The air seemed to freeze in that moment. Li Jue stood stiff and motionless, as if time had stopped. It was only when Ming Lan threw the used wet wipe at his face with disgust that he blinked and came back to his senses. He gritted his teeth and forced out her name.
“Ming Lan.”
Immediately, the drivers and bodyguards from all the cars, including the ones in Ming Lan’s vehicle, got out and kept their eyes on Li Jue.
Ming Lan paid no attention to his anger. She turned to Yi An, who had just walked up to her.
“Get in the car. There’s something disgusting here. Let’s stay far away from it.”
Yi An was still a bit shocked but had instinctively moved to protect Ming Lan earlier, just in case Li Jue tried anything. After hearing Ming Lan’s words, she gave Li Jue a cautious glance and got into the car.
The others followed and returned to their vehicles. The cars ahead and behind were all from the Ye family. The first one pulled out, and as Ming Lan’s car passed by Li Jue, they also drove past Cheng Yurong, who was standing there in a daze. Yi An rolled down the window and called out.
“Get in the car. What are you standing there for?”
Cheng Yurong finally came back to herself. She wasn’t unfamiliar with this kind of scene. Last time, it had been Xiao Shaoyan who got slapped. But this time, it was Li Jue.
She still felt Ming Lan had gone a bit too far, but she didn’t dare say anything. She glanced once more at Li Jue, then handed Yi An’s backpack into the car.
“You two go ahead. I still have something to do.”
Yi An saw right through her intentions. She frowned, clearly disappointed, but said nothing. She took the bag and replied quietly.
“Take care of yourself.”
As the car pulled away, Yi An looked out the window one more time and saw Cheng Yurong walking toward Li Jue.
There’s no saving her.
She turned back around and immediately met Ming Lan’s eyes.
After slapping Li Jue, Ming Lan began to regret losing her temper. Just yesterday, she had asked Yi An if she thought she was the gentlest person in the world. Now Yi An had seen this side of her, and Ming Lan felt embarrassed. It was all Li Jue’s fault.
She blinked and asked in a soft voice.
“Do you think I have a bad temper? Was I too violent?”
“Of course not,” Yi An replied. Just moments ago, Ming Lan had been fierce and confident, but now she looked shy and uncertain. Seeing her like this made Yi An feel a warmth in her heart. She didn’t think Ming Lan had done anything wrong. In fact, the slap had been too light, not nearly enough to make up for everything Ming Lan had endured in the past.
But when she noticed the redness on Ming Lan’s hand, she still spoke gently.
“I know you were standing up for me, and I appreciate it. But next time, don’t be so reckless. What if he had tried to hurt you?”
Ming Lan understood Yi An was only concerned for her. She felt reassured and gave a small nod.
“I know. Next time, I’ll bring more bodyguards to make sure everything’s safe.”
Yi An sighed and carefully checked her palm.
“Does it still hurt?”
“It doesn’t.”
Ming Lan watched as Yi An wrapped a damp towel around her hand. Then she asked.
“Are you really giving up on Cheng Yurong?”
“There’s nothing more I can do for her,” Yi An said, shaking her head. “I told her to leave City A, but she refused. Now she’s seen what Li Jue is really like, and she still refuses to walk away. If she won’t open her eyes, then nobody else can help her.”
Yi An had never understood people who threw themselves into love without thinking. It had been the same in their past life. She had hoped that by acting early, she could prevent this toxic relationship from even starting, but clearly she was already too late. If Cheng Yurong was choosing that path, then there was nothing left to say. Yi An had done all she could. From now on, they would simply go their separate ways.
Ming Lan wasn’t surprised by her response. Yi An had always been direct and decisive.
Not wanting to stay on the topic any longer, Ming Lan brought up the banquet being held that evening by the Ye family. It was meant to officially introduce Yi An’s identity. Ming Lan had also received an invitation. Chairman Ye seemed determined to invite everyone of importance in City A. He clearly wanted to show how much he valued Yi An and was ready to start building her future.
