Chapter 13: Thrills

After wandering for half a month, Xue Zuining finally followed the patriarch of the Su family to Yunnan.

Since the incident of being tailgated and followed by a car, everyone had become exceptionally vigilant. Unless absolutely necessary, Xue Zuining kept to her room quietly, deeming it the safest course.

At the residence in Yunnan, opening the window revealed a serene and steady view of Erhai Lake, as if a mother watching over this wondrous land. In the distance, towering mountains nurtured countless rivers, nourishing the hardworking people who tilled the earth below.

When Su Yi arrived, he saw a woman who seemed both earnest and languid, leaning against a wicker sofa, her pen sketching something unknown. Approaching, he realized Xue Zuining was copying the distant scenery onto paper.

“Not bad,” he said briefly.

Startled, Xue Zuining turned her head sharply, only to see Su Yi’s enlarged face filling her field of vision.

“Why are you here?” she asked, sensing a strange feeling deep within. She wanted to inquire about that man but hesitated on how to begin.

Su Yi raised an eyebrow, took her sketchbook, and flipped through several pages. Most of the drawings were landscapes, but when he reached the last page, his gaze abruptly shifted from the drawing to Xue Zuining’s face.

At first, she didn’t understand the meaning behind his look. But soon, recalling the contents of the drawing, she stood up to snatch the book back.

Su Yi deliberately raised his hand higher, his peach-blossom eyes rolling with a look of triumph as if he had caught someone red-handed. “Didn’t you say you were going to cut it off cleanly? Didn’t you say you’d never care about that man again? Well then, Miss Xue, explain to me why you secretly drew his portrait.”

Faced with his deliberate provocation, Xue Zuining found herself momentarily speechless.

Su Yi watched her at a loss for words and felt his heart swell with delight. This woman, always saying one thing but meaning another. See? She missed him terribly, yet insisted on wearing an indifferent mask.

Alright then, keep up the act of stubborn pride—I’ll find a way to make you confess soon enough.

“Hey, why are you trying to provoke me like this? Since when did you, Lord Su, become so bored?” Xue Zuining sat down, took a sip of water to calm herself, and looked up at him leisurely. “Besides, if you’re here to be a mediator, you’d better be careful.”

“Careful, huh?”

“Yes. Careful that grandfather doesn’t skin you alive for defying his orders, good brother.”

“Heh, that won’t happen. You can rest easy. I’m not here to waste my breath.” Su Yi calmly produced a red invitation card. “In a few days is Lu Huaining’s wedding. I’m here to invite the old man to attend. After all, the families have a long-standing relationship. Can’t be too rude.”

“Wedding? Lu Huaining is getting married?” Xue Zuining’s reaction was like a cat with its fur on end.

“You didn’t know?” Su Yi crossed his arms and watched her. “He proposed in America a week ago, apparently to Ning Caier—you’ve met her before.”

Xue Zuining furrowed her brows, ignoring him as she started walking away.

Su Yi hurriedly blocked her path. “Hey, where are you going? It’s not every day someone steps into the hall of marriage. You’re not planning to steal the groom, are you?”

“That’s unlikely.” Xue Zuining glanced at him, then suddenly smiled. “I’m just going to skin him a little, that’s all.”