The two families weren't far apart. Jiang Xixi almost ran all the way and rushed to the Ning family's gate.
The Ning family's gate was tightly shut, as if they weren't welcoming any visitors.
Jiang Xixi bit her lip and gathered her emotions. Her eyes were instantly filled with tears, looking extremely pitiful.
She knocked on the door, and it was Bai Jiaying who opened it.
Seeing who it was, Bai Jiaying's already solemn face grew even more somber at the sight of Jiang Xixi.
Jiang Xixi didn't notice anything amiss. Just like usual, she entered the Ning family's house, sat on the sofa and started crying. Her voice was full of grievance: "Auntie, where's Uncle Ning?"
Bai Jiaying lowered her eyes: "Xixi, what do you want from your Uncle Ning?"
Jiang Xixi briefly recounted what had happened. The more she talked, the more aggrieved she became: "There must be some misunderstanding. I've never sent anyone to hurt Miaomiao."
Just then, Ning Zhijing came out of the room. He, who had always been gentle and elegant towards Jiang Xixi, now had a cold look on his face.
"Xixi, go back." Ning Zhijing didn't even come downstairs from the attic. He just stood on the second floor looking at her, with hidden restraint between his eyebrows: "Uncle can't help you."
"Uncle Ning!" Seeing that Ning Zhijing was about to send her away, Jiang Xixi immediately panicked and stood up: "Uncle Ning, you have to believe me. There must be a misunderstanding!"
Jiang Xixi looked righteous: "This time Miaomiao's abduction was an accident. But you've watched me grow up, Uncle. I'm not a bad person. How could this possibly have anything to do with me!"
The more she talked, the more livid Ning Zhijing's face became.
"Is it because of what happened at the birthday banquet last time that Miaomiao has a grudge against me? I won't hold Miaomiao's mistake against her. Can you ask her not to send me to jail?"
Ning Zhijing remained silent. Mentioning the birthday banquet, his face grew even more gloomy, and his eyes were filled with an indescribable oppression.
Ning Zhijing spoke in as calm a tone as possible: "Xixi, go back. The police will handle this matter and find out the truth."
"A just person doesn't fear a crooked shadow. The truth will always come out." Ning Zhijing didn't even lift his eyebrows: "Madam, see the guest out."
Jiang Xixi stared at him in shock with wide eyes.
Before she could say a word, Bai Jiaying had already pulled her to the door, clearly intending to send her away.
"Auntie! Auntie, it's not like this!" Jiang Xixi raised her voice: "I'm not a bad kid. You and Uncle both know that. It's Ning Anmiao who..."
"Xixi." Bai Jiaying sighed and looked at her meaningfully, speaking gently: "Even if they, father and daughter, don't get along well, they are still father and daughter connected by blood."
These words hit Jiang Xixi like a thunderbolt.
"You hurt his daughter. Do you still expect him to help you, an outsider?"
Then came the sound of the door closing.
Jiang Xixi's heart shattered, and all her hopes vanished into thin air.
She felt weak in the legs and slumped to the ground.
...
Later that day, Lu Yan received a call from Jiang Zhou. He wasn't surprised, but he delayed answering the call for a few seconds.
"Mr. Lu, we can discuss this."
Jiang Zhou's voice was a bit flustered, but he still managed to stay calm: "I know you sent someone to investigate this matter. Now Xixi has been detained. I hope you can let her off."
Lu Yan half - closed his eyes and casually took a puff of his cigarette.
Recently, Miaomiao had been keeping a close eye on him, so he could only secretly smoke a few cigarettes in his office during work hours.
Once one gets addicted to cigarettes, it's hard to quit.
"Mr. Lu?" Hearing no sound on the phone, Jiang Zhou called out.
After a long while, Lu Yan let out a low laugh, his laughter full of mockery: "Let her off? On whose behalf should I let her off?"
Jiang Zhou knew in his heart that it was his younger sister's fault, and he had no standing.
However, thinking of his aging parents, he gritted his teeth and could only continue to plead: "I've figured out what happened. Xixi was confused and had some wrong ideas."
"If she had wrong ideas, she should be punished." There was a hint of obvious indifference in Lu Yan's voice: "I'm not her brother. I have no reason to be lenient."
Lu Yan's eyes were cold, and his jawline was tense. Thinking of something, he changed the subject: "Jiang Zhou, you should have kept an eye on Xixi last time when she deliberately framed Miaomiao."
"I gave her a chance."
His voice carried the authority of a high - ranking person.
Hearing this, Jiang Zhou couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, recalling the black car parked in front of the Ning family's house that night, blending into the darkness.
Jiang Zhou had been worried at that time that Lu Yan wouldn't let Xixi off so easily.
This time, it was time to settle old and new scores together.
"Jiang Zhou."
Lu Yan called out his name vaguely, his tone full of meaning: "Since you're so eager to plead for your sister, you might as well contact Miaomiao directly."
Jiang Zhou fell silent.
He knew in his heart that he didn't have the face to ask for Miaomiao's forgiveness.
Lu Yan tapped the ash off his cigarette and added: "If the one who was abducted and almost sold into the mountains this time was Jiang Xixi, I hope you can be as generous and forgive the culprit."
The atmosphere fell into silence.
"Listen up, Jiang Zhou."
Lu Yan took the last puff of his cigarette, stubbed it out in the ashtray, and said calmly: "I can understand that you have someone to protect."
"But unfortunately, so do I."
Then the phone was hung up.
Lu Yan stood up from his large office chair, walked to the window, and opened it a crack to let out the smell of smoke.
Looking at the street below, a hint of tenderness flashed across his eyes.
He also had someone to protect.
An unknown emotion gradually wrapped around his heart and soon enveloped it completely.
Since he could remember, he had always thought that his life was meaningless, and everything was just following the course of fate.
But Ning Anmiao had become the light he most wanted to protect for a lifetime.
When the smell of smoke in the room had almost dissipated, he closed the window, carefully wiped the ash off the table, and dumped it into the trash can.
He couldn't let Miaomiao see.
After cleaning up, there were two knocks on the office door.
"Come in."
Ning Anmiao pushed the door open. Seeing Lu Yan working, her eyes softened.
"Are you busy?"
Lu Yan's voice was deep, and the corners of his lips curled up in a faint smile: "I was busy just now. You came at the right time. I'm not busy anymore."
When facing Miaomiao, he always wore a faint smile and kept his emotions in check, as if everything was effortless.
He didn't plan to tell her about the call with Jiang Zhou.
"If you're busy, I can wait a while." Ning Anmiao blinked: "I'm not in a hurry."
"If you have something to say, just say it." His tone was obviously much gentler: "If you wait for me to finish my work, you might have to wait for three days and three nights."