Chapter 159: Rong Yan

With the addition of Rong Xian and Xiao Mingyu, Yuefu Villa was filled with a much livelier, homier atmosphere.

In the blink of an eye, two days passed.

Although Xiao Mingyu's fever had broken, his cold symptoms remained severe.

That day, An Tong received a reminder text message from Zhan Ke University regarding the start of the semester.

There was only a week left before she would report to campus as a transfer student.

Just before ten in the morning, An Tong walked outside the study, intending to organize some of the materials needed for enrollment in advance.

Before she had even taken half a step inside, her phone buzzed with a WeChat notification.

It was... Wen Wan.

It wasn't entirely unexpected, considering the two of them had hit it off reasonably well during their gathering in Hong Kong before the New Year.

Wen Wan wanted to invite her out for lunch and asked if she was available.

An Tong looked at the message and, without much hesitation, accepted the invitation.

***

As noon approached, An Tong's plan to go out for lunch with Wen Wan caught Rong Xian's attention.

"What is Wen Wan doing in Zhanzhou?"

An Tong lowered her gaze to straighten her hem, looking up at the sound. "I didn't ask. She probably has some business here."

Rong Xian, wearing a loungewear sweater and casual wide-leg pants, stroked the coffee cup in her hand, looking thoughtful. "Did she mention who she came with?"

She had heard that Rong Liu had recently arrived in Zhanzhou, and just the day before, he had even made a special trip to the gardens to pay his respects to the elders of the family.

Since Wen Wan was newly engaged to him, it made sense that they had traveled together.

"No." An Tong shook her head. "Is there an issue with Wen Wan coming to Zhanzhou?"

Rong Xian took a sip of her coffee, lounging comfortably as she tapped the tips of her toes. "Whether there's an issue remains to be seen. But you—accepting her invitation so easily—does Xiao Jiu know about this?"

Everyone in Hong Kong's upper-class circles knew that Wen Wan liked Rong Shen.

Wasn't her innocent little sister-in-law afraid of being played by going out to lunch with her love rival like this?

An Tong smiled calmly and nodded. "He knows. I told him."

Rong Xian was quite surprised. "He agreed to let you go?"

"Why wouldn't he?"

Rong Xian was choked by An Tong's counter-question. She narrowed her eyes, stroking her chin with a half-smile. "He really is broad-minded."

Just as they were speaking, Xiao Mingyu walked out of the guest room. The usually handsome and dashing man had his nose reddened by the torture of the cold, and the whites of his eyes were webbed with bloodshot veins.

He leisurely sat down beside Rong Xian, threw an arm around her shoulder, and asked with a heavy nasal twinge, "Who's broad-minded?"

"Not you." Rong Xian slapped the man's hand away and continued looking at An Tong. "Where are you two meeting for lunch?"

An Tong named the restaurant. Xiao Mingyu raised an eyebrow nonchalantly, turned his head, and asked, "I heard the roast suckling pig at this place is out of this world. Babe, do you want to eat that?"

Rong Xian: "..."

An Tong: "..."

For a man born with a thick skin, even the most awkward situations could be handled with ease.

Xiao Mingyu pressed a fist against his lips and coughed. Seeing that Rong Xian didn't reply, he pursued the matter in a husky, slightly magnetic tone, "Want to go try it?"

"I'm not going."

"Then eat less at noon, and I'll pack some to go for you."

"..."

An Tong watched the scene with a smile, feeling an inexplicable sweetness in the air.

Unlike the calm and steady way she and Rong Shen got along, Xiao Mingyu and the eldest sister were more like a bickering pair of冤家 (enemies bound by fate), generating fierce sparks every time they met.

It seemed like the woman held the dominant position, but in reality, the prospective brother-in-law countered every move with ease, having the eldest sister completely wrapped around his finger.

An Tong felt a pang of envy, and inevitably, she thought of Rong Shen.

She wondered when he would be back.

