Volume One, Chapter 69: Was My Performance Earlier Satisfactory, Brother?

A man in a black suit and black shirt appeared suddenly—youthful to a fault, handsome to an extreme. But what truly made hearts tremble was that commanding aura about him, as though he had long dwelled atop the world, accustomed to having his word be law. When he shot a cool, sidelong glance their way, Mrs. Ke felt a jolt of fear, instinctively loosening her grip.

Taking advantage of the moment, Sang Wan’s wrist slipped free and landed neatly in Lou Ye’s palm.

“Are you finished talking?” Lou Ye asked Sang Wan.

“Not yet—”

“No!” Sang Wan and Mrs. Ke spoke in unison.

Lou Ye’s hawk-sharp eyes settled once more on Mrs. Ke’s face. She felt awkward, but her stance remained unyielding. “This matter must be settled today!”

To her, her son was the epitome of excellence—the pride of the Ke family, whose roots ran deep in the capital. With the family’s connections and his own diligence, Ke Yifan’s return to work in the capital after graduation had gone seamlessly. In just a few years, he would surely become a rising star in the city’s medical field.

Yet despite having completed medical school in Shanghai, Ke Yifan had stubbornly refused to return home. Only two months ago did he finally relent. Such an anomaly could not be ignored. Mrs. Ke had been on her guard, but before she could investigate, she stumbled upon that short video. In hindsight, she realized her son had harbored feelings for Sang Wan since their school days, explaining his avoidance of relationships all these years.

The realization sent a chill through her. Given Sang Wan’s family background, she wasn’t even worthy of Ke Yifan when single, much less now as a divorcée. Mrs. Ke could never stand idly by and let her outstanding son get entangled with Sang Wan. Just friends? Who would believe that?

“I only have a few words—then I’ll go.” Mrs. Ke looked at Sang Wan. “As I said before, I don’t want someone like you around Yifan. So I hope you’ll disappear from his life and never contact him again!”

“Mom! You—”

“Be quiet!” Mrs. Ke cut him off sharply.

“Since you were about to graduate, your father and I have insisted you return to the capital. Did you listen even once? When you finally achieved something there, you transferred back without a word…”

“We can stay out of your career decisions, but marriage is too important to leave up to you alone! Marrying a divorcee—have you considered what others might think?”

“Mom, you—”

Mrs. Ke’s dominance was overwhelming. Ke Yifan’s face was ashen with anger. Mother and son stood opposed, the air thick with tension.

But Lou Ye’s next words scattered that tension like soap bubbles.

“What’s wrong with being divorced?” His languid, casual gaze fell on Mrs. Ke, and he smiled. “Ma’am, what century did you travel here from? It’s the twenty-first century—2024, to be exact…”

Mrs. Ke’s expression shifted slightly.

Lou Ye continued, “Let me be clear: even if Sang Wan were divorced twenty times, your son still wouldn’t be worthy of her! If you’re going to look down on others, at least consider whether your own conditions measure up!”

“You—” Mrs. Ke was so angry she couldn’t speak. The Ke family, founded on scholarship, was full of cultured people. Never before had anyone dared insult her so directly—let alone accuse her of being snobbish.

“Mom!” Her son gripped her arm so tightly it almost hurt. Mrs. Ke turned and saw her once-docile son looking more furious than ever before. “Have you made enough of a scene? Can we go now?”

“You’re determined to drive me to my grave, aren’t you? Fine, let’s see how you explain this to your father!”

The stares of strangers, her son’s defiance, and that phrase—looking down on people—echoing in her ears, left Mrs. Ke pale with rage. She shot Sang Wan a venomous glare, snatched up her purse, and stormed out.

Ke Yifan glanced at Sang Wan, then at his mother, whose lips were nearly blue with anger, and hurried after her. The door opened and closed, and the commotion vanished at once, leaving only a lively piano melody swirling in the air.

Sang Wan let out a long breath and sank onto the sofa, gazing out at the darkening sky. She felt embarrassed. Call it bad luck, yet somehow she always managed to escape disaster. Call it good luck, but all her humiliations happened right in front of Lou Ye.

Had it been anyone else? At this moment, she didn’t even dare turn to see his expression.

“Are you angry?” Lou Ye lounged gracefully in the seat opposite, tilting his head to study her. “Why get upset with a mother who can see nothing but her own son—a frog in a well?”

A frog in a well of a mother? Sang Wan couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not angry. Just… a bit ashamed.”

Lou Ye’s gaze questioned her.

Sang Wan sighed. “Thrown out by my ex-husband, and you had to witness it! At the office, in the mall, and in that attic that night—it’s always you!”

“Lou Ye…” Fighting back the urge to hide in shame, Sang Wan looked up at him and asked, “Do you think I must have wronged you in a past life, to suffer so many embarrassments in front of you in this one?”

He didn’t laugh. Nor did he deny it. Lou Ye seemed to be pondering her words seriously.

Then he replied, “Well, is it possible you didn’t wrong me, but owed me a debt, and you’re here to pay it back in this life?”

“What do I owe you?” Sang Wan blurted out.

The Crimson Pearl Grass had owed the Stone Guardian three thousand drops of dew, repaid with a lifetime of tears. But as for Lou Ye—what did she owe him?

“That, I’m afraid, only Heaven, Earth, and the passing immortals above would know…” Lou Ye waved for the waiter to bring the menu, ordered for both of them according to their preferences, and added offhandedly, “Whatever the debt, a lifetime is long enough to repay it slowly.”

Sang Wan: …

The steak was tender, the cream soup rich and fragrant, and the piano music floating in the air was especially bright and light. Watching Lou Ye, who even cut his steak with an air of insouciant nobility, Sang Wan had to admit that all the bad feelings Mrs. Ke had brought were swept away.

Only belatedly did she realize that at this hour, Lou Ye ought to have been in the underground parking lot, not here. She looked up and asked, “Why are you here?”

Lou Ye glanced out the window. His Maybach was parked by the curb. He smiled. “As luck would have it, I was driving by, glanced back, and saw that lady giving you a hard time.”

That lady? Remembering Mrs. Ke’s darkened face a moment ago, Sang Wan couldn’t help but laugh.

Lou Ye looked up at her. “Well? Did your little brother’s performance just now meet your expectations?”

Little brother. Sang Wan’s heart skipped a beat. Should she say, “You were perfect”? That sounded odd. “Not bad”? That felt like she was encouraging him to keep it up. No answer seemed right.

After a brief pause, she changed the topic awkwardly. “By the way, did you tell your driver? He’ll bring the 2S over tomorrow night, right?”

“…Yes,” Lou Ye nodded.

Sang Wan let out a long breath. When they left the café after dinner, night had fully fallen. She turned and reminded Lou Ye, “You’d better head back—don’t see me off. It’s only a ten-minute walk home; I’ll treat it as a stroll.”

Lou Ye nodded. He was just about to say “Alright” when he saw Ke Yifan emerging from the shadow of the roadside trees.

“Wan…” Ke Yifan walked up to her.