An Ning was forced out of the car by Lu Xiyan.
The sky had been swallowed by dark clouds, with torrential rain pouring down and splashing half-meter-high droplets against the ground, staining her fair, crystalline legs.
The rain drenched her from head to toe, soaking through her clothes.
On the broad road, rushing streams of water washed over her white shoes as the downpour blurred her vision. She stood motionless, watching the black luxury car speed away from her. The spray from its tires splashed across her body, and the vehicle grew increasingly distant in her hazy sight until its red taillights vanished completely into the pitch-black night.
An Ning trudged through the rain to the entrance of a closed shop by the roadside, where a half-meter-wide eave barely shielded her from the downpour.
Her eyes fixed on the direction where the black car had disappeared, she slowly crouched down, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees. She took deep, ragged breaths, struggling to suppress the turmoil raging inside her.
Uncertain whether it was rain or tears streaming down her pale face—warm yet chilling, an endless flow.
The last piece of chocolate in her bag was clutched tightly, as if afraid it would be ruined by the rain.
……
This heavy rain was just like the day she left four years ago—relentless and pouring.
The black luxury car was hidden not far away, parked by the roadside. Its unlit body nearly blended into the darkness of the night.
The man in the driver’s seat had sharp eyebrows and deep-set eyes, his features strikingly handsome. His thin lips were pressed into a tight line, his gaze turbulent like a churning deep sea, with a hint of unnoticed crimson at the corners of his eyes.
His attention remained fixed on the slender figure in the distance.
The dim streetlight in front of the shop cast a faint glow on her curled-up form. She held herself tightly, her slender back arched like a shrimp coiled in on itself.
Soaked by the rain, her thin clothes clung to her body, clearly outlining her curves.
She looked as though she might shatter at the slightest touch.
That pitiful act again!
The man’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel, veins bulging on the back of his hands, his fingertips trembling slightly.
If he hadn’t witnessed her heartless demeanor four years ago, Lu Xiyan would have fallen for her pitiful display once more.
The rain four years ago had been much heavier, drenching him to the bone.
On that stormy night, her icy, piercing words still echoed in his ears.
“Lu Xiyan, I just wanted to see how dating a rich young master like you differs from being with an ordinary person.”
“Lu Xiyan, I’ve had enough of this game. Let’s break up.”
He had thrown away all his pride, begging her desperately, “An Ning, I’ll fight for it, I’ll seize it. As long as you stay, I’ll take control of the entire Lu Corporation for you!”
She had scoffed, “Lu Xiyan, don’t you get it? It was always about your money, nothing more. Now I’m bored—I don’t even want your money anymore.”
She had pushed him away as if brushing off a clingy lapdog.
In the end, despite their arguments, she had walked away resolutely.
He had collapsed to his knees, his voice soft yet filled with venom, “An Ning, if you leave, don’t you dare ever come back!”
She had acted as if she hadn’t heard, vanishing completely from his world.
Four years.
The man’s bloodshot eyes remained locked on the figure now standing up in the distance. “Four years, An Ning. Long time no see.”
……
The rain continued to pour relentlessly, showing no signs of stopping.
An Ning rose from the ground, rubbing her slightly numb knees. It was time for her to head back.
An Xian had a habit—he needed to see her before bedtime, or he would burst into tears.
She stood by the roadside, scanning the area. Taking a taxi from here would cost more, but there was a bus stop a few hundred meters ahead, and buses were still running at this hour.
Already drenched from the rain, she didn’t mind getting a little wetter on the way.
Just as she was about to dash into the downpour, hurried footsteps splashing through puddles approached.
A brand-new umbrella was handed to her.
An Ning looked up to see a woman around forty, holding an umbrella in one hand and offering another to her, smiling warmly. “Good thing I caught you—I was afraid you’d already left.”
An Ning was puzzled. The woman continued, “Miss, the rain is too heavy and won’t let up anytime soon. Take this umbrella and use it.”
So, she was lending her an umbrella.
The kindness in this moment genuinely warmed An Ning’s heart. She glanced at the woman’s friendly face and the new umbrella with its tag still attached, considering offering payment.
The woman waved it off generously. “No need, no need. Just take it.”
Assuming she’d met a kind-hearted older sister, An Ning thanked her and waited until the woman left before opening the umbrella and walking away.
In a car parked in the distance, the man in the driver’s seat, his dark red eyes now clear again, watched the figure with the umbrella blur in the rain, then sharpen as the windshield wipers swept across. His gaze held neither sorrow nor joy.
A sharp ringtone cut through the damp memories.
The man glanced at the caller ID, hesitated for a moment, and answered.
“Xi Yan, why aren’t you here yet?” A clear, gentle voice came from the other end. “Didn’t you promise to have dinner with me today? Where are you now?”
Holding the phone, the man started the car and drove slowly, his eyes fixed on the figure ahead as she closed her umbrella and boarded a bus. “Got held up with something.”
“It’s alright.” The woman’s tone held no trace of blame. “What time will you arrive? I’ll wait for you.”
“Be there soon.”
The black luxury car followed the bus for a short distance before the man checked the time, turned the steering wheel, and drove off in the opposite direction.
…
In an opulent private room at a high-end restaurant, the young, beautiful woman stared at the ended call and dialed another number.
“Liang Xu, are you and Xi Yan still working overtime at the company? When are you finishing?”
Her crimson lips curved into a bright smile.
“Xi Yan left after the meeting this afternoon. Said he was going to the hospital to see Bai Yi,” the other person teased lightly. “Miss Cheng, if you want to know what Young Master Lu is up to, why not call him directly? You two are about to get engaged—no need to be so formal.”
“I just didn’t want to disturb him,” Cheng Wanwan replied with a soft, lowered gaze. “I understand. I’ll ask him myself.”
After hanging up, her smile vanished instantly.
Her slender fingers dialed another number.
“Manni, Xi Yan went to see Bai Yi at the hospital this afternoon. Is he still with you all?”
“Xi Yan-ge left a long time ago,” the other person answered before adding, “Wanwan, did you know An Ning is back?”
The woman’s hand trembled, her charming face instantly freezing.
“You mean… An Ning?”
“Yes, Xi Yan-ge’s ex-wife, An Ning. I saw her at the hospital today—I almost thought I’d mistaken her for someone else…”