After returning home with the child, her ex-husband knelt down and gently coaxed her.

Lu Xiyan booked a restaurant in a five-star hotel in the city center, a forty-minute drive from the hotel.

Lu Xiyan drove the car the whole way without saying much.

Anning sat in the passenger seat, observing his expression. He didn't seem angry, but she could sense that he was sullen.

"What's wrong?" Anning carefully tugged at the hem of his T-shirt and asked softly, "Why do you seem unhappy since we left the hotel?"

"Is there?"

The other party asked in a nonchalant manner.

"That's a very insightful statement!" An Ning turned to look at him. "What's wrong? Tell me about it?"

She thought for a moment and asked, "Are you upset because Han Lei brought me dinner? Are you jealous?"

After asking, she quickly explained, "We're just ordinary colleagues, don't worry. I haven't had a meal alone with him in the few days I've been in Qichuan, and this is the first time he's brought food to my room. Besides, he might not even have any other feelings for me."

At this point, she muttered, "I'm not that popular; not every guy likes me."

Lu Xiyan overheard her mutterings, glanced at her, and said, "Are you implying that my liking you is a problem with my taste?"

"That's not what I meant. Of course, your taste is perfect." Anning smiled. "My mom used to say something like, 'Love at first sight is like a turtle seeing a green bean and they've fallen for each other.'"

She and Lu Xiyan got together six years ago; that was like a turtle eyeing a green bean.

Otherwise, why would Lu Xiyan like someone as ordinary and unremarkable as her?

Lu Xiyan turned the steering wheel, raising an eyebrow slightly. Why did those words sound so strange?

"Who's the bastard and who's the green bean?"

An Ning suddenly covered her mouth and giggled, "So that's what you're focusing on."

Seeing her trembling with laughter, Lu Xiyan also laughed along.

The atmosphere eased, and An Ning simply rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at his profile.

"He's not so bad as to make me jealous." Lu Xiyan looked at her. "He's not even on the same level as me."

"Oh—" Anning drawled, nodding, "I see."

"Not to mention the hardware and software aspects, which one offers the best value for money?" He raised his hand and lifted Anning's chin. "You think you don't know?"

Seeing someone compare her to a commodity for the first time, Anning asked with a smile, "But you were clearly unhappy just now, what was the reason?"

"Han Lei said you stayed up several nights a day to get the data in order to save this production line?"

Stopping the car at the traffic light, Lu Xiyan turned to look at An Ning, his eyes serious. "Even Dong Chenghai didn't want this project, and you're working yourself to the bone. Aren't you afraid of dying from overwork?"

An Ning was slightly taken aback. She could indeed see the reproach in his eyes, which made her feel a little guilty.

"So that's what you're angry about?"

An Ning raised her hand and extended a finger to smooth out his slightly furrowed brow. "I did stay up for several nights, but not entirely to save this production line."

Lu Xiyan raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for her explanation.

"I sent you a message at the airport on my way to Dianhai, but you didn't reply. I thought you never wanted to talk to me again."

An Ning lowered her eyes, her tone tinged with grievance, "Knowing that you're preparing for your engagement banquet, I'm so confused, so I can only work hard to stop thinking about it."

"I knew during my work that this breakthrough could help your company, which is why I worked overtime to produce the data." She looked up and met Lu Xiyan's deep gaze. "I wanted to try one more time before your engagement."

Lu Xiyan's eyes flickered slightly, and he deliberately asked, "Strive for what?"

"I'll try to win you over," An Ning smiled faintly, "I'll try to make you fall in love with me again."

Lu Xiyan's eyes reflected her sincere appearance, serene yet resolute.

He smiled slightly, his gaze shifting downwards to her glossy lips.

The lipstick has a subtle fragrance that makes you want to try it.

He leaned down and brought his lips close to hers.

As Anning watched his face draw closer, she was about to close her eyes when she suddenly saw the green light turn on ahead.

She quickly reached out and touched his jawline, giggling, "Let's get going."

The kiss that was about to reach my lips flew away.

Lu Xiyan steered the wheel, "Find an opportunity to make it up to me."

An Ning suppressed a smirk as she looked at the neon lights ahead. "Fine."

......

The seats we booked were on a high floor by the window, which offered a perfect view of the entire Qichuan nightscape.

The restaurant wasn't crowded at the time, and it was relatively quiet.

The waiter served the dishes, all of which were local specialties, mainly featuring Yunnan seafood mushrooms, Dai ethnic cuisine, and Cantonese dishes.

One of their signature dishes is a soup made with top-quality wild mushrooms and Silkie chicken, which is incredibly delicious.

Many customers from other places come specifically to taste this soup.

"Try it."

Lu Xiyan ladled the soup into a white porcelain bowl, preparing to hand it to An Ning.

Suddenly, the hand holding the soup bowl trembled violently, the fingertips lost their strength, and with a "bang," the soup bowl fell to the ground, spilling soup all over the table.

Lu Xiyan's eyes narrowed sharply, and he subconsciously covered his stinging left wrist.

"Western Banquet!"

An Ning was startled. Ignoring the mess on the table, she quickly got up to check his hands. "What happened to your hands? Are they burned?"

She squatted down next to Lu Xiyan, holding his hand and checking it over and over.

Seeing him covering his left hand, he quickly checked his wrist and found that it didn't seem to be burned.

Her worry was written all over her face. Lu Xiyan suddenly smiled gently, "It's okay, you weren't burned. Did I scare you?"

"Did you slip?" An Ning looked up, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Yeah, I slipped." Lu Xiyan spread out his slender hand for her to see. "See, it's okay."

There were indeed no burn marks on his hands, and An Ning's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled down.

"It's good that you're alright."

The waiter came over to ask if she needed to change seats. Anning shook her head, apologized, and told them to just clean up the mess.

Lu Xiyan looked at the porcelain bowl that had fallen to the ground, then at his left hand, his eyes dimming slightly.

"The accident caused nerve damage to the second young master's left hand. It won't have a big impact on his life, but his hand needs to rest. He must never race again, and he should especially avoid driving for long periods of time."

The doctor's words from four years ago suddenly echoed in my ears.

From then on, he was almost always driven by a chauffeur when he went out.

I occasionally drive by myself for a while, and there haven't been any major problems.

Lu Xiyan quietly clenched his left hand.

He drove all the way from Dianhai to the mountains for several hours without feeling any pain.

He thought his left hand was almost healed.

Unexpectedly, it's still useless.

He can't even hold a bowl.