Although she managed to appear somewhat calm and natural in the elevator, it wasn’t until she entered her apartment that Xia Liyang’s racing heart finally settled down.

When she first encountered him, she thought he might make a sarcastic remark or two.

For instance, questioning why her Mr. Xu didn’t drive her home on such a cold night.

To her surprise, his attitude towards her seemed to have returned to the past, showing the usual warmth and politeness he had masked.

But there was something subtly different about it.

Yet she found it hard to articulate what exactly that difference was.

But there was no need to overthink it; their relationship had entered a phase where they could greet each other politely even if they ran into each other by chance.

That was enough for her.

Xia Liyang unwound her scarf, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the hot water tap for the bathtub.

While waiting for the tub to fill, she sat at her computer and organized the ideas she had noted in her phone’s memo.

Suddenly, she thought of a good idea inspired by Lu Huaicheng’s return to the top floor.

She could have the male lead return to a place where he shared happy memories with the female lead; wouldn’t that be an opportunity for him to reflect on his own feelings?

Although Lu Huaicheng probably went upstairs to clear out her things, her novel’s male lead could show a bit of reluctance, right?

Thinking of this, Xia Liyang immediately seized the inspiration and started writing.

She even forgot she had left water running in her bathtub.

By the time she sent the completed chapter to Song Jinhe, water had already overflowed from the bathroom into the living room.

Realizing belatedly, Xia Liyang rushed to the bathroom, turned off the faucet, and spent a while mopping up before finally getting the floor dry.

She touched the water in the bathtub; it had already gone a bit cold.

Well, no warm bath for her tonight; she’d just take a quick shower and go to bed.

Frustrated, Xia Liyang took off her clothes, hurriedly showered, and walked out of the bathroom while toweling her hair.

She glanced at her phone and saw a message from Song Jinhe on the screen.

Feeling a little anxious, she quickly opened it.

Song Jinhe: “Great! Xia Xia, you’re getting it!”

Song Jinhe: “Just keep up with this approach—it’ll work perfectly!”

Xia Liyang couldn’t help but smile, her frustration melting away instantly.

She even started to think that running into Lu Huaicheng might have been a stroke of luck.

Now that she had overcome her writer’s block, the conclusion of her novel flowed smoothly, and she managed to complete it before the Spring Festival.

Afterward, she went out to buy some New Year’s supplies and even bought a few new outfits for Xia Yanxu.

After all, he was always so focused on work that he never remembered to buy himself new clothes.

Last year, when she hadn’t gone home, she saw in Xu Songnian’s photos that Xia Yanxu was still wearing a worn-out cashmere sweater from two years ago, with frayed cuffs.

It made her feel strangely sad.

…

The day she flew home, there was heavy snowfall in Beicheng.

Worried that the roads might be heavily congested, Xia Liyang didn’t let Xia Yanxu take the time to drive to pick her up and planned to take the subway home herself.

But when she walked out of the airport, she still saw Xia Yanxu standing in the crowd, hands in his pockets, wearing a not-so-thick coat.

“Dad, didn’t I say that the roads would be blocked? I could’ve taken the subway myself. Why’d you come?” Xia Liyang quickly walked towards him, her words reproachful, but the corners of her mouth lifted unconsciously.

“I’m not too busy today, so I could spare some time to come.” Xia Yanxu replied a bit stiffly, taking her suitcase.

“So can you finally take a good break this Spring Festival?” Xia Liyang asked.

“I can take two or three days off. But the data for phase two of the project is about to come out, so I have to be back at the research institute by the third day of the new year.” Xia Yanxu began leading her towards the parking lot with her suitcase.

“That’s barely any rest…” Xia Liyang pouted. “I saw Uncle Xu doesn’t seem as busy as you.”

“He’s in a different project team than me.” Xia Yanxu paused and looked at her from the corner of his eye. “How’s your Ph.D. going? Have the results come out yet?”

