The raging storm of a kiss hit Su Jianan, drowning her.

Lu Boyan kissed Su Jianan so hard, as if trying to tear her apart. He pinned her down with an iron grip, not allowing Su Jianan any possibility to move. Reaching the point of almost losing her breath, she could only passively take in his ravaging.

In the past, no matter how unwilling or angry Lu Boyan was, he would still consider her feelings and let her go.

But at the moment, Su Jianan could feel a strick of hatred in his domineering kiss. She was not hopeful, and indeed, Lu Boyan did not release her. Rather, his kiss grew even more violent, seemingly trying to draw out every bit of air from her lungs.

“Unf…”

Su Jianan mumbled in discomfort. It was unclear whether it was a sign of suffocation or a cry for help.

Lu Boyan finally stopped. He propped against Su Jianan’s forehead, staring at her. The movement of his heaving chest resembled the dancing fire in his heart.

“I’ll ask you one last time. What are the things you have lied to me about?”

His voice sounded calm, but Su Jianan could detect an underlying sign of warning.

Su Jianan completely turned down his very last strands of patience and mercy, turning away, “Didn’t you already know about me and Jiang Shaokai? That’s all I’ve lied to you, nothing more!”

Unexpectedly, Lu Boyan did not flare up. All he did was to stare at Su Jianan searingly for a moment, then he sneered.

“Then tell me,” His voice was endlessly intimate as he said, “Do I make you more comfortable, or does Jiang Shaokai, hm?”

Kaboom—

Something in her head exploded. In a split second, Su Jianan’s face flared up.

She stared at Lu Boyan in disbelief as she stammered, “You… you…”

Lu Boyan smirked in satisfaction. He smiled faintly and continued, “Since it’s me, then there is even less reason for me to agree to the divorce, right?”

“…”

A rush of anger swept all over Su Jianan’s chest, suffocating her. She almost exploded in a fury, to the point she could not even utter a word.

Meanwhile, Lu Boyan seemed totally fine, and had reverted to his usual demeanor. He smiled as he left Su Jianan’s office.

Right after he left, Jiang Shaokai entered in the next moment. Seeing Su Jianan’s unsettled look, Jiang Shaokai could not help but ask intrusively, “What did Lu Boyan come to say?”

Su Jianan was fuming, and did not respond to the question. She blasted, “I want a divorce!” In reality, it was said out of indignance.

Only then did Jiang Shaokai notice Su Jianan’s slightly swollen lips, then somehow made a connection. He felt stressed at the same time. He said, “It seems like our performance yesterday didn’t work at all. He knows you too well, he understands that if you and I were really involved with each other, you wouldn’t let the media expose you like that.”

Su Jianan also knew that she had resorted to the worst tactic. Feeling like all her energy had left her, she slumped on the chair and said, “Yesterday my brother told me that he had begun suspecting that I’ve been hiding something from him. So, yesterday’s act wasn’t fruitless, rather, it backfired.” She covered her face. “What should we do?”

Jiang Shaokai shrugged, “Let’s remain in the public eye, then wait until the right opportunity arises.” Lu Boyan understood Su Jianan too well. Unless Su Jianan was truly hurting him, the more they did would mean more chances of being exposed.

Before the right opportunity arose, Su Jianan had received a phone call from Tang Yulan.

A while ago, the old madam had signed up for a Dubai tour package. Su Jianan calculated the time; the old madam should have returned around those few days.

Su Jianan was not sure whether Tang Yulan was aware of her matter with Lu Boyan, so she acted as usual. “Mother.”

“Jianan,” Tang Yulan said and smiled. “Mom is back. You and Boyan come over for a meal tonight. I haven’t seen you two in a long time.”

“I…” Su Jianan was hesitant, and trying her hardest to tell whether Tang Yulan was merely testing her or not.

The truth was, Tang Yulan also knew her very well. Before she allowed Su Jianan to explain herself, Tang Yulan said, “Why are you hesitating? Unless the news of you and Boyan’s divorce is true. Is it?”

“Mother, we…”

“What did he do!?” Tang Yulan’s tone turned serious and enraged, “Did he bully you? Tell mom, I may not be able to control other people, but I should at least have jurisdiction over him!”

“…”

Su Jianan’s suppressed emotions overwhelmed her at once. She bit her lips, afraid to say another word.

Tang Yulan had already noticed her crying. She sighed, and gently consoled, “Jianan, don’t you cry. I’ll go to the office to confront Boyan right now.”

Before Su Jianan could say anything, Tang Yulan had swiftly hung up the call. Su Jianan held her phone, resting her head on the table, and tried hard to wipe her tears on the sleeves of her jacket.

After Su Jianan got off work, Tang Yulan called her again. She sounded a lot calmer as she said, “I’ve lectured Boyan. He said he would apologize to you soon. Jianan, forgive him, on my behalf.”

Su Jianan said distractedly, “Okay.”

The news were all pining the blame on her, the whole world was criticizing her.

Yet Tang Yulan never pursued the matter, and was deadset on thinking it was Lu Boyan’s fault.

But that time, Su Jianan was really going to let down Tang Yulan’s trust in her.

…

Back at home, Su Yicheng handed an invitation card to Su Jianan, saying, “A friend is throwing a Christmas cocktail party. Treat it as an outlet to take your mind off things, don’t coop up at home all day.”

Su Jianan glanced at the exquisite invitation card. She was about to reject the offer, when Su Yicheng casually added, “Lu Boyan will be going too.”

Su Jianan glared and snapped, “That means I can’t go for sure.”

