Seeing his ill-intentioned look, Chen Jiaojiao not only didn't close the door but took a step back.
"We were married once, weren't we? And you want to enter your bedroom and close the door? Aren't you afraid your current partner will be angry?"
"..."
Lu Mingzhe lowered his head and looked at his arm, thinking: *Even if I had the will and the ability, do you think I have any interest in you?*
"Marrying you again on impulse is a stain I can never erase. Fine, fine, we are ex-spouses, so let's leave it at that. What's going on with you and Xiangyang?"
Chen Jiaojiao, startled, quickly glanced back. Zhou Jinbei hadn't followed.
"What's going on? Didn't I tell you we broke up? We haven't been in contact since. You didn't tell Xiangwan about this, did you?"
"Why so guilty? What did you do to him?"
"What did I do to him? What could I do to him? He's a guy, and I'm a woman. I'm not much older than him. Although I've dated one more boyfriend than him, he's not at a disadvantage, is he?"
"Then why are you acting so shifty?"
Chen Jiaojiao lowered her voice and quickly walked into the room.
"I haven't even told Zhou Jinbei about this. Besides you, no one around me knows. I'll try to keep my distance from you and Xiangwan from now on and avoid any chance of meeting Xiangyang. That way, no one will be awkward."
"So, I won't mention this again, and you should also keep your mouth shut."
Seeing her so flustered and keeping something so secret was rare. Lu Mingzhe smiled and nodded.
"I won't mention it, don't worry. I just wanted to ask you, how exactly did you break up with him?"
"As far as I know, you were Xiangyang's first love. I was afraid you might say something hurtful and upset him."
Chen Jiaojiao recalled the conversation. What she said that day was indeed unpleasant.
But, what's done is done. What does it matter if he was hurt or not?
"It's none of your business how I said it."
"You seem fine, and you're alive, so I won't waste any more words. I'm going out to help. Be sure to keep your mouth shut."
The three of them busied themselves in the kitchen for over two hours. Xiangwan presented over a dozen dishes, with a standard comparable to a five-star hotel chef.
Everyone was impressed and praised her profusely.
During the meal, Xiangwan and Lu Mingzhe's past romance became a topic of conversation.
They ate, drank, chatted, laughed, and joked, and the gathering didn't break up until past midnight.
Everyone had drunk alcohol, but they all had someone to pick them up, except for Chen Jiaojiao.
Xiangwan offered to drive her home.
Chen Jiaojiao, feeling guilty and afraid of private contact with Xiangwan, quickly refused.
However, Lu Mingzhe insisted.
"It's late, and you're a woman who's had quite a bit to drink. If something happens, I'll be in a lot of trouble. Let her take you."
Xiangwan had already grabbed the car keys and stood up. Chen Jiaojiao couldn't refuse anymore and could only get into the car with her.
Xiangwan felt that Chen Jiaojiao wasn't in high spirits today and seemed preoccupied.
Xiangwan was sensitive and emotionally intelligent. She knew what not to say and what not to ask, so she focused on driving.
Unexpectedly, after a moment of silence, Chen Jiaojiao spoke to her, asking about her hometown, her family members, and stories from her childhood.
Xiangwan mentioned she had a younger brother named Xiangyang. He was mischievous as a child but became very sensible after their parents passed away.
He went to a boarding school very early. When he returned for holidays, he often accompanied their grandmother to sell vegetables in the market. In this life, besides Lu Mingzhe, she felt the person she owed the most was her brother.
Although Xiangyang had told her some stories about his childhood before, hearing it from him directly was a completely different experience than hearing it from someone else.
Chen Jiaojiao felt both heartache and self-reproach as she listened, urging Xiangwan to say more.
While it seemed like she was reminiscing about childhood, she was actually just trying to gather more information about Xiangyang.
As they were chatting, Xiangwan's phone rang.
The phone was on the retractable bracket in the center console. As both of them looked up, they saw the name on the screen: Xiangyang.
Chen Jiaojiao's heart began to pound wildly.
Xiangwan was also excited.
She hadn't contacted her brother in over a year. It was so late; he was calling back. Had he just finished work?
The phone was connected to the car's Bluetooth. Upon answering, Xiangyang's booming voice filled the car from all directions.
"Sis, is that you?"
"It's me. Yangyang, are you okay?"
Hearing his sister's familiar voice, Xiangyang, who had been alone in a strange training camp for a week, suddenly felt a pang of sadness and homesickness.
His nose stung, and he couldn't help but choke up, "Not really."
Hearing his voice tremble and choke, Xiangwan's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
She quickly squeezed her eyes shut, clearing the blur, and then apologized to Chen Jiaojiao.
"Hold on a moment. I'll pull over... What's wrong, Yangyang? You're still awake so late. Did you just finish work? You must be exhausted, right?"
Xiangyang didn't answer directly but asked, "Are you calling me because you know I've dropped out of school?"
Xiangwan also choked up, "I'm sorry. Actually, I wanted to call you a long time ago, but I thought..."
"It all comes down to me being sorry, Sis. Answer my question, are you exhausted? If it's too much, then don't do it. Come back and continue your studies. I can still support you."
"You'll be able to work in two more years, and then we can..."
Xiangyang interrupted her, "But I don't want to go back to school anymore."
"My major isn't going to lead to much success after graduation. I want to earn money early and protect you."
Xiangwan was annoyed. "Who says your major isn't going to lead to success? You can't expect to get rich overnight! You're so young, don't be so eager for quick success."
"I'm not waiting for you to support me, and the family isn't struggling to make ends meet."
Xiangyang insisted.
"Don't try to persuade me. I really don't want to go to school anymore. This is good. I've signed with a big company, my boss appreciates me, and my agent is very good to me. I'm going to earn a lot of money for you and Grandma."
"Oh, right, how is Grandma? And the baby? She's given birth already, right? A boy or a girl?"
Xiangwan had wanted to tell him about Grandma's illness and ask him to visit.
Knowing he couldn't go now, she decided not to mention it.
"Grandma is doing well. She's in Hangzhou looking after my child. She has given birth, a daughter. I often show her your photos. When you have time, come and see her. Maybe she'll recognize you."
"It's a daughter."
Xiangyang's mood brightened, and his voice became cheerful again.
"Does she look a lot like you? She must be very beautiful. Send me a photo, I really want to hold her."
"I'll send it to you later. Where are you now?"
As they were talking, Chen Jiaojiao's phone received a spam call, its ringtone loudly breaking the silence.
She quickly found her phone in her bag, hung up, and then gestured for Xiangwan to continue.
Xiangyang keenly heard the commotion.
"Is there someone with you?"
"It's fine, just a female friend. You can talk freely."
Xiangyang sighed, "It's rare to hear you say you've made friends. All these years, you seem to have no friends around you."