Su Jianan curled up on the bed hugging her legs to herself. Her mobile rang beside her without stopping.
The three words “Lu Boyan” used to make her forget to breathe and her heart rate increase when she saw them.
But now, the three words only brought her endless doubt.
She knew that Uncle Xu called Lu Boyan the moment Su Hongyuan came. Was he looking for her because she was worried about her?
Didn’t he say that he was tired of pretending to be in love?
Now that he was abroad, he could pretend not to know what was happening at home. He had an excuse to ignore her. Why would he have to look for her?
In the end, Su Jianan still picked up the call.
“What did Su Hongyuan say to you?” Lu Boyan asked.
“Nothing.” Su Jianan tried her best to maintain her regular tone and not let Lu Boyan hear that she had been crying. “We talked about our family matters.”
Lu Boyan still sensed something from her slightly nasal tones and he asked, “Did he mention your mother?”
Lu Boyan understood Su Jianan too well. Her tears were related to her mother. She would only cry when her mother was brought up.
“…”
Su Jianan closed her eyes but tears still flowed from the corners of her eyes.
She tried hard to hold it back, but she still sobbed out loud.
“Jianan.” This was the first time he was calling her name with such familiarity even when no one was around. “It’s been nine years.”
That opened the floodgates and Su Jianan’s tears started to flow freely. “He did it intentionally. He knew that my mother cannot be aggravated, so he let Su Yuanyuan and Jiang Xueli appear before her at that time. He killed my mother intentionally. I…”
The hatred in Su Jianan’s chest had never filled her up completely. She hated Su Hongyuan but she hated her incompetence even more.
Not only did she not have the strength to fight Su Hongyuan, but she was also afraid of him kidnapping her. She could only be a burden to Lu Boyan.
“Jianan, listen. You have your brother and me. Su Hongyuan cannot hurt you.”
Lu Boyan’s voice traveled across the ocean from the other end of the world to her ears. Su Jianan’s tears slowly stopped.
No matter what, Lu Boyan had already become the only other person apart from Su Yicheng who could make her feel at ease.
Even if this was just for show, she was willing to trust Lu Boyan deeply. Because…this show could only be filmed for two years.
“Are you done? We’ve already waited a long time.” Shen Yuechuan’s voice could be heard vaguely. “We have to end the meeting before Luis arrives.”
Su Jianan only recalled then that it was day time where Lu Boyan was. It was working hours and she…had taken up a lot of his time.
“Go and work. I’m fine now.”
“Hold on.” Lu Boyan seemed to know as if she was going to hang up. “I have something for you when I get back.”
Su Jianan paused and asked, “What is it?”
Lu Boyan only smiled secretively and then hung up. Su Jianan was confused and was too lazy to think. So she went to wash her face.
Someone suddenly knocked on her door at almost 11. The voice asked carefully, “Jianan? Are you asleep?”
“Luo Xiaoxi?” Su Jianan opened the door and looked in surprise at the person who had just a few hours ago, been on television. “Why did you come over so late at night?”
“I came on orders of your Boss Lu!”
Su Jianan was confused, “Lu Boyan?”
“Yep,” Luo Xiaoxi snuggled into the blankets. “Your Boss Lu called me and asked if I had time and if I did, come and accompany you.” Her tone suddenly turned angry. “Su Hongyuan is really a true b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
Su Jianan had not imagined that Lu Boyan would ask Luo Xiaoxi to come and accompany her.
Her heart felt as if someone had soaked it in a honey pot. Su Jianan felt almost addicted to the feeling.
“Actually, I did not have time.” Luo Xiaoxi said. “But your Boss Lu’s voice is practically like magic. It’s forceful, yet gentlemanly and makes one extremely comfortable. I really could not refuse.”
Su Jianan had not understood Luo Xiaoxi’s key point. “So?”
“So-” Luo Xiaoxi sat up. “You’ve stayed with him under one roof for so long, how can you resist not throwing yourself at him!”
Su Jianan switched off the lights. “Good night.”
The time in which she slept the most deeply was when Lu Boyan was the busiest in New York.
Lu Boyan suddenly pushed all his business forward and did not give himself a minute of rest. All his subordinates felt that it was odd. He had only said that he was going to compress his schedule and bring forward his return date.
Only Shen Yuechuan knew that he was worried about a certain someone at home.
Shen Yuechuan laughed, “Boss Lu, don’t blame me for not reminding you. You’re getting more and more into your role. Is that good? Won’t she suspect anything?”
Lu Boyan continued dealing with his doc.u.ments as if he had not heard that.
Shen Yuechuan did not mind and continued his soliloquy, “Oh, I forgot. What acting. Bulls.h.i.t!”
Lu Boyan looked up and said, “a.s.sistant Shen. You can go straight to Vietnam once you’re done here.”
He was being sent on a.s.signment to some secluded place again. Shen Yuechuan had, with great difficulty, made it back to an international city. His expression changed when he heard that and he ran off hugging the doc.u.ments.
It was already past ten when Lu Boyan was done with work. His investigation had finally borne results.
His subordinate told him “We discovered that Han Ruoxi contacted Su Hongyuan a few days ago. They do not know each other at all and the two had not had previous contact. We suspect that Han Ruoxi might have told Su Hongyuan something.”
