought about it, the clearer that look became.
Footsteps approached the doorway—it was Jiang Yao.
Snapping back to reality, An Ning quickly asked, “Assistant Jiang, how is Miss Cheng?”
“The doctor said the wound is quite deep, and the bleeding won’t stop. She needs to go to the hospital for treatment.” Jiang Yao adjusted his glasses, his expression troubled. “Miss An, President Lu is in a foul mood right now. I think it’s best if you don’t stay here and cause more trouble.”
Having worked by Lu Xiyan’s side for three or four years, Jiang Yao could tell when things were about to go south just by his boss’s frown.
So he had a vague sense that his superior didn’t think much of this Miss An.
Asking her to leave now was definitely the right move.
An Ning nodded. There really was no need for her to stay.
Just as she reached the ground floor, she saw an ambulance from Lu’s affiliated hospital had already arrived.
The commotion was significant.
Before she could reach the bus stop, her phone rang.
The caller ID showed only one letter—A.
The person pinned at the top of her contacts, yet she didn’t dare save his full name.
She answered and held the phone to her ear.
His deep, cold voice came through the line.
“Where are you?”
An Ning lowered her gaze. “At the bus stop.”
“Wanwan has lost too much blood and needs a transfusion.” His words were brief. “Come here.”
An Ning’s heart trembled, her grip on the phone tightening unconsciously. “Is this paid?”
He paused for a second, his voice turning even colder. “How much?”
“It was 100,000 six years ago. The price has gone up since then.” An Ning forced a pale smile. “For old times’ sake, I’ll give you a discount—200,000.”
He laughed, a mocking sound. “An Ning, do you think your blood is worth that much?”
“My blood isn’t worth anything, of course.” An Ning chuckled lightly. “But President Lu’s fiancée is.”
An Ning knew all too well that if the hospital’s blood bank hadn’t been short on supply, Lu Xiyan wouldn’t have reached out to her.
After all, she had once been Cheng Wanwan’s mobile blood bank.
Lu Xiyan’s voice was icy. “Get here now.”
An Ning hung up the phone and raised a hand to cover her aching, pounding heart.
The one who once told her, “An Ning, your blood cannot be bought with money. Your life is more important than anything,” now says to her, “Do you think your blood is worth this much?”
An Ning suddenly let out a light laugh, her eyes growing moist.
Two hundred thousand was enough.
It covered the extra surgery costs and VIP hospitalization fees.