Liang Xu had good reason to be so angry.
The events from four years ago remained vividly etched in his memory.
Four years ago, after An Ning dumped Lu Xiyan, he alternated between making fierce declarations and frantically searching for any trace or news of her—all to no avail.
From that day onward, Lu Xiyan shut himself in his room for seven full days, refusing to go out or see anyone.
When Liang Xu keyed in the passcode and pushed the door open, the spacious room was pitch black, devoid of any light. Thick smells of alcohol and cigarette smoke mingled with the pungent odor of dust, making the place feel like a wine cellar abandoned for half a year.
He switched on the light, and the sudden brightness illuminated every corner. Dust motes danced wildly in the beam, revealing the surroundings clearly.
Dozens of liquor bottles—large and small—lay scattered across the floor, all containing the strongest spirits from the Lu family cellar.
Cigarette butts littered the ground, and ash was smeared over the carpet and sofa, turning the room into a veritable dump.
Even though it was daytime, the room felt unnaturally gloomy. After just a few minutes inside, Liang Xu sensed a distinct lack of oxygen. If not for the man slumped on the sofa looking half-dead, he would have bolted from the place immediately.
Liang Xu walked over and stared at the man before him—unshaven, disheveled, exuding an air of utter desolation. The heavy stench of alcohol made Liang Xu frown.
He hadn’t intended to come at first, thinking Lu Xiyan just needed time. Someone as free-spirited as him would surely snap out of it in a few days.
But Lu Xiyan had locked himself away for seven whole days with no sign of recovery. If not for knowing the passcode, Liang Xu feared he might have arrived too late—only to collect a corpse.
Liang Xu sighed in frustration. He had never seen anyone reduce the untamed Second Young Master Lu to such a state.
With no clear space to step, Liang Xu picked his way over the piles of bottles and strode to the window. He yanked the curtains open with a sharp rustle. “I’ve hired a cleaner to tidy up.”
Sunlight streamed through the glass in broad swathes, stinging Lu Xiyan’s eyes.
Squinting, he raised a hand to shield his face. His voice, when he spoke, was low and hoarse. “She’s gone…”
Ignoring his words, Liang Xu continued, “If you don’t want to stay here, move back to the Lu Residence or go to the villa at Daguan. I’ll arrange for a housekeeper in advance.”
“She’s gone…” Lu Xiyan’s voice broke as tears fell. “She signed the divorce papers… and left…”
Liang Xu let out a derisive snort. “And then?”
“She’s not coming back…” Lu Xiyan lifted his gaze, dark circles underlining bloodshot eyes.
“So what?” Liang Xu shot back. “Did the Earth stop spinning? Are you just going to stop living, Lu Xiyan?”
“Here…” Lu Xiyan pressed a finger to his own chest, voice choked with emotion. “She hollowed this out… There’s nothing left inside.”
Seeing him in such a state of self-abandonment, Liang Xu finally couldn’t contain his anger. Pointing at him sharply, he said, “Lu Xiyan! Don’t forget you’re the second young master of Lu Corporation! Making yourself such a mess over a woman and embarrassing the Lu family—aren’t you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?”
Lu Xiyan, his head splitting with pain, let out a light laugh, his expression indifferent. “Let them watch if they want. What does it have to do with me?”
“Do you know how many people are waiting for the Lu family to fall? Outsiders coveting us is one thing, but even within the Lu family, undercurrents are surging!”
Liang Xu pointed at his nose and raised his voice. “The successor of Lu Corporation hasn’t been decided yet. Your elder brother, your uncle—which of them doesn’t want to seize this immense power for themselves?”
“Your father, Uncle Lu, has been painstakingly maneuvering around Master Lu. And you! What are you doing, Lu Xiyan? You’re wallowing in self-pity and degradation. How can you secure the position of Lu Corporation’s successor in this state?”
Hearing this, Lu Xiyan chuckled softly. “Is power and status really that important? Why does everyone want it so badly?”
He couldn’t understand why so many people would go to such lengths for these illusory external things. Even the person who once claimed to like him for who he was, not for his status, had coldly told him during their divorce that he couldn’t give her what she wanted.
“Yes, it’s very important!” Liang Xu crouched down, meeting his despondent gaze calmly. “Only by possessing these can you do whatever you want and refuse whatever you don’t want.”
“All choices are built upon power.” He patted Lu Xiyan’s shoulder. “You understand this better than I do, Xiyan.”
He stood up and walked toward the door. “I’ll give you three days. After three days, I hope to see a completely new Lu Xiyan at Lu Corporation—a Lu Xiyan capable and determined enough to lead the company.”
Three days later, Lu Xiyan indeed appeared at Lu Corporation as promised.
Dressed in a sharp dark suit, his eyes cold as frost, he exuded an aura of noble arrogance that kept others at a distance.
Everyone in Lu Corporation was puzzled—why had the once genuine, free-spirited Second Young Master Lu seemingly become a completely different person?
Only Liang Xu knew the truth.
It was all because of a woman.
A woman named An Ning.
…
3:00 PM, a café on Golden Ring Street.
An Ning ordered a glass of water and sat by the window, waiting.
She received a phone call during this time and instinctively thought it was from Lu Xiyan, but it turned out to be from a company where she had submitted her resume.
Since returning to Jing Hai, she had been job hunting.
Li Chunfang needed medical treatment, and she and An Xian needed to live.
Zhao Li was right—staying in a hotel wasn’t a long-term solution. She needed to find a place to live, and eventually, Xian Xian would need to go to school…
All of it required money.
She had to tirelessly search for work and earn money.
The HR representative on the phone expressed satisfaction with her resume and invited her for a second interview the next morning.
It was a good job with a high salary.
If she could land it, that would be ideal.
Thinking this, An Ning steadied her nerves and checked the time.
It was already 4:00 PM, and the person she was waiting for still hadn’t arrived.
An Ning lowered her dim eyes, staring at the water in the transparent glass on the table.
The roar of a motorcycle outside the window rushed past, and she instinctively looked over.
A figure riding a black motorcycle sped by, growing increasingly distant.
Suddenly, a carefree, radiant smiling face surfaced in her mind—taking off the helmet and casually shaking out short black hair, a face that was both cool and handsome yet sweet when smiling, the corners of the mouth curving into little parentheses, grinning at her, “An Ning, only you can ride on the back of my motorcycle.”
“I ride fast, hold on tight.”
“Ning Ning, hold me tighter, even tighter.”
“Ning Ning, I love you so much…”
Her heart gave a sharp twinge, and An Ning snapped out of her daze, grabbing her water glass to take a few hurried gulps.