Chapter 71: Eternal Leaf

Back in the house, although the first aid kit had been used, it wasn’t fully put away yet. Meng Ying walked over, bent down to tidy it up, and Xu Dian’s long legs accidentally kicked it before, causing a few medicine bottles to fall out. Some gauze also slipped under the coffee table. Meng Ying knelt on the floor, retrieved them, rolled them up, and placed them back into the kit.

The alcohol disinfectant and ointment on this side had a stronger smell. After closing the lid and securing it, Meng Ying sat on the sofa, her back slightly sweaty, feeling like her shower had been wasted.

She didn’t move, continuing to nestle into the sofa.

At that moment, aside from her racing heartbeat, she had no other thoughts.

But she was also surprisingly clear-headed because she knew that now, she would never lose herself again. On the scales of love, she wouldn’t be humble or afraid. She could love deeply, but she could also stop loving at any time.

This was what normal love should be, even if it had been over three years late.

After sitting for a while longer, Meng Ying finally got up to take a shower. When she lay down in bed, she received a WeChat message from Xu Dian.

Xu Dian: *Asleep yet?*

Meng Ying: *About to. Are you still in the meeting?*

A moment later, a voice message came through.

The man’s voice was deep, as if whispering sweet nothings, tired but with a hint of laughter.

Xu Dian: *Yeah, still in it. You go to sleep, okay? And remember to dream of me.*

After a pause, he sent another: *Or maybe get up in the middle of the night to open the door for me?*

Meng Ying: *I’ve locked it tight, and I’ll be sleeping like a log.*

Xu Dian: *…Wife, you can’t be like this.*

Meng Ying: *…*

Meng Ying: *Who’s your wife? Try again.*

Xu Dian: *My lady?*

Meng Ying: *Little brother.*

Xu Dian: *Little sister?*

Damn.

Meng Ying nearly choked on her saliva. She quickly sent a “goodnight” and put down her phone, burying her head in the pillow to sleep.

Late at night, the sound of dogs barking could be heard everywhere. In this villa area, almost every household had a dog. Occasionally, one or two cars sped by, their engines piercingly loud in the quiet night. A black car pulled up to the apartment building, and the window rolled down. Xu Dian tugged at his collar, his hair slightly damp.

He had taken a shower, and the faint scent of his shower gel lingered around his collar. His fingers pinched a cigarette, playing with it absentmindedly, while his other hand held his phone, scrolling through the WeChat chat history.

He kept scrolling up and down, over and over, as if repeatedly confirming something.

Staring at the name *Meng Ying*, Xu Dian leaned back, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly.

A dreamless night passed, and Meng Ying woke up to the bright morning light outside. She tousled her hair, got up to wash up, and drank a large mouthful of warm water. She casually pulled open the curtains and the glass door, not looking down as she turned back into the room to change clothes. Picking up her phone, she glanced at it—no new messages.

The last message from last night was quite late, almost two in the morning. Meng Ying put her phone in her small bag and headed downstairs. The sound of her high heels clicked sharply against the floor. When she reached the first floor, she turned her head and noticed the black car quietly parked there.

Meng Ying paused, recognizing the license plate—it was Xu Dian’s. She walked over, and just as she approached, the car door opened. Xu Dian stepped out, his long legs unfolding gracefully, a cigarette dangling unlit from his lips.

Their eyes met abruptly.

Meng Ying smiled and asked, “When did you get here?”

“Just now,” Xu Dian replied, taking the cigarette from his mouth. His voice was slightly hoarse, his gaze fixed intently on her face. Then, he opened the back door of the car. “Let me take you there.”

He meant to take her to Hu Ye’s place, just a couple of blocks away.

Meng Ying glanced at the villa across the street, thought for a moment, and walked forward. Just as she bent down to get into the car, Xu Dian reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. His body carried the faint scent of shower gel mixed with a hint of tobacco. Meng Ying obediently wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up. “Hmm?”

Xu Dian leaned down and kissed her lips, sweeping through the sweetness of her mouth.

