She was half-squatting on the ground. When she looked up, the man’s stunningly handsome face came into her once-calm eyes.
Her pupils constricted in an instant. A turmoil surged in her chest, a pain like the pricking of needles.
The man looked down at her, his posture condescending.
His jawline was smooth and defined, his nose high and straight. His eyes were as beautiful as they were distant, his gaze clear and indifferent.
The small, pale mole on the high bridge of his nose was as sexy as ever.
In their most intimate moments, she had gently kissed that mole.
As their eyes met, An Ning’s heart clenched violently, and she subconsciously lowered her head, averting her gaze.
Her eyes stung and her vision blurred.
An Ning desperately suppressed the sourness churning in her chest, wishing she could bury her head in a crack in the floor.
At this moment, she wore no makeup, was dressed in cheap, discounted clothes, and had a red mark on her face from being slapped. She must have looked utterly wretched.
His gaze stung her.
It was still as deep as before, yet as placid as an old well, without a single ripple.
That cool, thin gaze, that superior posture, as if he were looking at…
A stray dog groveling at his feet.
That’s right, it was the way one looked at a dog.
Utterly disgusted.
Back then, she had declared that she would live a better life. Four years had passed, and he was the one living better, still exuding an air of nobility, still looking as unattainable as ever.
As for her, these past four years had been a descent deeper and deeper into endless darkness, without a single glimmer of light…
Their current positions suddenly reminded her of the night they broke up. She had been sitting on a suitcase packed with her clothes, looking down at Lu Xiyan, who was kneeling on one knee before her.
His hands had gripped her wrists tightly. When he looked up at her, the corners of his eyes were red, his gaze shimmering with unshed tears, looking utterly pitiful.
At that time, her expression had been calm. In his eyes, she must have been looking down on him with the same condescending posture he used today.
When she decided to return to Jing Hai, An Ning had considered the possibility of meeting Lu Xiyan again.
She had imagined many scenarios for their reunion, even thinking about what she would say as her first words.
But she had never imagined it would be like this.
His cold, hard leather shoe was stepping on her mother’s payment slip, crushing her fragile self-esteem.
The reminder she was about to utter died in her throat, making it impossible to speak.
The leather shoe quickly moved away, not lingering for a moment. The long legs strode past An Ning and walked away.
An Ning remained squatting on the spot, numb.
She heard Tan Xiaomin call out “Xi Yan-ge” from behind her, followed by the sound of footsteps receding into the distance.
A faint shoe print remained on the payment slip she picked up. The lingering scent of a cool cologne hung in the air.
An Ning’s fingers turned white. Her eyes were moist, but she tilted her head back, forcing the unshed tears back in.
…
Inside the hospital elevator.
The man was tall and slender with a straight back. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, silent and exuding a cold aura.
Only he knew how tightly his hands were clenched in those pockets.
And how fiercely the veins on the back of his hands bulged.
Standing behind him, Lu Manni cautiously sized up his expression. It was impassive, showing neither joy nor sorrow, revealing no emotion.
Everyone in their circle knew about the whirlwind romance Lu Xiyan and An Ning once had.
At the time, they all joked that the second young master of the top-tier wealthy Lu family had fallen for a common little flower, becoming utterly devoted to her and taking her everywhere he went.
They had all thought the second young master was just tired of his usual rich fare and wanted a taste of simple greens, but they never expected him to be serious, spoiling her to the heavens.
A few friends in their circle were guessing how the second young master would bring this little flower into the Lu family, but they never imagined that Lu Xiyan, who was showing off his love one day, would be dumped the next.
The rumor was that this little flower had sold Lu Corporation’s business secrets, taken a hefty sum of money, and gone abroad.
From then on, she vanished from the face of the earth, never to be heard from again.
Because of this, the second young master had locked himself away for half a month, nearly losing his life over it.
Lu Manni also hadn’t expected to see An Ning here.
Her boyfriend, Bai Yi, who was also an old friend of Lu Xiyan’s from their sports car club, had been in an accident a few days ago and suffered some scrapes, so Lu Xiyan had come to visit him.
She had thought that when Lu Xiyan and An Ning met again, some sort of drama, a clash of love and hate, would erupt between them.
