Chapter 19: Is There Still Love for Me?

Lu Yao pressed her fingers hard into her palm, forcing herself to calm down quickly and reminding herself not to be swayed by Ye Zehong’s allure.

They were now ex-lovers.

She instinctively leaned back to avoid his closeness, cleared her throat, and asked, “What… what do you want?”

Ye Zehong paused for half a second, the words “I want you” on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them.

He leaned forward again, using his height to his advantage. Looking down at her, he fixed his gaze and said, “You see, my third brother is testing us. He must have guessed that there was something unusual between us. Your plan to use him to get back at me has failed. Isn’t it time for you to leave the old house?”

Lu Yao felt helpless—he still hadn’t given up?

She blinked her light brown eyes. “I’ve always seen things through to the end. Since your fiancée asked me to stay and help fold paper Pegasus, I’ll naturally finish before I leave. I’m sure you wouldn’t want your fiancée to embarrass herself in front of Madam Ye, would you?”

“I only care about you…” Ye Zehong seized her wrist, pulling her close to his chest. His lips brushed her ear as he lowered his voice, laughing softly, “When will you leave the old house?”

His smile seemed mischievous, but the first half of his words were sincere.

Every extra day she stayed in the old house meant more danger.

Not just from the Ye family, but also from Qiao Wan’er…

As he spoke the last words, his teeth almost grazed her ear, his deep voice sending her heart into chaos.

Lu Yao’s heart pounded wildly, her breathing becoming erratic.

Worried someone might walk in and see this indecent scene, she tried to push him away, but the difference in their strength was too great—his solid chest didn’t budge at all.

She looked up in annoyance and glared at him. “To think I believed you helped me out of trouble last night, cleaned my wounds, out of love for me.”

Ye Zehong gazed deeply into her eyes, breathing heavily. At last, he released her hand and turned to leave the bathroom.

Lu Yao watched his figure disappear completely before the tension in her chest finally eased, her breathing and heartbeat returning to normal.

She stood again before the sink, gazing at her own flushed cheeks in the mirror. Her features were delicate and refined—perhaps not the most beautiful in the universe, but attractive in their own right.

Yet, standing next to someone like Ye Zehong, the most elite of noblemen, she inevitably seemed to fade into the background.

She turned on the tap, splashed her face with cold water, hoping to dispel the lingering heat.

Just as she’d composed herself and was about to leave, she bumped right into the “smiling tiger.”

Qiao Wan’er approached with a gentle smile, feigning casual concern. “Lu Yao, you don’t look well. Are you alright?”

Lu Yao paused for a moment—Qiao Wan’er had called her by her given name, not Miss Lu.

Clearly, this was no friendly encounter.

She touched her now-cooled cheeks and politely explained, “I was startled just now—low blood sugar.”

Qiao Wan’er moved to the sink, scrutinized her own face with an air of arrogance, then glanced at Lu Yao, her eyes full of disdain.

With elegant motions, she turned on the tap and rinsed her hands—then, without a hint of apology, flicked all the water onto Lu Yao’s dress. She cast Lu Yao a contemptuous look, and gracefully pulled a tissue to dry her hands.

Lu Yao stared in shock at the spreading water stains on her chiffon dress, feeling a headache set in.

“Lu Yao, if you don’t want all of Xu Wenjie’s hard work and efforts to go to waste, you’d better know your place,” Qiao Wan’er said, her voice returning to its gentle veneer, her eyes fixed intently on Lu Yao. “The men of the Ye family are not yours to touch. If you dare, I will make your life a living hell!”