At eleven-thirty, Rong Xian ultimately gave in to Xiao Mingyu's pulling and tugging, and reluctantly went along with him to the restaurant.

***

Seeing Wen Wan again, An Tong was somewhat surprised.

The New Year had just passed, and all told, it had only been a little over half a month.

Yet Wen Wan's complexion did not look well. Although her demeanor remained elegant, a closer inspection revealed a forced cheerfulness.

On the middle finger of her left hand, she wore a pigeon-blood ring.

The left middle finger—that was the symbol of an engagement.

An Tong sat down at the two-person table, her gaze brushing past the ring, and offered a warm, polite greeting. "When did you arrive?"

"I just got here." Wen Wan poured a cup of tea and handed it to her, speaking with a gentle expression. "Did inviting you out so suddenly disrupt your plans?"

An Tong took the cup to thank her, shaking her head lightly. "No. I've been quite free lately with no particular plans."

Wen Wan smiled softly. "Then let's look at the menu first. This restaurant serves Hong Kong-style specialties. I've ordered a few items, and you can pick out whatever else you like."

As An Tong used the ordering tablet to add dishes, Xiao Mingyu and Rong Xian were also ordering at a two-person table diagonally behind them.

"You're in quite high spirits today." Rong Xian swiped across the tablet screen, speaking casually. "The moment you heard An'an was going out to eat, you tagged along despite your cold. What are you up to?"

A woman like Rong Xian, who had spent years navigating the corporate world, might have a completely messy love life, but her powers of observation were top-tier.

Ever since Xiao Mingyu insisted on moving into Yuefu, things had felt strange everywhere.

Just because she didn't say anything didn't mean she couldn't see it.

Xiao Mingyu leaned back, resting lazily against the back of the chair. How could he not hear the subtext in the woman's words?

"Rong Xian, don't you know what I'm up to?"

The man addressed her directly by her full name in a teasing tone. Rong Xian wasn't angry either, letting out a light, cynical hum. "I really don't care to know your dirty little thoughts. Xiao Mingyu, it's one thing for you to pester me, but if you dare to set your sights on our An'an, never mind Xiao Jiu—I'll be the first one not to let you off."

Xiao Mingyu gave a dry cough with a blank expression.

Rong Xian had ordered a whole roast suckling pig. Hearing no response from him for a long time, she lifted her eyes and sneered, "What? Did I hit too close to home and now you can't save face?"

"Darling..." Xiao Mingyu lifted his chin with an amused expression. "An Tong doesn't look as wealthy as you. Didn't you say it yourself? I'm only after money."

Rong Xian had truly never seen a man who could justify a transactional approach to romance with such pompousness.

She felt ashamed for having had moments of hesitation regarding him earlier.

Unwilling to engage with him further, Rong Xian lowered her head back to the menu.

Naturally, Xiao Mingyu wouldn't let slip such a great opportunity to flirt. He leaned forward against the edge of the table and teased maliciously, "Jealous?"

The moment the words fell, Rong Xian raised her head, her anger replaced by a smile. "Me? Jealous?"

"It's obvious, isn't it..."

Before Xiao Mingyu could finish his sentence, he abruptly let out a muffled grunt of pain and automatically cut himself off.

Because Rong Xian, wearing high heels, had delivered a ruthless kick to his shin under the table.

The commotion the two of them kicked up could at best be considered lovers' tuffs and didn't attract much attention from others.

Throughout the entire meal, however, Xiao Mingyu kept a very discreet watch on the table where An Tong and Wen Wan were sitting.

It was just a meal, after all; nothing should go wrong, especially since the other party was a well-bred socialite.

However, half an hour later, an eye-catching and exorbitantly expensive luxury car suddenly appeared in the parking lot outside the restaurant.

Xiao Mingyu glanced quickly out under the guise of drinking water, furrowing his thick brows as a look of "I knew it" crossed his handsome face.

The sixth young master of the Rong family, Rong Yan, had arrived.