Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 374: Traces

Chapter 374: Chapter 374: Traces

Early Saturday morning, Lv Jianglan took the high-speed train to Danjiang. Lu Xingyan saw her walk out of the station dragging two huge bags and hurriedly went up to meet her.

"What did you bring this time? You don’t find it troublesome?" Lu Xingyan said, "How did you carry it all the way? Isn’t it heavy?"

"Heavy, indeed. These two bags are full of your stuff," Lv Jianglan pointed to one of the bags, "That bag has clothes and pants I bought for you and a watch your brother brought back for you from his business trip. Oh, and there’s also that signed jersey from your favorite basketball team inside."

Lu Xingyan lit up at the mention of the jersey, "Haha, Lu Chao sure knows what to do, didn’t forget about the jersey."

"This bag has all the food you love. Your grandma knew I was coming to see you and specially made donkey meat dumplings. Plus, your favorite roasted duck, smoked rabbit, and—"

"Stop," Lu Xingyan interrupted her before she finished, "Mom, I’m all grown up, and you still bring food when you visit. It’s like treating me like a child."

Lv Jianglan laughed as she looked at him, "In my eyes, you’re still a child."

"The car is just by the roadside." Lu Xingyan nodded his chin towards a nearby car.

Arriving at the car, he put the bags in the trunk while Lv Jianglan sat in the back seat.

As she closed the car door, in the corner of her eye, she noticed a woman’s lip glaze under the front passenger seat.

Lv Jianglan picked it up, glanced at the person in the driver’s seat, and tucked the glaze into her bag.

Sure enough, he can’t disentangle himself from that woman.

Ever since buying the car, Lu Xingyan told her in person that no one was allowed to sit in the front passenger seat—reserving it exclusively for his girlfriend.

The driver’s side door opened, and Lu Xingyan got in, fastening his seatbelt as he asked, "How come Dad didn’t come over?"

"He’s busy, no time," Lv Jianglan replied.

"Busy even on weekends?" Lu Xingyan was skeptical, "I’m doing quite well here; he should accept reality."

Lu Mingxuan initially wanted him to stay nearby with a local power company, but Lu Xingyan stubbornly insisted on staying in Danjiang.

Lv Jianglan said, "Don’t misunderstand your dad; he’s already come to terms with it. He really is busy; I heard he’s preparing to develop offshore wind power."

Talk of work-related matters sparked Lu Xingyan’s interest.

"I’ve been researching offshore wind power too, borrowed some books from our manager on the subject," he remembered Chen Ningxi, the corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously, "She really knows a lot."

Lv Jianglan observed everything and tentatively asked, "How’s Manager Chen treating you?"

"Her?" He recalled not speaking with Chen Ningxi for nearly two weeks, feeling a bit uneasy, "... Good."

Lu Xingyan’s hesitation was, to Lv Jianglan, an intentional concealment.

She pressed further, "Manager Chen is married, right?"

Lu Xingyan said, "Yes. Why are you asking?"

"Just curious," Lv Jianglan increasingly sensed something was off, "Son, do you have a girlfriend?"

Lu Xingyan answered straightforwardly, "No."

"Oh." Lv Jianglan withdrew her gaze, more convinced the lip glaze in the car was hers.

If the lip glaze was accidentally left behind, traces at home wouldn’t be so easily hidden.

Upon entering the house, Lv Jianglan intentionally observed, but on the surface, found no evidence of women’s items. However, she wasn’t ready to give up.

After tidying up the fridge with the food from the bags, Lv Jianglan began using cleaning as an excuse to search for traces of Chen Ningxi.

She started with the bedroom, but after stripping the sheets and duvet covers, found no sign a woman had stayed. Lu Xingyan came in and commented:

"Mom, why are you doing this? I just changed them yesterday."

Lv Jianglan gathered items from the foot of the bed, "Just washing them quickly."

She then inspected the bathroom meticulously, not even finding a single hair.

The room was thoroughly cleaned by Lv Jianglan, who found no indication a woman had been living there. In the end, she discovered an opened box of condoms in the drawer of the guest room; holding it in her hand was like holding conclusive evidence.

"Xingyan," she put down the cleaning rag and walked out.

Lu Xingyan was leaning on the sofa playing a game, eyes fixed on his phone, "What’s up?"

Lv Jianglan sat on the single-seater sofa, her face serious, "Xingyan, if there’s anything you need to tell Mom."

Lu Xingyan was focused on helping his team push the crystal, not sensing her displeased expression, casually replied, "Nope."

"Really nothing?" Lv Jianglan’s tone grew colder.

Lu Xingyan finally sensed something was wrong, looked at her, "What’s up with your face?"

Lv Jianglan said, "Xingyan, I’ve always thought you’re a good kid. Your dad and I have always been strict in our upbringing. We absolutely can’t allow any immoral behavior in this family."

Lu Xingyan was bewildered, "Mom, what are you talking about? I don’t get it."

Lv Jianglan sighed in frustration, placed the item on the table, "What is this?"

Lu Xingyan glanced at it, nonchalantly said, "Not mine."

"In your house, if not yours, whose is it?" Lv Jianglan fumed, her temples throbbing, "You even brought her back to stay? An adulteress tempting you, unmarried. What is she up to? Shameless, a total wreck."

Lu Xingyan was completely stunned, coincidentally the game ended.

He put down the phone, said, "Why are you suddenly angry? It’s really not mine. Last week, Meng Jingbo came and stayed; he had a fight with his mom and hid here for a few days. He stayed in the guest room, definitely left it there. You accuse me without asking first."

Lv Jianglan hesitated, "Such personal items, he leaves it around?"

"..." Great, she doesn’t believe it.

Lu Xingyan nodded, picked up his phone, and dialed Meng Jingbo’s number.

"What are you doing?" Lv Jianglan asked.

"What can I do? Calling to prove it, clear my name." Lu Xingyan lay sideways on the couch with the phone on speaker.

Lv Jianglan hurriedly tried to stop him, "Why call? Meng Jingbo will surely know; it’s embarrassing."

Lu Xingyan made a face, dodging her hand, "If I don’t call, who will clear my name? I won’t say you found it."

The phone connected; Lv Jianglan sat on the sofa frowning, feeling utterly awkward.

"What’s up, Jingbo," Lu Xingyan asked.

Meng Jingbo said, "Home, anything up?"

Lu Xingyan said, "Did you leave anything at my place last time?"

Meng Jingbo paused, "Hmm?"

Lv Jianglan sat upright, listening carefully.

Lu Xingyan reminded him, "Guest room drawer."

"Oh," Meng Jingbo recalled, "That box of condoms? Keep it for fun."

Lu Xingyan tilted his chin, looking smug, "Get lost, I don’t want them, I’m throwing them away."

Meng Jingbo said, "Toss it then, what’s the big deal calling about it. Anything else?"

Lu Xingyan said, "Nope."

Just as the call was about to end, Meng Jingbo mouthily said, "Don’t throw it, just in case with your little sister later."

Lu Xingyan turned green, my god!

He pretended to be calm, hung up the phone, tossed the phone onto the sofa, "See? Not mine."

Lu Xingyan got up to leave, "I’m hungry, going to eat dumplings."

Lv Jianglan looked sternly, "Stay there, whose ’little sister’ is he referring to? Is it Chen Ningxi?"

Lu Xingyan jolted inside, turned unhappily, "... What’s it got to do with her? Why bring up Manager Chen?"

Lv Jianglan returned, took the lip glaze out of the bag, placed it on the coffee table, "I found this under the front passenger seat. What else do you have to say?"