Meng Ying’s eyes curved into a smile, clearly enjoying the moment.

Xu Dian opened his eyes, seeing her like this, and the tension in his chest eased. After the kiss, he nuzzled her cheek and whispered, “It really feels like a dream.”

Meng Ying: “What does?”

What felt like a dream?

“Nothing,” Xu Dian said, letting her go and gently guiding her into the car. He closed the door and leaned against the window, asking, “How about we grab breakfast first?”

“No, there’s no time,” Meng Ying tapped her watch. A new teacher was arriving early this morning. Xu Dian glanced at her watch.

It wasn’t the one he had given her.

His heart tightened again. He nodded and said, “Alright.”

After speaking, he straightened up, opened the driver’s door, and got in. He adjusted the rearview mirror, and Meng Ying glanced at him, asking, “Why are you adjusting that?”

“To look at you,” Xu Dian replied with a smirk.

His gaze once again swept over the watch on her wrist.

“Tsk,” Meng Ying turned her head to look out the window. Sure enough, a car was parked outside the villa. Hu Ye and Mi Xue were coming out to greet someone, and Zhu Min’er was also walking into the villa. Behind her were two people—Zhao Yue and Qiao Qi. She hadn’t asked about their situation last night.

The car started.

They had to make a U-turn and then drive over to the villa, as there was no direct route. After circling around, Meng Ying heard two soft beeps. She turned her head and caught a glimpse of Xu Dian’s phone lighting up in the cup holder.

Since he had his WeChat notifications set to display directly, she could see the messages.

**Yan Xing:** *Boss Xu, did you take a shower in the middle of the night and then run over to Miss Meng’s place again?*

**Yan Xing:** *Are you afraid she’ll run away?*

**Yan Xing:** *You’re so pitiful…*

A slender hand flipped the phone over, and Meng Ying could no longer see the messages. She raised her head and looked at the rearview mirror. Xu Dian wasn’t looking at the mirror, just buttoning his cuff with his long, well-defined fingers. Meng Ying raised an eyebrow. Was it her imagination, or did the man seem a little nervous? Or maybe a little flustered?

Had he come here in the middle of the night?

Wasn’t he supposed to have just arrived?

The car pulled up to the entrance, and as soon as Meng Ying opened the door, Xu Dian stepped out and gently hugged her, walking her to the villa’s gate. He said in a low voice, “Let’s have dinner together tonight.”

“Okay.”

Meng Ying entered the villa gate, then turned back to look. Xu Dian was lazily leaning against the car door, hands in his pockets, waving at her.

Meng Ying thought about asking him when he had actually arrived, but then decided against it. She’d give him some face. She waved back and turned to go inside.

Looking closely, the man did seem a bit tired.

It didn’t seem like he’d had a good night’s sleep.

The teacher Hu Ye had invited was also well-known in the industry. This course combined both theory and practice, and the teacher even handed out an important collection of materials to them. However, the atmosphere in the classroom today was a bit strange. Zhu Min’er sat listlessly beside Meng Ying.

Zhao Yue and Qiao Qi sat on the other side. Qiao Qi looked completely indifferent, while Zhao Yue seemed deeply troubled. The three of them barely spoke or made eye contact.

When they did speak, they seemed to want Meng Ying to relay their messages. After doing so twice, Meng Ying refused, and the atmosphere grew even more tense.

Hu Ye pretended not to notice.

But during the break, Hu Ye called Zhu Min’er outside. When she returned, her eyes were slightly red, but her spirits seemed much better. Then, she walked over to Zhao Yue. Seeing her approach, Zhao Yue tensed up, as if afraid of being entangled. Everyone noticed this, and Zhu Min’er bit her lower lip before finally saying in a low voice, “I’m sorry.”

Zhao Yue was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand and said, “It’s okay. As long as we’re all fine.”

Last night, after Zhao Yue and Qiao Qi arrived, they helped Hu Ye take Zhu Min’er back to her apartment. Zhao Yue had been pestered by Zhu Min’er for a long time. She even threw a drunken fit, pulling on Qiao Qi and demanding an explanation. It was only then that the two of them realized Zhu Min’er had never truly moved on from the drama. They felt helpless and unsure of what to do.