“Yes, I passed the written exam,” Xia Liyang replied shortly, reluctant to discuss school topics with him.

Even though Xia Yanxu probably didn’t oppose her studying literature, she knew he didn’t really support it either.

She was afraid that discussing it further would lead to more disagreements.

So she quickly changed the subject: “Oh, by the way, Dad, I bought you a few new outfits. Try them on when we get home. If they don’t fit, I can still return them for you.”

“Oh, okay,” he said, slightly surprised, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. “You didn’t need to buy clothes for me. Keep the money for yourself.”

“I have more than enough for myself, and you don’t need to send me living expenses every month. I’ve told you that I’m not short on money,” Xia Liyang said, a bit helplessly.

“Your mom also sends you money every month,” he muttered dryly.

“…Other than sending money, she doesn’t care about me at all. Why do you have to compete with her?” Xia Liyang chuckled and looked at him.

Xia Yanxu was silent for a few seconds, then asked, “Has she visited you recently?”

“No, I haven’t seen her in over two years,” Xia Liyang said, her gaze dropping.

“Oh.” Xia Yanxu nodded slightly, his brows furrowing.

Though he held resentment toward his unreliable ex-wife and didn’t want Xia Liyang to be closer to her than to him, he still hoped she’d at least show her basic care.

Otherwise, Xia Liyang would still feel hurt and abandoned, as if she’d been deserted by her mother.

After they returned home, while Xia Liyang was changing clothes, Xia Yanxu reluctantly picked up the phone and dialed Li Qingying’s number.

But the one who answered was a man, who said Li Qingying was still asleep and asked who he was and what he wanted.

“…” Xia Yanxu opened his mouth but suddenly felt ridiculous for calling.

What could he possibly say to her new boyfriend?

That he was her ex-husband, calling to ask if she would come back for the New Year to visit their daughter?

With a furrowed brow, he clenched his phone tightly, hesitated for a moment, and then hung up.

When Xia Liyang came out of her room holding a bag of the clothes she had bought for him, she noticed that his expression seemed a bit cold as he put down his phone.

Unable to hold back, she asked, “Dad, what’s wrong? Who were you calling?”

“Oh, nothing, just some work stuff.” Xia Yanxu forced a slight smile, trying to appear nonchalant.

Xia Liyang gave him a scrutinizing look for a few seconds, but seeing he didn’t want to say more, she handed the bag of clothes to him, “Since you’re free now, go try them on.”

When Xia Yanxu went to his room to try on the clothes, Xia Liyang tidied up the still somewhat messy sofa and coffee table and then went to the kitchen to boil some water.

This time, though, there was a box of newly bought mineral water at home, along with soda she loved as a child.

The kitchen counter was also stocked with a variety of snacks, clearly bought by Xia Yanxu especially for her return.

Feeling a warmth in her heart, Xia Liyang opened a bag of chips and returned to the living room.

Xia Yanxu opened his bedroom door. Wearing a light-colored cashmere sweater and gray wool pants, he looked much younger.

“It looks like it fits well. How does it feel?” Xia Liyang asked while eating chips, tilting her head to size him up.

“It’s fine, quite comfortable,” Xia Yanxu replied with a slight press of his lips. After pausing for a few seconds, he walked over to her and handed her a ticket. “Here, you might be interested in this.”

“What is it?” Xia Liyang glanced down at the ticket in his hand.

It turned out to be a ticket to the Agatha Christie exhibition in Beicheng during the Lunar New Year.

Surprised, she looked up at Xia Yanxu’s slightly awkward expression and asked in disbelief, “How did you get this ticket?”

“I heard from a colleague that there’s an exhibition. Don’t you like this author?” Xia Yanxu placed the ticket into her hand and then went to grab his coat from the hanger. “I have to go back to the research institute for a bit, but I’ll come back for dinner.”

“…Oh.” Xia Liyang nodded, feeling a mixture of emotions.

In the past, to discourage her from studying literature, Xia Yanxu had once confiscated her mystery novels. The only books left on their shelves were his medical books, with nothing else.

