Although Lu Huaicheng’s tall, upright figure now stood right by her Porsche’s window, and she could feel his sharp gaze focused on her head, Xia Liyang still held a sliver of hope that he hadn’t recognized her. Holding her breath, she altered her voice and made a last attempt, “Sorry, I’m in a rush. Let’s exchange contact information and handle this later.”

Hearing this, Lu Huaicheng’s narrowed eyes took on a faint glint as he replied indifferently, “My car is very expensive. Insurance could save you money. Why the hurry?”

“…Money isn’t an issue. I really have something urgent. I can’t wait for the police,” Xia Liyang replied, nervously adjusting her sunglasses and bowing her head lower.

“Oh.” Lu Huaicheng’s dark gaze briefly flickered. Unmoved, he examined her partially concealed face under her hair and sunglasses, his voice calm, “Then leave me your phone number.”

“…Sure.” Xia Liyang exhaled slightly, giving him a number he didn’t know, her other phone number.

Lu Huaicheng lowered his eyes, his long fingers tapping a few numbers on his phone, and dialed her.

Watching her phone’s screen light up without showing a saved contact name, his deep gaze darkened slightly.

With her head still lowered, Xia Liyang quickly saved his number, naming it “Car Owner,” then stuffed her phone back into her pocket and put her hand on the steering wheel. “You can let me know the repair costs later. I’ll leave now.”

“No name?” Lu Huaicheng’s low voice reminded her.

“…Meng Yuan,” Xia Liyang stammered, saying the only name that came to mind, the name of the protagonist in the novel she was working on.

“What character for Yuan?” he asked, raising his gaze slightly.

“The Yuan as in Yuanmeng (dream fulfillment),” she replied, swallowing nervously.

“Nice name,” he commented, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her.

“Thank you,” Xia Liyang forced a laugh, just about to start her car.

But then his slender hand rested on her window frame, his tall figure leaning in, his voice cold, “Xia Liyang, did you really think you could fool me?”

Xia Liyang’s heart skipped a beat, and she froze in the driver’s seat.

Leaning on her car window, his broad frame blocked the outside light, casting a shadow that felt suffocatingly oppressive.

Xia Liyang gasped, feeling as though the air was thinning around her, and even speaking was a struggle.

“Did you think we were just casual acquaintances? That I wouldn’t recognize you just because you put on sunglasses, changed your voice, and curled your hair?” His voice was low and steady, tinged with sarcasm and slight annoyance. “We’ve slept together; I could name every sensitive spot on your body.”

Xia Liyang’s ears flushed red, her mind flashing back to that night of intimacy with him—his searing warmth, his kiss all over her body, and how he repeatedly led her to a euphoric high.

After a moment, she slowly took off the large sunglasses from her nose, reluctantly lifting her downcast face, a bit flushed, and gave him an awkward smile. “Long time no see, Mr. Lu.”

“Have you harvested the wheat back home?” Lu Huaicheng straightened up, casually slipping his hands into his suit pockets, his tone a bit cold.

“It’s… it’s all harvested.” Xia Liyang nodded awkwardly.

Lu Huaicheng’s dark gaze took in her car and her designer outfit, scoffing slightly. “Looks like this year’s harvest went well. Harvested enough to buy a Porsche, I see.”

“This… actually isn’t my car; it’s a friend’s…” Xia Liyang stammered, trying to stick to her story.

“A friend?” Lu Huaicheng paused, as though considering something, his expression darkening. He sneered, “Would this friend be Mr. Xu, by any chance?”

“Um…” With no other way to explain, Xia Liyang nodded, letting him believe his assumption. “Yes, it’s his.”

Lu Huaicheng’s gaze darkened further, his voice icy as he asked, “Is that why you blocked and deleted me without a word? Because of him?”

Xia Liyang froze, realizing he might think she left because she found a new benefactor. Even if his assumption was wrong, it was better to let him think that than for him to find out her true identity and purpose. This way, there would be no further ties between them.

She adjusted her expression, putting on a confident front. “Yes, that’s right. What about it?”

Lu Huaicheng’s brow furrowed deeply, anger flaring in his dark eyes, though he maintained his composure and coldly retorted, “Who was it who swore to me they were completely innocent with him?”

“We were innocent before, but people change. Can’t I move on? Besides, you didn’t contact me for an entire month. I get lonely, too.” Xia Liyang smiled.

Lu Huaicheng opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn’t find a counterpoint. Seizing the silence, Xia Liyang started her car, turning the wheel smoothly. “I’ll cover the repair costs. I’m off; Mr. Xu is waiting for me at home.”

With that, she hit the gas, speeding away from him.

Even nearly a hundred meters away, Xia Liyang could still see him standing motionless in the rearview mirror. The night obscured his expression, but she could guess he wasn’t pleased. 

At least she had managed to bluff her way out.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she parked in the underground garage, only to find that her car had a scrape, too. 

What a disaster. Not only did she owe him, but she’d also need to repair her own car. 

The only consolation was that she wouldn’t have to worry about running into him unexpectedly. 

As a precaution, Xia Liyang called Xu Songnian, filling him in on what had happened and reminding him not to let anything slip if he ran into Lu Huaicheng at the gym.

“No problem. I suggested this plan before, remember?” Xu Songnian’s cheerful tone replied.

“Huh? Did you?” Xia Liyang was a little confused.