He did not think that Su Hongyuan would suddenly look for Su Jianan. He had not expected that the oddity in it was Han Ruoxi.
Lu Boyan frowned slightly. Just then, the mobile phone he placed on the table rang. Han Ruoxi’s name was displayed on it.
“Are you done with work?” Han Ruoxi asked. “Let’s have dinner together? At the hotel we are staying at. Oh, you didn’t know, did you? We are staying in the same hotel. I stay on the floor below yours.”
“I’ll be there in 15 minutes.”
Lu Boyan hung up, put on his jacket and left the office.
No matter what Han Ruoxi told Su Hongyuan, there are some things that he had to make clear to Han Ruoxi.
In the hotel.
Han Ruoxi knew that Lu Boyan would definitely come. She was already in the restaurant when she called Lu Boyan. She opened a bottle of red wine and drank it while waiting for Lu Boyan. The bottle of wine was emptied before long.
The clear red liquid was poured into an expensive wine gla.s.s. It did not have to be completely filled, and a quarter of the gla.s.s was just right. She twirled the gla.s.s and watched the liquid in the gla.s.s swirling. She brought the gla.s.s close to her and breathed deeply the scent of alcohol that permeated slowly in the air and made an expression of enjoyment. She knew how mesmerizing she was at that moment.
After rejecting several attempts at flirting from men, Lu Boyan finally arrived.
Han Ruoxi called the waiter and ordered for Lu Boyan.
Lu Boyan only ordered a cup of espresso.
“You’re still drinking such strong coffee so late at night?” Han Ruoxi smiled elegantly, with a hint of the s.e.xiness of a mature woman. “Will you still be able to sleep tonight?”
“I still have work.”
“You’re so busy?” Han Ruoxi leaned against the back of the chair and swirled the red wine in her gla.s.s. “Your schedule wasn’t so tight when I heard about it. You’re in such a rush to return…is it because you’re worried about your lovely new bride?”
A trace of annoyance finally appeared in Lu Boyan’s emotionless voice. “She’s alone at home and I’m indeed a little worried.”
Han Ruoxi’s expression froze. “Do you really like her?”
“Ruoxi, this has nothing to do with you.” Lu Boyan said lightly with a warning tone.
“Do you think I’m being nosy?” Han Ruoxi tilted her head back and finished the red wine in her gla.s.s. “Nothing to do with me? Heh-. You know that I love you and I’ve loved you for so many years. You promised me that you’ll divorce her in two years and gave me home. Now you’re telling me it has nothing to do with me?”
“You’re mistaken. I was telling you my decision to divorce her in two years. It was not a promise to you.”
Han Ruoxi froze. She suddenly understood that her love was unrequited.
Her love had always been unrequited since she started liking Lu Boyan.
But, that was right. He was Lu Boyan and he could do anything. Even if there was something that he could not get, he would still take it by force. Why would he need to make a promise to someone else?
“It’s been so many years, have you not like me a single bit, not even a second?” Han Ruoxi clutched on to the last tendrils of home like a person who had lost all hope. “Tell me, have you?”
“No.” Lu Boyan said, “I apologize if I have made you misunderstand.”
“Then why did you not come clean even though we had so many rumors together? You won’t even let the news appear when other female celebrities try with you. But why did you not come clean regarding our rumors together?”
Lu Boyan’s gaze was dark. “In the beginning, it was to promote you. Didn’t you understand then?”
Han Ruoxi suddenly laughed self-mockingly.
Indeed, when she and Lu Boyan started to have rumors together, it was to promote her. Back then, her manager had told her that Lu Boyan had never agreed to be in rumors with other female celebrities. Perhaps he liked her.
She had felt pleased and tried her best to occasionally create rumors with Lu Boyan. Together with her hard work and these rumors, she became the main star of Lu Enterprises’ media company in a few short years.
After that, as long as she and Lu Boyan appeared together, their rumors would plaster the headlines. To those not in the know, she and Lu Boyan had long become a couple.
Lu Boyan had also never once frowned. She thought that Lu Boyan admired and liked her. She thought that they would end up together as long as she was patient.
But he suddenly got married and his bride was not a socialite from a large conglomerate but just a female medical examiner.
At first, she had not felt threatened. She thought that she could wait for two years.
But after seeing Su Jianan and seeing her together with Lu Boyan, she suddenly felt afraid. She felt that Lu Boyan was straying further and further away from her.
Indeed, he had made things clear with her today.
“Ruoxi, I advice you not to have any further contact with Su Hongyuan. Lu Boyan looked at her. “You’ve already successfully entered Hollywood and have a great future. Don’t let it be ruined by Su Hongyuan.”
He got up and called for the bill before leaving the restaurant.
Han Ruoxi thought of his last statement and felt resentful. She almost crushed the wine gla.s.s in her hand.
Lu Boyan was warning her.
He was threatening her with her future because of Su Jianan. He was warning her to stay away from Su Hongyuan.
Since he was so protective of Su Jianan. Then…she’ll make a bigger fuss.
Anyway, Lu Boyan won’t be hers in the short term. She wanted Su Jianan to have a taste of the pain she felt right now.
Han Ruoxi put on her shades and got up as she thought. Then, she called the hotel to send a few bottles of spirits to her room…