Xie Cheng and Fu Ziyang exchanged a glance.
"I'll cover all your meals for three days..." Xie Cheng's enchanting peach blossom eyes narrowed gently.
Fu Ziyang swallowed hard.
"F-for a week?"
Xie Cheng shrugged off his hand.
Fu Ziyang gritted his teeth, suppressing the sting of humiliation, almost growling, "A month! A month should be enough! No more than that!"
Xie Cheng nodded.
"Deal."
Fu Ziyang was left speechless and on the verge of tears.
"You villains, you're all just a bunch of villains."
This was no different from profiteering off others' misfortune!
Su Wanwan heard the commotion and looked over in confusion.
"What are you two talking about?"
"Ziyang, is it done yet?" Fu Ziyang handed over his ID card, his face full of grievance.
"Alright, alright, here you go." Su Wanwan slipped the bank card back into her bag and lazily started streaming a show with the remote.
Xia Kelan got up and headed toward the kitchen.
"I'll cut some fruit for you."
Xie Cheng immediately followed.
Xia Kelan pulled out a large assortment of fruit from the fridge and was about to wash them when a shadow fell across her. Glancing sideways, she gave a sardonic smile:
"Perverted uncle, what are you doing sneaking up here? Looking for a beating?"
"I have to explain what happened last time. I did knock on the door outside, but you didn't respond at all. I thought you'd passed out in the bath, so I came in."
Xia Kelan stared at him as if he were insane.
"Can you come up with a better excuse?"
"I'm a light sleeper. I wake up at the slightest sound."
Xie Cheng moved his lips, "Where do you get the confidence for that?"
Xia Kelan grabbed a fruit knife and brandished it at him.
"Say one more word, and I might accidentally cut you."
Xie Cheng hurriedly stepped back, clearing his throat.
"Let me cut the fruit. You're a girl; better not handle knives. It's dangerous. If you hurt your hand, I'd feel terrible."
"If you swapped that face for Fu Ziyang's and said that, maybe it would be convincing."
Xia Kelan shooed Xie Cheng out.
Xie Cheng looked at Fu Ziyang sitting on the single sofa playing games, then strode over, towering above him.
Fu Ziyang silently shifted position.
"Xie, you're blocking my screen."
"I've changed my mind," Xie Cheng said coolly, "Half a year."
Fu Ziyang's hand trembled as he looked up in disbelief, "What?"
"You cover all the meals for half a year."
Fu Ziyang shakily patted his empty wallet.
Soon, Xia Kelan came out of the kitchen and placed a beautifully arranged fruit platter on the table. She leaned toward Su Wanwan with a smile:
"Wanwan, don't forget to come watch my race tomorrow!"
"Of course, I'll be there on time."
The group left shortly after. Xia Kelan lay down on the sofa, ready to play games, when the doorbell rang. She hurried over and opened the door, still wondering aloud:
"Did someone forget something—"
Outside stood Ye Nan, dressed in a suit, a rare sight. His face bore fading scars. When he saw her, his eyes brightened, but he restrained his trembling heart and waved at her.
"Hi, sorry to drop by unannounced. Hope I'm not disturbing you."
Xia Kelan shook her head, her adorable smile blossoming.
"No, not at all. Your wounds seem to have healed quite a bit."
Ye Nan nodded softly, a hint of grievance in his voice:
"But why haven't you come to the hospital to see me?"
Xia Kelan sighed deeply, a trace of helplessness in her beautiful eyes. She spread her hands.
"I really had no choice. You don't know—after I left the hospital that day, I ran into Miss Su Nian."
"She unloaded a torrent of curses on me, calling me a temptress who ruined your relationship."
"She warned me never to come near you again or else she'd make me pay."
"I honestly didn't know how to face her and feared she might harm me."
"So, I never went..."
"But inside, I was deeply uneasy and couldn't sleep well every night."
"I know you got hurt so badly because you were protecting me."
"And I was ungrateful and barely took care of you..."
Tears welled in Xia Kelan's eyes, shimmering and pure, trickling down slowly. She wasn't sobbing loudly, but each tear was crystal clear — a mixture of hurt and sorrow, the most potent weapon against a man.
As expected, Ye Nan immediately reached out to wipe them away.
"Sorry, I didn't know Su Nian had caused you trouble again."
Xia Kelan avoided his hand.
"Ultimately, it's my own fault."
"I've been avoiding you because I didn't know how to face you."
Ye Nan looked at her and felt a surge of tenderness.
"Alright, I'm not blaming you. Don't overthink it."
Xia Kelan nodded. Ye Nan smiled warmly, his expression as gentle as jade, his eyes tender enough to overflow like spring water — as soft as a March breeze, utterly harmless.
"Actually, I came because I saw the participant list for the race."
"I noticed you were on it, so I came to ask..."
Xia Kelan nodded.
"Yeah, I'm just participating for fun. I'm not really good at driving."
Ye Nan recalled the time Xia Kelan took him racing and still shuddered.
"Your driving was impressive. I paid a high price for the ticket. I'll be there to watch you tomorrow."
Xia Kelan's expression stiffened. If Su Wanwan found out she was still connected to Ye Nan, she'd definitely be upset.
"You must have a lot to handle at work after resting in the hospital for so long."
"You don't have to make a special trip to see me; I appreciate the thought."
Ye Nan shook his head, heart warmed. Xia Kelan truly cared about him — the first thing she thought of was his company.
"How could I miss your race?"
"Don't worry, I've already taken care of everything at the office."
"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, and we'll go together."
Xia Kelan's mouth twitched. Refusing again might arouse his suspicion.
"Alright then..." she murmured reluctantly.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Xia Kelan rose from bed.
She vowed she had never gotten up this early before.
After a hurried face wash and tying her hair into a messy bun, she rushed out.
Unexpectedly, a car waited silently outside.
Her grip loosened, and her bag clattered to the ground.
Ye Nan stepped out, looking refreshed, without a trace of fatigue.
He bent down to pick up her bag and smiled,
"Something wrong? Still sleepy?"
Xia Kelan quietly stepped back two paces and closed the door.
"One, two, three..."
She opened the door again, finding Ye Nan still standing there, motionless.