“Yes, that time you ran into Lu Huaicheng at the gym, I told you that after you left your job, you could say you were with me. Then you wouldn’t have to hide all the time, and you could even switch to my gym—it’s got better equipment and environment, too.” Xu Songnian chuckled.

“Oh, I remember now.” Xia Liyang paused.

Back then, she had laughed off his suggestion as too far-fetched, and now here she was, forced to play along.

Life certainly had a sense of irony.

“By the way, since you’re not going through insurance, you’ll probably owe him quite a bit. I’ll cover half since you wouldn’t have hit his car if I hadn’t invited you to dinner,” Xu Songnian offered.

“Oh, stop it. This has nothing to do with you,” Xia Liyang replied, exasperated. “I’m not short on money. Whatever he wants, I’ll pay just to be done with it. I’d rather avoid the hassle of insurance; I don’t want to meet with him again.”

“Big-spender,” Xu Songnian teased. “Well, if you’re ever short, just let me know. Since I’m technically your ‘benefactor,’ spending a bit on you is only right.”

“Oh, please, you’re killing me,” Xia Liyang chuckled.

The next morning, just as she was about to fix the scrape on her Porsche, Lu Huaicheng called her.

“Come with me to the Rolls-Royce service center this afternoon for an assessment,” he stated in his usual commanding tone.

Frowning, Xia Liyang replied irritably, “I’m busy. Just send me the bill after the assessment.”

“You don’t have class today,” Lu Huaicheng said, his tone deepening slightly.

“Did you forget I’m now a third-year grad student? The schedule I sent you before is outdated,” Xia Liyang sneered.

“I checked,” Lu Huaicheng replied bluntly.

Xia Liyang’s mouth twitched. She couldn’t understand why he insisted on having her come along to the service center, even going so far as to check her availability.

Unwilling to see him, she muttered, “I have more than just classes to deal with.”

“What else do you have to be busy with? Spending time with your Mr. Xu?” His voice tightened, laced with a hint of sarcasm.

“…”

He could have just assumed she was busy with her thesis or research, but he had to choose this.

Clearly, he was trying to provoke her.

Honestly, although he’d given her a lot of help and warmth in those few months they’d been together, he’d also frequently reminded her, subtly and not so subtly, not to have any illusions about their relationship—they would part ways eventually.

She had simply ended things a little earlier than expected, so was it really necessary for him to hold a grudge?

Was it just that he couldn’t stand her leaving his control and needed to vent his frustration?

She wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction.

With a frown, Xia Liyang replied coldly, “That has nothing to do with you,” and hung up immediately.

Hearing the busy tone, Lu Huaicheng’s face darkened. He turned off his phone abruptly and told Lin Shen, standing nearby, “Rearrange the afternoon meeting.”

“Aren’t you going to the service center?” Lin Shen looked puzzled.

“The driver can handle it.” Lu Huaicheng’s eyes grew dark as he walked into the office, suppressing his irritation.

The oppressive atmosphere kept the surrounding employees silent, none daring to greet him as usual; they all kept their heads down, pretending to be busy.

It wasn’t until he entered his office and closed the door that someone dared to whisper to Lin Shen, who looked helpless, “Did something serious happen in the company? Mr. Lu’s expression is terrifying; I’ve never seen him like this.”

“No, nothing’s wrong with the company,” Lin Shen replied with a forced smile, feeling at a loss.

Twenty minutes earlier, Lu Huaicheng had asked him to cancel the afternoon meeting. Then, after a phone call, he’d had him schedule it again.

His temper was always a bit hard to predict, but this was excessive.

It was probably related to Xia Liyang’s departure, though. Ever since he’d instructed him to rehire part-time help, his mood hadn’t been good.

….

A few days later, Xia Liyang received another call from Lu Huaicheng, who gave her a repair estimate far higher than she had expected.

She paused in disbelief and asked, “That much?”

“What? Your Mr. Xu can’t afford even that?” he sneered.

“…”

Irritated by his sarcastic tone again, Xia Liyang resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

It wasn’t that she found it too expensive; it just felt strange. From what she remembered, the damage hadn’t seemed severe. At most, he’d need a headlight replacement and a paint touch-up—certainly not a sum like this.

Could his car have been a limited-edition Rolls-Royce Phantom?

Ignoring his sarcasm, she kept her tone businesslike. “Can I see the repair assessment?”

“Sure. Come to my place to review it,” Lu Huaicheng replied slowly.

???

Xia Liyang frowned, a bit frustrated. “Can’t you just send it to me?”

“You blocked me on WeChat. How am I supposed to send it?” His voice was deep.

“… Just add my new number’s WeChat,” she replied.

“I never re-add people who delete me,” he chuckled, indifferent. “Besides, if you come over to discuss it in person, I might even cut you some slack out of old sentiments.”

“…”

What was with this guy?

Why insist on meeting? Wasn’t it enough to throw sarcastic comments over the phone—did he need to do it in person too?

Was he really that childish?

Almost amused, she gave a brief laugh through her nose and replied bluntly, “No need. Text me your account number, and I’ll transfer the money tonight.”

Without another moment’s pause, she hung up.

Sitting on his sofa at home, Lu Huaicheng was stunned, the phone still in his hand. After a long silence, he finally set it down, his lips pressed into a thin line as he looked down.