The moment Xie Xun’s Maybach fell into the river, Lu Xiaoqiao had only one thought in her mind—
I wish the divorce agreement hadn’t been burned to ashes.
At least it could have been used as his will.
A villa worth 120 million.
Two million in monthly child support.
Jewelry and handbags valuable enough to be added to her collection.
A large amount of private money that he would never ask her to return.
That damn man had signed everything!
As if he had done it just to mock her, the signed agreement had been sent back to her, but everything except the signature had been burned to ashes.
The name “Xie Xun” seemed to grin at her from the pile of black ashes.
Paper from a shredder might still be put back together, but ashes were impossible to restore. They were like the remains of something that had been dead for years, filled with regret and sadness.
It was just like the Xie family’s memorial ceremony.
Today was the anniversary of the death of Xie Xun’s older brother.
Lu Xiaoqiao stood alone in the second row.
Her sister-in-law, Wan Bao’er, was devastated by her husband’s death and almost fainted in front of his grave. Just as her delicate body was about to collapse, Xie Xun, who had been standing beside Lu Xiaoqiao, stepped forward and caught her.
And he never came back.
Soon, Lu Xiaoqiao was the only person left in the second row.
Behind her stood the Xie family members, arranged according to their relationship with the family. Everyone was dressed in black, and the whole garden felt heavy and solemn.
Lu Xiaoqiao’s eyes unconsciously moved toward the front row.
The only person wearing white was Wan Bao’er, who was dressed in a Dior suit.
It was the same style worn by a British princess.
Lu Xiaoqiao also knew that the brooch on Wan Bao’er’s chest was a lotus-shaped brooch bought from a Sotheby’s auction.
Xie Xun had paid fifteen times its original price for it, and now it was pinned to Wan Bao’er’s Dior suit.
The pale yellow double-petaled lilies had also been specially flown in at great expense. They were covered with drops of water, prepared especially for today’s memorial ceremony.
Wan Bao’er wiped away her tears.
Her graceful figure looked like a cherry blossom in spring. Standing beside the tall man in a black suit, they looked almost like a perfect couple.
White and black.
Delicate and strong.
Small and tall.
Lu Xiaoqiao tried her best to focus on the tombstone.
Wan Bao’er softly sobbed, “Xiaoyu, go give Daddy some flowers.”
The little boy was the only child Xie Xun’s older brother had left behind.
There were clearly several people behind Lu Xiaoqiao trying to hold back their sighs.
If this had not been such a serious occasion, she really wanted to turn around and see what they were sighing about.
Were they sighing because Xie Xun had been taking care of Wan Bao’er so carefully?
Or were they feeling sorry for the little boy, who had lost his father at such a young age and was left with his young and beautiful mother?
However, Lu Xiaoqiao did not turn around.
The man beside Wan Bao’er did.
The man had a strong, well-shaped face. After being busy all morning, a few strands of hair had fallen across his forehead, making his sharp features look slightly softer.
But there was still a cold and fierce look in his deep eyes.
He had an extremely handsome face that was impossible to ignore.
Thinking about the divorce agreement that had been burned and returned to her, Lu Xiaoqiao tightened her lips.
She turned her face away, avoiding Xie Xun’s gloomy gaze, and looked at the older brother’s warm smile on the tombstone instead.
As the memorial ceremony came to an end, the women from the back rows stepped forward to offer their condolences.
The sound of leather shoes moving through the grass came closer.
A shadow fell over her, blocking the sunlight that had been shining on the side of her forehead.
Lu Xiaoqiao looked up.
The man gently wiped the sweat from her temple with his thumb.
“You’re sweating.”
Lu Xiaoqiao quickly moved away.
How unlucky.
It felt like being scratched by a dog.
The weather was indeed hot. Once the sun came out, the many lilies around them filled the air with an almost suffocating fragrance.
Xie Xun acted as if he could not see her dislike.
He took her wrist and held it in his palm, gently rubbing her smooth skin with his fingertips again and again.
There were many relatives around.
Wan Bao’er was surrounded by people.
Xie Xun lowered his voice and spoke gently, “Did you receive the copy with my signature?”
“…”
Lu Xiaoqiao kept a polite expression and nodded at the relatives who looked her way.
Her voice was very soft.
“I’ll ask for another one.”
Xie Xun replied, “And I’ll burn another one. We have plenty of lighters at home.”
Lu Xiaoqiao tried hard not to bite him.
Xie Xun lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.
“If you need anything, just tell me. You don’t have to get a divorce to get it.”
Wan Bao’er seemed to glance in their direction through her grief.
Lu Xiaoqiao actually understood why Xie Xun was delaying the divorce.
His older brother had only been dead for a year. With so many people watching, it was easy for rumors to spread.
It did not matter if Xie Xun’s reputation was ruined. No one would dare say anything to his face.
But Wan Bao’er and Xie Yu’s reputations had to be protected.
If any rumors started, even Xie Xun’s older brother might not be able to rest in peace.
“Go wait for me in the car first.”
Xie Xun put away the cold expression he had been wearing and quickly kissed her lips.