She had also scratched Zhao Yue’s neck and arm, which was why the atmosphere was so awkward today.

For lunch, Mi Xue had food delivered from a restaurant. The seven of them sat together to eat. Meng Ying received a WeChat message from Xu Dian.

**Xu Dian:** *Have you eaten yet?*

**Meng Ying:** *I’m eating now.*

**Xu Dian:** *I ordered afternoon tea for you. You can have it during the break later.*

**Meng Ying:** *You ordered it to the villa?*

**Xu Dian:** *Yeah.*

**Xu Dian:** *Thanks to you, they get some too.*

**Meng Ying:** *Tsk.*

**Xu Dian:** *Call me ‘husband’ for once, not ‘little brother.’*

**Meng Ying:** *I’m eating now, okay?*

**Xu Dian:** *…*

Just after sending that message, Meng Ying received a WeChat from Xu Qing.

**Xu Qing:** *Is Xu Dian in Geneva?*

**Meng Ying:** *Yes.*

**Xu Qing:** *Chasing after you?*

**Meng Ying:** *…I guess so.*

**Xu Qing:** *Oh? Are you sure?*

**Meng Ying:** *What’s going on?*

**Xu Qing:** *[Weibo link shared]*

During the break after lunch, Meng Ying finally clicked on the Weibo link. The original post was about a news story: *[The Eternal Leaves necklace was auctioned for 90 million at a Swiss auction, purchased by the current CEO of Xu Corporation.]*

This news had caused quite a stir.

First, the designer of the Eternal Leaves was Chinese, and the design, created forty years ago, was ahead of its time and had caused a sensation back then. However, the set of diamonds had gone missing shortly after. It was only in recent years that traces of it had been found. No one expected it to appear at a Swiss auction, and to be bought by a Chinese buyer at such a high price. It was seen as a return of the treasure to China.

Second, the current CEO of Xu Corporation had always been extremely low-key. His name was known, but no one had ever seen his face. There had never been any public media coverage of him, and even Baidu Encyclopedia had only a brief entry with no photos. No one knew what he looked like.

Third, the sheer extravagance of the purchase sparked curiosity. People wondered whether he bought it for his collection or to give to someone. The world of the wealthy was beyond comprehension, and everyone was curious.

This “news” briefly trended on Weibo, not explosively, but enough to draw attention. Many people wanted to see what the Eternal Leaves looked like, so the topic maintained some heat for a while. As people debated whether it was a gift or a personal collection, and speculated about the CEO’s age and marital status, a new piece of information emerged.

Then, Miss Yang, a somewhat popular but now fading screenwriter named Yang Rou, posted on Weibo about her time in Geneva. She shared pictures of the Eternal Leaves and photos from the auction. This post truly set off a storm.

Some insiders mentioned that the Xu and Yang families had known each other for a long time, and there were rumors that the two were friends. What a coincidence that she also attended the Geneva auction.

And her target was the Eternal Leaves.

Did the current CEO of Xu Corporation bid on it for her?

This topic quickly climbed the Weibo hot search list.

The hashtag was: **#YangRou XuCorporationCEO EternalLeaves#**

The hot search had just risen not long ago.

After reading it, Meng Ying clicked her tongue and started typing a message to Xu Qing.

In the chat box, she had just typed, *”The Eternal Leaves…”*

But Xu Qing sent a new message: *”Holy crap, just tell me, what does it feel like to wear 90 million worth of earrings? What does it feel like? Tell me so I can be jealous.”*

**Meng Ying:** *?*

**Xu Qing:** *[Weibo link shared]*

Meng Ying clicked on it.

The official Weibo account of Xu Corporation, posted by Xu Dian himself:

**Xu Dian of Xu Corporation V:** *The Eternal Leaves has been gifted to my girlfriend, Meng Ying @MengYing. Any media outlets spreading rumors, including @MissYang, will receive a lawyer’s letter from Xu Corporation.*

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