In the company lobby. “What happened?” Lu Jingchi asked, sitting down beside Xia Yan and taking her leg to examine it. Her ankle was already swollen. Xia Yan huffed, turning her head away from him in a pout. Just then, a security guard approached with a tablet. “Mr. Lu, here’s the surveillance footage.” Lu Jingchi’s face darkened the moment he saw the screen. He’d been to the cafe where Jiang Lan worked, so he recognized Si Ning instantly. And, of course, he was aware of Si Ning’s other identity. He tossed the tablet onto the table and said to Xia Yan, “I’m taking you to the hospital.” Seeing his lack of a reaction, Xia Yan’s anger flared. “I’m not going! Just let my leg break for all I care! At least then I won’t have to go out and hear everyone calling me a homewrecker.” Lu Jingchi’s brow furrowed. “Don’t be difficult. We’re going to the hospital.” “I said I’m not going!” Without another word, Lu Jingchi scooped her into his arms and walked out. ... Jiang Lan sat behind her, the heavy rain washing over her face. Tentatively, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Si Ning’s waist. The rain was cold, but Si Ning’s back was warm. She wanted to thank Si Ning, but she couldn’t speak. In twenty-three years, besides Grandpa Lu and Lu Jingchi, Si Ning was the first person to ever stand up for her. Si Ning stiffened for a second, then glanced down at the hands clasped around her waist and sighed silently. The rain was freezing, but where Jiang Lan’s tears fell on her back, it felt hot. She was crying. Under the cover of the downpour, Jiang Lan finally let herself cry without restraint. Instead of heading back to the cafe, Si Ning drove Jiang Lan to her home. Linshui Yifang—the name of the villa, and the marital home of Jiang Lan and Lu Jingchi. When they arrived, Si Ning got off the bike and walked her to the door. She removed the helmet from Jiang Lan’s head and gently brushed the wet strands of hair from her face. “Get inside and change before you catch a cold. If you get sick, that jerk won’t give a damn about you.” Jiang Lan nodded and signed to her: *Wait a moment.* With that, she darted into the house, reappearing seconds later with an umbrella. She offered it to Si Ning. Si Ning smiled and took it. “Alright, I’ll take it. Now get inside.” But Jiang Lan didn’t move, seeming to want to watch her leave. “You’re impossible,” Si Ning said, flicking the umbrella open. She propped it over her shoulder, swung a leg over her motorcycle, and rode off with a cool flourish. Her voice drifted back through the rain, “I’m off!” Jiang Lan watched her disappear into the distance, a genuine smile gracing her lips. If Lu Jingchi had been there, he would have noticed it was different from her usual smiles—this one was real. A sneeze suddenly escaped her. She went back inside, took a hot shower, and swallowed some cold medicine, but her head still felt heavy and light at the same time. Jiang Lan took her temperature: 103.1°F. She had a fever. She took some fever reducer and crawled into bed. When Jiang Lan woke, she sensed someone sitting by her bed. The room was so dark she thought she was imagining things. She rubbed her eyes and sat up to turn on the lamp. There he was. Lu Jingchi sat with his legs crossed, dressed in a black shirt with the top buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up, revealing a sliver of his strong forearms. A simple, understated designer watch on his wrist was a quiet testament to his status. His cold, handsome eyes met hers, his face an unreadable mask. “Sleeping peacefully, are we?” Jiang Lan knelt on the bed and raised her hands. *I’m sorry, I overslept. Have you eaten?* Lu Jingchi ignored her question. “You’re not to go back to that job anymore,” he stated. Jiang Lan froze, then her hands flew up in a panic. *Why?* “You’ll be corrupted there,” Lu Jingchi said. “You are forbidden to go back. I’ll find you a new job.” Jiang Lan had always been submissive, always agreeing to whatever he said. But not this time. *I like it there,* she signed. *I want to keep working.* “I said you’re not to go!” His voice turned frigid, his gaze sharp enough to cut. Jiang Lan bit her lip, staring straight at him. It was the first time she had ever dared to meet his gaze like this. *Is it because of what happened at the company?* she signed. “You have the nerve to bring that up? Who told you to bring Si Ning there?” Jiang Lan lowered her eyes, offering no defense, but her hands moved with stubborn resolve. *I’m going to work.* “You can try.” She stopped signing. Lu Jingchi rose to his feet and turned to leave the bedroom. At the door, he paused and looked back at her. “And don’t let me see you with that Si Ning again.” With that, he was gone, not once looking back. A wave of dizziness washed over Jiang Lan. She pressed a hand to her forehead; it was still burning, and even her breath felt hot. She shook her head to clear it, scrambled out of bed, and ran out barefoot, catching the corner of Lu Jingchi’s shirt at the top of the stairs. Lu Jingchi stopped, glancing back at her. “What do you want now?”