Ming Lan remembered that in her previous life, she had also received an invitation to this event. But she hadn’t gone. The Ming and Ye families rarely interacted, and she had never liked social gatherings. Because of that, she had missed the chance to reunite with Yi An.
She also had no idea what had happened at the banquet. All she knew came from the book. But in that book, the portrayal of Yi An, who was written as the villain Ye An, was completely inaccurate.
According to the story, Ye An fell in love with Li Jue at first sight during the party. Later that night, Li Jue got drunk and mistook Cheng Yurong, who had come as Ye An’s guest, for Ming Lan. He slept with her. Ye An caught them in the act, and that ended her friendship with Cheng Yurong.
It was ridiculous. Ming Lan knew for certain that Yi An would never fall for someone like Li Jue. But as for the rest of it, she couldn’t be sure. Especially when it came to what might still happen between Li Jue and Cheng Yurong.
Now that Yi An had cut ties with Cheng Yurong and wasn’t inviting her to the banquet, would that entire scene from the book still happen? Maybe it would be avoided completely.
If something did happen between Li Jue and Cheng Yurong, it had nothing to do with them. But the fact that Cheng Yurong wouldn’t be there made everything feel more uncertain. All Ming Lan could do was remind Yi An to stay alert that night and to keep trustworthy people from the Ye family close by.
Yi An assumed Ming Lan was simply worried for her and nodded in agreement.
After all the back and forth that morning, it was already noon. The Ye family sent a separate car to bring Yi An’s luggage home, while she and Ming Lan went out for lunch and then got ready for the banquet.
Ever since the Ye family had announced they had found Chairman Ye’s long-lost great-granddaughter, all of City A had been in an uproar. Everyone was eager to learn more. Some had already started scheming.
Regardless of their reasons, nearly everyone who received an invitation was planning to attend. The banquet would be packed.
When Ming Lan and Yi An arrived at the Ye family estate, the whole household was busy preparing. The event was being held at the family’s seaside villa, a grand estate that shimmered with luxury and showed just a glimpse of the Ye family’s true power.
The car drove all the way to the front of the main building before stopping. Although Ming Lan’s ankle hadn’t fully healed, she didn’t want to show up in a wheelchair on her first visit. She tested her foot and found it bearable. With Yi An’s help, she walked forward and greeted Chairman Ye.
She had met the old man in her past life, but the circumstances had been difficult. She had even caused trouble for Yi An at the time. Because of that, Chairman Ye hadn’t been pleased with her. Now, standing before him again, Ming Lan felt a little nervous.
As she tried to calm herself, she suddenly felt warmth in her hand. She looked over and saw that Yi An had taken it in hers.
“Why are you so nervous? Your hand is freezing,” Yi An said softly, holding her hand a little tighter.
Ming Lan smiled, trying to cover her nerves.
“It’s Chairman Ye. I think I only met him once when I was a child. Of course I’m nervous.”
“It’s just a quick greeting. Don’t worry,” Yi An replied. Watching Ming Lan smile like that made her think there was something else behind her unease, but she couldn’t be sure. All she could do was offer reassurance.
Before they stepped inside, Ming Lan gently pulled her hand back. She took a deep breath and walked in.
Chairman Ye was wearing reading glasses and looking over the guest list. When he heard the sound of footsteps, he looked up and removed his glasses.
The man Ming Lan remembered as stern and intimidating looked completely different now. The moment he saw them, his expression softened. He looked kind and gentle.
“Xiao An, is this your friend?”
After Yi An spoke, the old man invited both of them to sit. He turned to Ming Lan and asked about her. Since Yi An had already introduced them earlier, Ming Lan gave a polite greeting.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Ye.”
“No need to be so formal. I knew your great-grandfather back in the day, we had some ties. Based on seniority, you’re the same generation as Xiao An. Just call me Great-Grandfather. Treat this place as your own home. There’s no need to be nervous.”