Even novels by Li Qingying, had been completely removed by him.

But now, he was giving her a ticket to an Agatha Christie exhibition?!

It seemed he had truly come around, not only ceasing to interfere with her interests but even going so far as to support them.

Holding back a complex mix of feelings, Xia Liyang pressed her lips together and looked at Xia Yanxu, who had already put on his coat and was bending down to change his shoes at the door.

She raised her voice slightly, saying, “Dad, thank you.”

Xia Yanxu paused slightly, turned his back to her, and said softly, “It’s nothing. As long as you enjoy it.”

“Heh.” Xia Liyang chuckled, clutching the ticket, and couldn’t help but remind him, “Dad, you haven’t taken off your new clothes.”

“…I’ll keep them on; they’re comfortable,” Xia Yanxu said, slightly embarrassed, straightening up.

“You should wash new clothes before wearing them…”

“It’s fine,” Xia Yanxu replied as he turned the door handle.

“At least cut off the tags! Otherwise, your colleagues might laugh at you.” Xia Liyang quickly got up, grabbed a pair of scissors from the coffee table cabinet, and deftly snipped off the tags on his clothes as he stood by the door.

“Alright, you go ahead,” she said with a smile, her eyes crinkling like crescent moons.

“…Alright, I’m off,” Xia Yanxu replied, feeling a bit awkward.

…..

That year’s Lunar New Year was far from peaceful for the Lu family.

First, Lu Zhiyuan had a hypertension episode and was hospitalized.

Then, Zhou Yuling, busy taking care of him in the hospital, caught the flu and needed an IV drip.

Though Lu Huaicheng was internally indifferent, he still had to keep up appearances, occasionally visiting the hospital to maintain the image of a harmonious family.

However, with Lu Zhiyuan temporarily unable to handle business, Lu Huaicheng had the opportunity to take charge of the entire group’s operations, while also uncovering some land projects linked to Li Yuan.

Although he still couldn’t conclusively prove that Zhou Yuling had helped Li Yuan take kickbacks, he felt he was getting closer to the truth.

On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, snowflakes once again fell from the overcast skies of Beicheng.

After visiting Lu Zhiyuan in the hospital, Lu Huaicheng got into his black Cullinan, intending to head back to the Beicheng home villa.

While waiting at a red light, he glanced out the car window.

Initially, he just wanted to check if the snowfall would affect his evening business meeting with clients.

Instead, he spotted an exhibition hall across the street, featuring a large promotional poster for the Agatha Christie exhibition.

In an instant, a long-lost, innocent face flashed through his mind.

He remembered the night she first stayed over at his place, her petite frame clad in his oversized shirt, her clear, bright eyes shining as she excitedly said, “Agatha Christie is my idol! Mr. Lu, do you like her too?”

Lu Huaicheng’s heart ached involuntarily, and he quickly looked away.

The green light ahead came on, and the car slowly moved forward through the slightly congested intersection.

Yet her expressions and laughter lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.

Sitting in the airtight car, Lu Huaicheng leaned back against the seat, his long fingers tapping impatiently on the back of his hand, his dark eyes fixated on the slowly moving taillights of the car in front.

He couldn’t tell if his frustration was from the terrible traffic or from the fact that nearly three months had passed, and he still couldn’t forget her.

The only thing he knew was that if he stayed in the stifling car any longer, he might suffocate.

So, he instructed the driver to pull over, opened the door himself, and stepped out with his long legs.

The snow had become much heavier since he’d left that morning, covering the sidewalks in a thin layer of snow.

Standing tall beside the black Cullinan with a solemn expression, Lu Huaicheng took a deep breath of the cold air outside and, almost instinctively, looked back toward the exhibition hall, which loomed faintly through the falling snow.

His gaze was complex and intense, watching for a long moment.

He got back into the car and said calmly to the driver, “Turn around at the next intersection and take me to the exhibition hall behind.”