Volume One, Chapter Ninety: Is Your Sense of Rivalry Really That Strong?

The meat pies were soon ready. Sang Wan swiftly mixed up two cold side dishes and whipped up a bowl of tomato and egg soup.

Sipping the soup. Eating the dishes. The piping hot scallion and beef pie in her hand was so savory it nearly made her tongue melt.

She glanced down at her feet, where 2S, with its fluffy fur and bushy tail sweeping at her pant leg like a feather duster, lounged contentedly. And in front of her, the brand new table, the fresh plates, bowls, and chopsticks.

Lou Ye felt: utterly comfortable!

At the entrance of the apartment building, Lu Jinnian’s mood was less than pleasant. He honked several times, but the gate remained closed. Two more beeps, and a piercing automated voice broadcasted: "Warning, warning! No entry for non-residents! If you are a resident, please contact property management to register vehicle information. Thank you for your cooperation!"

The last few times he'd come, the security guards had let him in as soon as they saw the car badge, hadn’t they? Did they think he was going to drive a Mercedes in here and commit kidnapping or extortion?

Annoyed, Lu Jinnian dialed property management directly. "I'm the owner of unit 1901 in Building A. Please have the entrance security let me through."

"Building A, unit 1901? Please hold..."

The property manager on the other end sounded as stern as a police officer. Pages rustled, and the voice grew even colder. "Sorry, only one owner is registered for unit 1901—a lady. And no vehicles are registered under her name. Please leave!"

Lu Jinnian: ...

Blocked by Sang Wan, he couldn’t call her, nor send WeChat messages.

Honking sounded behind him, urging him to move. Lu Jinnian’s gaze darkened.

So this is why they say women are fickle.

She accepted his gift. Yet she put on airs, pretending to keep her distance.

Her temper was growing!

Turning his car around, he headed back to the Lu family villa, entering the house still furious.

“Honey…”

A delighted shriek, and Lin Chaochao rushed into his arms, “Honey, thank you!”

Her face was radiant with joy, her eyes sparkling. “Weren’t we just going to get the white one? Why did you buy both colors? That’s so extravagant!”

Lu Jinnian was stunned.

He looked up and saw the black and white handbags artfully arranged on the sofa and coffee table. The packaging boxes were behind, the bags in the front, and the tags peeked out from the edges.

Clearly, before he entered, Lin Chaochao had been taking photos like mad.

No need to ask; Sang Wan must have sent them back via courier.

Lu Jinnian felt his anger boiling inside. But he kept his cool and replied casually, “The white one’s for you, the black… for Zhi Yi.”

“Ah…”

Only then did Lin Chaochao realize she’d been overthinking.

After a moment of disappointment, she quickly adjusted. “Then I’ll repack them later and take the black one to Zhi Yi myself tomorrow—plus I’ll bring Muge back.”

Lu Jinnian responded indifferently, but as he turned upstairs, his brow furrowed deeply.

What did Sang Wan mean by all this?

She carefully prepared birthday noodles for him, showing she still cared—yet returned the gifts he’d brought back from his business trip.

What was that? Playing hard to get?

“Honey…”

Her voice called from behind, and Lu Jinnian turned to see Lin Chaochao asking, “My parents are urging me again. When do you have time? Let’s all have a meal together.”

“No…”

He wanted to say, “There’s no need,” but paused. Suddenly he recalled the city’s bidding conference, where Lin Chaochao and Sang Wan had been accompanied by that Lin manager, whose glances were full of meaning.

Both women shared the same surname.

Instead of answering, Lu Jinnian asked, “That Lin manager at the Lou Corporation, what’s her relationship to you?”

“Her…”

Lin Chaochao’s mood soured at the mention of Lin Qiyue. She complained, “She’s an imposter in our Lin family, posing as Miss Lin for fifteen years, yet she’s never shown any gratitude.”

“She’s just a manager in the project design department at Lou Corporation, but every time she comes home she acts all superior…”

Lin Chaochao kept rambling.

Lu Jinnian didn’t hear a word. He only caught the key point:

Lin Qiyue was a manager in Lou Corporation’s project design department.

She was Sang Wan’s supervisor.

At the city bidding conference, Lin Qiyue and Sang Wan had seemed quite close.

Not long after, Sang Wan hosted a big dinner for friends at home.

Lin Qiyue must have been among them.

The more he thought, the more convinced he became. Lu Jinnian looked up at Lin Chaochao. “You arrange it, then.”

???

Lin Chaochao froze, forgetting what she’d been saying.

Ever since Lu Jinnian and Sang Wan divorced, she’d been subtly pressing him.

When she suggested marriage, he always avoided the topic. When she brought up meeting the parents, he would dodge.

Now, after coming back from a business trip, had he changed?

She’d accidentally forgotten his birthday, yet he didn’t blame her. He brought her gifts as promised and agreed to meet her parents?

Too excited to speak, Lin Chaochao asked incredulously, “Tomorrow then?”

Tomorrow was Sunday.

To avoid any unexpected delays, she’d rather have him meet her parents right away. If all went well at dinner, maybe she’d get her marriage license with Lu Jinnian next month, on her own birthday.

Announcing herself as Mrs. Lu on her birthday would be the best gift she could give herself this year.

And the thought of putting Lin Qiyue in her place made her feel this wasn’t just a birthday present—it was Lu Jinnian’s weapon, a way to strike back at Lin Qiyue…

And Sang Wan too.

She would pin them both down, ensuring neither could rise in her presence again.

A mistress? A temptress? The one who laughs last laughs best. She’d show them who the real winner was.

“Honey, is tomorrow alright?”

Lin Chaochao looked at Lu Jinnian, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Lu Jinnian nodded, “Alright! Remember to invite your sister, too.”

Of course! She wouldn’t miss such a good opportunity to show off.

Lin Qiyue always said she was dreaming, that Lu Jinnian was just playing around.

She would bring Lu Jinnian right in front of her—make her see clearly who was playing whom!

The more she thought, the more excited she became. Lin Chaochao forgot about photographing her new bag and hurried off to make calls.

“Mom, where’s Dad?”

Her voice echoed from downstairs as Lu Jinnian headed upstairs.

Come Monday, Sang Wan would hear from Lin Qiyue that he’d met Lin Chaochao’s parents.

Hadn’t she always played hard to get? It was time to give her a taste of crisis.

If she didn’t want to be Mrs. Lu, there were plenty of others ready to take her place!

The remnants of his hangover faded, and Lu Jinnian pulled the covers over himself and fell into a deep sleep.

His phone chimed.

As if some fresh gossip had just been born.

Sang Wan grabbed her phone and saw a message from Lin Qiyue.

[Your ex-husband is coming to my house to meet the parents!!!]

[??? What does that have to do with me?]

[…You’re right! Let go of the old, embrace the new! And you? Sister, you’d better hurry up! With your ex-husband moving so fast, we absolutely can’t lose! Get out there, whether it’s a hot wolf or a cute puppy, just grab one and have fun! Don’t let your ex-husband outdo you!!!]

So competitive?

Sang Wan: …

“What are you laughing at? … Is it that funny?”

A furry head peered out from behind the sofa.

Quick as a flash, Sang Wan hid her phone. Who knows how much Lou Ye saw.

Lou Ye’s eyes narrowed slightly.