He spoke kindly, without the slightest bit of superiority. The old man had already heard of Ming Lan. When Yi An mentioned yesterday that she was staying at a friend’s house, he had someone investigate. It quickly became clear that there was no romantic involvement. Yi An was simply staying with Ming Lan. He also found out that Yi An had once been one of the beneficiaries of the Ming Family Charity Foundation. They had helped her quite a bit, allowing her to graduate from a top university.
Because of that connection, the old man naturally grew more and more fond of Ming Lan. The Ming family had always been known for its upright values and clean reputation. If Yi An was spending time with Ming Lan, he had no worries at all.
Ming Lan finally felt at ease. It seemed that in their previous life, the old man had only been harsh because he was protective of Yi An. That was understandable.
After exchanging a few more words, Ming Lan and Yi An excused themselves so as not to disturb him any further. The butler led them to Yi An’s room in the estate.
Everything had already been prepared. Outfits, makeup, stylists—every detail had been arranged. Seeing how complete everything was, Ming Lan realized she didn’t have much to help with. She decided to sit nearby and wait. Once Yi An had chosen her gown and makeup, Ming Lan would head home and return later for the banquet.
As Ming Lan examined the long row of dresses, trying to decide which one would suit Yi An best, she noticed Yi An hadn’t picked any of them. Instead, she opened a suitcase they had brought over from Ming Lan’s home and took out an outfit Ming Lan had once bought her.
“No,” Ming Lan stood up to stop her. “Those are for everyday wear. They’re not right for an occasion like this.”
“But I feel uncomfortable in those dresses. I’d rather wear something that puts me at ease. Otherwise, if I get nervous and start fumbling, won’t it be even more embarrassing?” Yi An explained. “And those high heels? I’ve never worn them before. I can’t even walk properly in them. What’s the point of looking good if I feel miserable?”
She made a good point. Ming Lan let her hand fall to her side. Rather than forcing Yi An into a look that didn’t suit her, it was better to let her be herself.
After settling on the outfit, Ming Lan glanced at the time.
“I’m going to head back and change. I’ll come back when the banquet starts.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
Yi An stood up and supported Ming Lan as they left the room together.
As the elevator doors opened on the ground floor, they came face to face with someone waiting outside.
The man looked Ming Lan up and down, while she studied the older gentleman with graying hair standing beyond the doors. Yi An’s calm but distant voice broke the silence.
“President Ye, please step aside.”
Ye Shan moved slightly to the side and pulled his gaze away from Ming Lan.
“Xiao An, where are you off to?”
“Just to the front entrance.”
Yi An didn’t wait for a reply and helped Ming Lan walk past him without a backward glance.
Ming Lan recognized the man right away. That was Ye Shan, Chairman Ye’s nephew, who currently held a high-ranking position within the Ye Group. Ming Lan had just warned Yi An to be cautious around him and his family. But now didn’t seem like the right moment for Yi An to openly confront him.
Once they reached the car, Ming Lan pulled Yi An gently aside, her voice filled with concern.
“Do you think they’ll give you trouble for speaking to him like that?”
“They were going to make trouble for me no matter what I did. This is only the beginning. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”
Yi An had already lived through one lifetime. She had a plan. She didn’t have much time to slowly deal with them. Her best move was to act in a way that made her seem inexperienced and openly hostile. That way, they would feel more confident making the first move. Once they acted, she would be ready to catch them off guard and find the opening she needed to turn the situation in her favor.
Ming Lan had no choice but to trust her and watched as Yi An turned back inside.
Back at the Ming residence, both Ming Yu and Xie Jin were still away on business. Ming Lan would be attending the banquet alone that evening. To make it easier on her ankle, she chose a pair of low white boots and a long, elegant but simple dress.
When the time came, she set out for the Ye family’s seaside villa. But for some reason, an uneasy feeling kept nagging at her. Her mind felt unsettled, as if something she couldn’t name was just out of sight.