“Give me ten minutes. Then we’ll go home and spend time with the child.”
Lu Xiaoqiao pulled her hand away and wiped her mouth with a look of disgust.
Xie Xun took off his jacket. Underneath, a black satin vest wrapped around a high-quality white shirt. His narrow waist and strong hips created a striking and attractive look.
Even though the servants were right there, he insisted on handing his jacket to her.
“Hold this for me,” he said softly, almost like a child asking for attention.
The man’s jacket was large and still carried his warmth and the fresh scent of morning dew.
Lu Xiaoqiao placed it over her head, using it to block the sunlight as she slowly walked outside.
She soon ran into some elders from the Wan family. Lu Xiaoqiao quickly took the jacket off her head, fixed her hair, and made herself look proper and graceful.
“Why isn’t Tutu here?” one of the elders asked. “It’s his uncle’s death anniversary.”
Tutu’s full name was Lu Tu. He was three years old and was Lu Xiaoqiao and Xie Xun’s son.
There was no child in the Xie family who took their mother’s surname.
But Lu Tu did.
The important thing was that Xie Xun had agreed to it. Naturally, people had all kinds of thoughts about this.
The Xie family was extremely wealthy. In their world, a child’s surname seemed to be connected to who would inherit the family’s wealth.
Back then, Xie Xun had been the rightful heir of the Xie family, yet he had willingly given his older brother, Xie Minghe, the position of family leader.
Now, he had even allowed his own son to take the Lu surname.
It was as if giving the company to his older brother was not enough. He also wanted to make sure the company would eventually go to his brother’s son, Xie Yu.
Was it because of his older brother?
Or because of his sister-in-law?
That was what made things so suspicious.
“He’s allergic to lilies,” Lu Xiaoqiao said. “I already apologized to my sister-in-law and brought him home.”
The elder from the Wan family frowned.
“Is it that serious? He’s A-Xun’s only child and also Xiaoyu’s younger brother. It isn’t appropriate for him to miss such an occasion. Couldn’t he just take some allergy medicine?”
Lu Xiaoqiao replied, “Xiaoyu is allergic to honeysuckle. Your sister-in-law had the entire cemetery checked three times because of it.”
She paused and asked curiously, “So why didn’t she give him any medicine?”
“…”
The elder’s expression became unpleasant.
“How can those two things be compared? Minghe is already gone, and the child he left behind…”
“Oh,” Lu Xiaoqiao suddenly understood. “You’re blaming Xie Xun for still being alive.”
The elder’s face changed instantly.
“Don’t say things like that!”
That man was nothing like the gentle and refined Xie Minghe. Other than his dead older brother, there was practically no one in the Xie family who could control him.
Lu Xiaoqiao threw the jacket over her head again.
She was going to divorce Xie Xun anyway.
Why should she bother acting proper?
Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from behind.
The elder cried out, “What happened to Xiaoyu?”
Lu Xiaoqiao turned around.
Xie Xun was carrying Xie Yu in his arms. His expression was as dark and cold as always. He moved so quickly that the air around him seemed to shift.
He passed right by Lu Xiaoqiao, almost brushing against her shoulder.
“We don’t know where the honeysuckle came from,” the servant said nervously. “There happened to be some in the young master’s flower bouquet.”
Lu Xiaoqiao stared at Xie Xun’s tall figure as he walked away.
The child needed to be taken to the hospital.
So his promised ten minutes would not be enough.
Her own little boy was still waiting for her at home.
Lu Xiaoqiao threw the expensive but troublesome jacket into the bushes and walked down the cemetery steps without looking back.
The car was parked by the roadside.
Just as Lu Xiaoqiao reached for the door, the sound of high heels approached.
“Xiaoqiao, can we switch cars? I’m not very good at driving a manual car.”
It was Wan Bao’er.
Her dress and high heels probably made it difficult for her to walk down the steps, which was why she had been left behind.
Yet the boy’s own mother did not seem as worried as his uncle.
Lu Xiaoqiao did not care. She casually handed her the car keys.
Wan Bao’er opened the car door, then suddenly turned around.
“Xiaoqiao, do you think this brooch looks nice?”
Lu Xiaoqiao replied, “As long as Big Brother likes it.”
“…”
The two women walked away in opposite directions.
Lu Xiaoqiao drove Wan Bao’er’s car. The spring breeze blew through the open window, carrying the scent of lilies that Wan Bao’er loved.
As she crossed the bridge over the river, a Maybach behind her began flashing its headlights desperately.
It was Xie Xun’s car.
The Maybach rushed toward her like crazy, moving at incredible speed.
Then it suddenly drifted, its tires screeching loudly as the car spun across the road and stopped directly in front of her.
Lu Xiaoqiao quickly hit the brakes.
But strangely, the Maybach could not stop.
Bang!
It crashed through the metal barrier.
The car, along with the person inside, plunged straight into the river.
For a moment, as the car flew through the air, Lu Xiaoqiao felt as if she had locked eyes with Xie Xun through the windshield.
What was he doing?
This was Wan Bao’er’s car.
Who was he chasing?
And who was he trying to stop?