Lu Mingzhe didn't answer her.
Instead, he challenged her.
"So concerned about my love life?"
"You're always asking about it, what's up? Have you fallen for me? Want to be a real couple?"
"Don't flatter yourself."
Chen Jiaojiao rolled her eyes at him again.
"You know, the annoying thing about you is that mouth."
"You look so decent, and your work is quite proper, yet what you say is completely uncultured. It lowers the tone."
Lu Mingzhe retorted.
"Knowing my tone is low, but I'm not begging you to marry me. You had the chance to leave, but you didn't."
"Exactly, I didn't leave."
Chen Jiaojiao said with an air of pride.
"Anyway, I don't plan to get married again. I've settled my lifelong affairs at such a young age, and no one will be able to control me anymore. How great is that."
Lu Mingzhe scoffed, hardly believing her.
"You're only 20, Chen Jiaojiao. Don't say things too soon, you might eat your words."
"How might I eat my words? Do you think I can't live without a man? That I have to find someone to remarry?"
"Yes. Everyone has physical needs. I don't believe you can remain as pure and ascetic as a nun for decades. Stop bragging."
Chen Jiaojiao, having been hit where it hurt, started to wriggle out of it.
"What's wrong? Are you trying so hard to dissuade me, to get me to divorce you? Are people outside waiting impatiently for me to vacate the spot?"
Lu Mingzhe glanced at her sideways.
"Don't say I have a foul mouth. We're in the same boat."
"If I do, I do, and I don't care about you. And you're too embarrassed to admit it."
"Fine, then I admit it. I do, and I can't wait. Let's get divorced, make room for them."
Chen Jiaojiao suddenly smiled.
"I don't believe you. If you really had someone, you wouldn't have forced me to marry you back then."
"Men, wanting to satisfy their physical needs, messing around outside, having a woman or two, I understand."
"I won't take it seriously. Don't worry, and I won't tell your mother. As long as you don't bring back any messy diseases and embarrass me."
"A dog can't help but bark."
As they talked, Chen Jiaojiao had already placed an order on her phone.
Soon, the takeout arrived at their home.
The two of them, like buddies, suddenly became amicable.
They ate together, they drank together.
Chen Jiaojiao asked him.
"You hated me so much you gnashed your teeth a while ago, how come you don't seem to hate me anymore? How did you come to terms with it?"
Lu Mingzhe told her the truth.
"Seeing that you two broke up and you looked so pathetic, my objective was achieved, so I stopped hating you."
"Then can we be friends from now on?"
"No. You don't want to get married, but I do. You're not giving me children. The Lu family can't be without an heir, can it?"
"...In that case, let's make an agreement."
Chen Jiaojiao said seriously.
"You go and find someone properly outside, look seriously, find someone you genuinely like, someone suitable for you, and your parents won't object. I'll sincerely bless you."
"Then we'll get divorced. Until then, let's just be like this. It's not like I'm bothering you."
After all, it was her own insistence that she married into this family.
And he hadn't bothered her.
Lu Mingzhe was eager to get rid of her, which would be too unkind.
He clinked his bottle with hers.
"Okay. If you find someone first, you can tell me too."
After drinking a bit, he slept soundly.
He hadn't checked his phone all night. He thought that when he woke up, he would definitely see a reply from Xiang Wan.
To his surprise, it was empty.
Xiang Wan hadn't replied to him, not even a punctuation mark.
It felt a bit unusual.
They were fine before she left, so why the sudden change in attitude?
Could something have happened?
Coincidentally, there had been news reports about a plane crash a few days prior.
Lu Mingzhe felt uneasy and called Xiang Wan.
Xiang Wan had just woken up.
Sitting by the beautiful floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the clear, vast sea before her, her mind was as calm as still water.
At that moment, Lu Mingzhe's name appeared on her phone.
After thinking for a moment, she decided that some things had to be clarified sooner or later, and picked up the phone.
"Xiang Wan, is that you?"
"Mmm."
"Why did you suddenly go to Sanya? You didn't even say goodbye. I messaged you yesterday and you didn't reply. I thought something had happened."
Hearing his concerned voice from the other end of the phone.
Her heart, which had finally calmed down after struggling all night, rippled again.
Xiang Wan told herself to stay calm, and seize the moment while she had her thoughts clear to speak her mind once and for all.
Suddenly, a female voice came from Lu Mingzhe's receiver.
"I didn't drive my car back yesterday. Can you give me a ride?"
"What do you want for breakfast? There's a rather good breakfast place on the way to my studio..."
The voice was so young, so pleasant.
It must be the woman he saw yesterday.
She was with that woman early in the morning.
He must have gone home last night.
Speechless, her heart aching as if gouged out, Xiang Wan hung up the phone.
Lu Mingzhe glanced back at Chen Jiaojiao for a moment, and the call was disconnected.
He thought he had accidentally touched the screen and didn't think much of it.
He messaged Xiang Wan on WeChat, saying: It's good that you're okay. Enjoy yourself there.
Then he went out with Chen Jiaojiao.
After working all day, Xiang Wan still hadn't replied.
Thinking that she was with so many people, chattering away, it was normal that she wouldn't be looking at her phone.
He still didn't pay it any mind.
This continued for three days.
He missed her terribly, but Xiang Wan still refused to reply.
Lu Mingzhe couldn't help but call her again.
He didn't know until he tried that he had been blocked.
When he tried to message her on WeChat, he was blocked again.
Damn it!
He didn't even know when he had been blocked!
He didn't know when he had offended her!
Lu Mingzhe was stunned.
A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.
What had happened to Xiang Wan?
Fortunately, he had his brother Xiang Yang's WeChat account.
He messaged Xiang Yang and got a reply quickly.
He asked: Are you having fun?
Xiang Yang replied: Quite fun. It's my first time in Sanya, and it lives up to its reputation. The scenery is really nice, though it's a bit sunny.
Lu Mingzhe: Did you take any photos? Why isn't your sister posting on her Moments?
Xiang Yang: She did. Didn't you see them? Or perhaps my sister edited the photos too much and was afraid you'd laugh, so she blocked you?
Lu Mingzhe: ... You're kidding. Is your sister having a good time these past few days?
Xiang Yang: Yes, she's having a great time. Every day, a large group of people eat, drink, take photos, and sightsee, it's a lot of fun.
Lu Mingzhe: Did she say anything like she missed me?
Xiang Yang: I don't know, how would she tell me?
Lu Mingzhe: Are there any men around her? Are there any who have feelings for her accompanying her?
Xiang Yang: The men in the studio are all younger than her, and they treat her as their boss. Who would dare to pursue her?
Besides, they all know about you. Who would dare to chase her?
In that case, Xiang Wan wasn't having a tantrum with him because she suddenly found a new lover.
Then what was it?
Lu Mingzhe really couldn't figure it out, so he asked Xiang Yang for her address.
"I'm going to give your sister a surprise. Don't tell her at all. Keep in touch."