“I’m right about you being stupid,” Su Yicheng took the invitation card back and hit Su Jianan’s head with it. “Now that Lu Boyan doesn’t believe your lie, it would be extremely convincing if you and Jiang Shaokai appeared in public without a care. Then it would successfully anger him, get it?”

“…” Su Jianan understood, but that idea was too…

“Of course, you can’t tell Lu Boyan that I’ve come up with this idea in the future,” Su Yicheng warned sternly. “Your brother still wishes to live a little longer.”

Su Jianan: “…”

It was exactly seven o’clock when the fish soup was ready. Su Yicheng went to bring it out while Su Jianan prepared the rice in bowls. The siblings began eating.

Out of habit, Su Jianan began with the soup. It was a thick and milky tofu with crucian soup, which Su Yicheng had spent good time and effort in making it tasty. Yet the more she drank, the more she was frowning.

It was the first time Su Yicheng saw someone frown at his food, which somehow piqued his curiosity. “Is it bad?”

“Brother, didn’t you cook the fish properly?” Su Jianan sniffed at the fish soup. “It’s still very fishy.”

Su Yicheng tasted the fish soup, then knocked Su Jianan’s head with a pair of clean chopsticks, “There’s clearly no fishy smell. What’s with you lately? You’ve been complaining about the smell of milk and fish soup. When did you become so picky?”

Su Jianan pursed her lips, “I don’t know, either.”

After finishing the meal, Su Jianan had completely forgotten what had happened. She turned on the television, and channel-surfed until she found one which satisfied her.

Su Yicheng placed washed fruits in front of her. She thanked him, and then nipped a small bunch of blackcurrants, then abruptly paused, and looked suspiciously at Su Yicheng. She asked, “Since when did you start storing fruits here?”

She clearly remembered that Su Yicheng never liked eating fruits, especially overly sweet ones like blackcurrants.

Su Yicheng cast his gaze downwards, smiling. “I’ve washed them for you already, just eat them. Why are you so nosy?”

Su Jianan did not miss that instance when he looked downwards; Su Yicheng’s gaze looked downcast. She suddenly recalled, Su Yicheng did not like to eat fruits, but Luo Xiaoxi did.

Luo Xiaoxi had left for so long, and there was no news from her, as if she had vanished. She probably had never contacted Su Yicheng.

“Brother…”

Su Jianan rested a hand on Su Yicheng’s shoulder. Before she could complete her sentence, Su Yicheng had already turned towards her, handing out a peeled orange, saying, “I tried it, it’s sour.”

Su Jianan did not take it.

When it came to food, she and Luo Xiaoxi had a surprisingly similar taste. Yet their only difference was in oranges. Luo Xiaoxi preferred the sour green oranges, but Su Jianan did not like the sourness, only liking the sweet ones.

Su Yicheng could have been confused. There was a time when he would subconsciously leave any sour oranges he tasted for Luo Xiaoxi. He must have not realized for a moment there.

He put down the orange and said, “I’m going to the study to deal with some work.”

Su Jianan did not go after him, nor called out to him; she just left him to hide in his study.

She grew up together with Su Yicheng, and she could not know him better. He just needed time alone whenever something was bothering him.

She no longer had the mood for fruits, so she packed up and returned to her room.

The next day was a weekend; Su Jianan had already woken up.

She had expected that Su Yicheng would not have a good sleep the previous night. She quietly and carefully slipped into his room, and turned off his alarm. When she was about to leave, she saw the sleeping pills on his bedside table.

She roughly weighed the bottle with her hand. At least three quarters of the bottle had been consumed.

Su Yicheng would not be able to fall asleep without them, so she could not act like Luo Xiaoxi, wilfully hiding his medicine, because… the person who could help him fall asleep was gone.

When she was about to prepare breakfast, Su Jianan received a call from Jiang Shaokai, inviting her to a Christmas Eve party. His mind and Su Yicheng’s had surprisingly coincided. They both thought that she should not avoid appearing at parties together, since it would be more convincing than pushing for news. Perhaps Lu Boyan would then be willing to sign the papers.

Su Jianan pondered. After ensuring that the plan would not backfire, she agreed.

Jiang Shaokai said, “Then, see you tomorrow night.”

“See you.”

Just when Su Jianan hung up, Su Yicheng had come out of his room. Seeing that she was in a pretty good mood, he teased her. Then, Su Jianan partially joked, “I’ve found a scapegoat for you.”

Su Yicheng checked Su Jianan’s call log, and very quickly understood. He put down her phone and said, “Only Shaokai would go to such a distance to help you.”

Su Jianan grew serious, and pursed her lips. “I owe so much to him this time.”

Su Yicheng was a man as well; even if Jiang Shaokai were able to conceal his feelings flawlessly, Su Yicheng could still sense something. Yet, he trusted in the young master of the Jiang family, so he had never warned Su Jianan.

For the moment, he would let Jiang Shaokai help Su Jianan one last time, then he would help Su Jianan repay this gratitude.

Su Jianan brought the fried egg and sour bamboo shoots out, then made sure to remind Su Yicheng, “I’ll leave the porridge to you.”

Su Jianan had been used to a light breakfast, so fried eggs were nothing out of the ordinary. However, it was the plate of sour bamboo shoots covered with chilli which had puzzled Su Yicheng. “Why did you suddenly think of eating this?”

Su Jianan had always been the type to make whatever she felt like eating, and did not find anything strange. She picked up a sour bamboo shoot with her chopsticks and said, “I just felt like eating something sour and spicy.”

“…” Su Yicheng noted her sudden change of taste, and was stunned for a moment.

He could only wish to be mistaken. Otherwise, he would be afraid that Su Jianan would never be able to successfully divorce.