But she never expected…
Lu Manni wasn’t sure if Lu Xiyan had even recognized her. That was An Ning, after all.
There were only three people in the elevator, and the atmosphere was strange.
Tan Xiaomin was the first to break the silence. “I really didn’t expect An Ning to be back. She’s not going to pull the same trick again, is she? Scamming someone for marriage and money?”
As she spoke, she glanced at Lu Xiyan.
She had said it deliberately for him to hear.
Lu Xiyan remained expressionless and didn’t respond, but the aura around him was as cold as a winter pond, chillingly oppressive.
Tan Xiaomin sullenly shut her mouth and said no more.
The elevator doors opened, and Lu Xiyan strode out with his long legs.
…
In the afternoon, the sky was gloomy, and dark clouds obscured the last rays of the sun.
An Ning had spent the entire day rushing around the hospital, finally managing to complete all the procedures for Li Chunfang’s surgery and hospitalization.
Eighty thousand yuan was enough for the initial surgical fees.
But the subsequent medical and hospital bills, as well as living expenses back in Jing Hai…
She still had to find a way.
She prepared to go pick up Li Chunfang and bring her to the hospital.
A taxi would cost one hundred and fifty yuan.
The bus was only six yuan, with three transfers.
An Ning decided to take the bus.
She sat at the bus stop on the roadside outside the hospital, lowered her eyes, and opened her phone.
Tapping on a chat window, she transferred her last five thousand yuan.
She typed a few lines: [Auntie Zhao, I’ll be quite busy for a while. I’ll leave An Xian in your care during the day. I’m paying you this month’s salary in advance.]
Zhao Li was the nanny she had found before returning to Jing Hai. She was in her forties or fifties, worked efficiently and meticulously, and her rates weren’t too high. At least in the capital city of Jing Hai, this salary was considered very cheap.
An Xian had spent the previous day playing with Zhao Li and seemed to like the woman.
A moment later, she received a voice message. “Miss An, there’s no rush for the salary. You can pay me at the end of the month. Also, are you and little An Xian planning to keep staying in a hotel? It’s not very convenient for eating and living. I suggest you rent an apartment first.”
An Ning had just returned to Jing Hai two days ago. She hadn’t had time to think about finding a place to live and had just found a cheap hotel before rushing to the hospital.
She replied with an “Okay” and then asked, [Was Xianxian a good boy today?]
“He was very good. He said he misses his mommy and asked when you’re coming back. By the way,” Auntie Zhao added, “does Xianxian not like egg yolks? He only eats the whites.”
In her haste, An Ning hadn’t had time to explain everything clearly.
She replied: [I forgot to tell you, Xianxian has never liked egg yolks since he was little, and he’s allergic to shrimp. Please be mindful of that.]
Auntie Zhao sent a cheerful voice message asking, “Does he get that from his dad or his mom?”
An Ning’s hand trembled. Her fingertips hovered over the screen for a few seconds, but she didn’t reply.
Just as she put her phone away and was about to check when the bus would arrive, a sudden numbness spread through her limbs.
Oh no!
An Ning’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. Her hypoglycemia always struck without warning.
She had been busy all day and had forgotten to eat again.
Her vision suddenly lost focus, followed by heart palpitations. The hand holding her phone began to tremble uncontrollably…
An Ning’s already fair face turned another shade paler. Her body felt incredibly weak, and she broke out in a cold sweat.
She quickly opened her bag and rummaged through it.
Her hands trembled more and more, her body screaming for food, even just a piece of candy…
Nothing.
There was nothing in her bag.
There was a small convenience store not far away.
She pushed herself up from the seat, her legs so weak that she staggered back a few steps.
She wasn’t sure if she could make it to the convenience store to buy and eat a piece of bread before she fainted.
It was about to rain. If she fainted on the roadside and got drenched like a drowned rat…
How pathetic would that be?
She took one step, and her legs gave out, causing her to fall back onto the seat.
Cold sweat dripped down as her breathing grew heavy.
The next moment, a black luxury car stopped at her feet.
The dazzling Flying Goddess hood ornament, a symbol of wealth and power, was utterly out of place at the bus stop where she sat.