After lunch, Lin Feng went to the kitchen to do the dishes.

Du Qian wanted to help, but An Lan stopped her. Even Zhang Yuxi seemed a little nervous.

Lin Feng, not understanding why, gave Du Qian an icy look. "Get out. Your help isn't needed here."

Just as Du Qian sat back down, An Lan said, "Don't you know the kitchen is Director Lin's forbidden territory? Only he is allowed to enter."

Du Qian was stunned. "Why?"

"Because Yu Xi blew up the kitchen once," An Lan snorted coldly. "So, Director Lin doesn't let her help in the kitchen. Nobody is allowed!"

Zhang Yuxi's face flushed red, and she gestured for An Lan to stop.

An Lan looked at her in mock surprise. "Is it really a rare occurrence for you to blow up the kitchen?"

Du Qian thought back, and indeed, such things had happened. The Zhang Family's kitchen was off-limits to Zhang Yuxi; only the servants were permitted inside.

Actually, what Zhang Yuxi and An Lan were really thinking was whether Du Qian would fall for Lin Feng, who was hundreds, even thousands, of times better than Lu Boyu. And would she then try to poach someone right under their noses?

Damn it, I feel like I've done something stupid, An Lan thought with a pang of regret.

After finishing the dishes, Lin Feng cut up a platter of fruit, preparing a separate plate just for Zhang Yuxi and the babies.

"Little ones, go wash your hands with Daddy!" he called out. "If you don't wash your hands, you can't have any fruit! Go on, call Mommy too!"

Sanbao trotted over and took Zhang Yuxi's hand. "Mommy, let's wash our hands and eat fruit."

"Okay!"

Sanbao then turned to look at the other two women. "You have to wash your hands too."

An Lan watched their retreating backs, her face filled with envy. "Zhang Yuxi went through hell, but now she's a true winner in life. If it weren't for what happened two years ago, she might have married Lu Boyu, but she'd never be as happy as she is now."

Du Qian pursed her lips, disagreeing with An Lan. "What's so bad about Bo Yu? He's a young talent from a family with a fortune of over a hundred million, and he's gentle."

An Lan gave Du Qian a smirk. "Is he as handsome as Director Lin? Is he as gentle and considerate? Is he willing to be a stay-at-home husband for Yuxi's sake, supporting her and raising the kids? Haha, a family fortune of over a hundred million? That belongs to his parents, not him. Even if Lu Boyu is an only child, any money that falls into his hands isn't money he earned himself. As far as I know, the hundred-million-yuan asset is just for show; it's all real estate. Director Lin's Black Gold Card alone speaks volumes."

As Du Qian's expression grew uglier, An Lan's smile widened. "Only you would treat someone like Lu Boyu like a treasure. If you put him in front of me, I wouldn't even bother giving him a second glance."

Du Qian flared up. "An Lan, you've gone too far!"

An Lan shrugged. "I'm just telling it like it is. What you treasure, what you yearn for, is completely worthless in some people's eyes."

Compared to his peers, Lu Boyu was indeed quite outstanding in terms of both looks and family background. He wasn't as pathetic as An Lan made him out to be. But compared to Lin Feng, he was nothing but trash, wasn't he?

"You!" Du Qian stood up to leave, but An Lan grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going? Since you're here, we should have a proper get-together."

Du Qian yanked her hand free as An Lan's smile turned cold. Du Qian glared back at her.

Just then, Zhang Yuxi came out leading the children, sensing the tense atmosphere. "What's wrong?"

An Lan put on an innocent face. "Du Qian was about to leave, and I just thought that since she's here, we should all enjoy our time together."

Back when I told you to leave, you wouldn't. Now you want to walk out? In your dreams!

Du Qian looked at Zhang Yuxi. "Yuxi, I hope you can come to my wedding. After all, we're all good friends, and you and Bo Yu are friends, too."

Lin Feng glanced at Du Qian before turning to his wife. "Honey, you'd be better off spending that time with me and the kids than at a wedding. Besides, you don't have to attend every friend's wedding."

An Lan chimed in, "I won't have time for the wedding either. I'm a woman who can earn over a hundred thousand a day. Attending your wedding would be a waste of my time and money."

Du Qian was so livid her face went pale. "An Lan, it doesn't matter if you come or not. I didn't really invite you anyway."

An Lan pouted. "Even better. Saves me the time of even having to think about it."

Zhang Yuxi spoke calmly, "I won't be going either. In memory of our past friendship, I wish you a happy marriage. You shouldn't come to Yangcheng anymore. I'm busy and don't have time to host you."

Du Qian took a deep breath. "Think about it. I have to go, I have other things to do."

"Take care, not seeing you out!" An Lan called after her.

Zhang Yuxi yawned. "I'm a bit sleepy, honey. I'm going to lie down for a while."

"Okay," Lin Feng nodded.

An Lan followed her. "Yuxi, it's not worth getting upset over a woman like that."

Zhang Yuxi lay on the bed. "I know, but my heart just feels a little heavy."

"What's there to feel heavy about? What's the point of keeping a 'friend' like that around?"

Zhang Yuxi didn't reply. An Lan knew she had a soft heart; the more aloof her exterior, the more tender she was inside.

"After today, it's all in the past," An Lan said gently.

Zhang Yuxi took her hand. "I know. It's just a little sad, but at least I still have you as my best friend!"

An Lan grinned proudly. "And you're my best friend too! Now get some rest."

Zhang Yuxi yawned again. "I'm going to sleep. I got up so early today, I'm exhausted."

Seeing that Zhang Yuxi was truly tired, An Lan didn't linger. "I'll head back to the shop in a bit. You rest well."

"Mm."

...

Downstairs, An Lan sat on the sofa, waiting. After ten minutes, she grew restless. "Director Lin, aren't you going to ask what that was all about?"

Lin Feng looked up. "If I were going to ask anyone, I'd ask Yuxi."

An Lan chuckled. "Her? She's so tight-lipped, she'd never tell you."

Lin Feng considered this and realized she was right. "What exactly happened between her and Yuxi?"

An Lan's energy returned in a flash. She recounted the events of that year, adding her own suspicions.

"I suspect Du Qian deliberately got Yuxi drunk and abandoned her at that bar. By the time you entered the private room, Yuxi was already completely wasted. Think about it, she's so beautiful, and she was drunk—who knows how many predators were eyeing her. If something had happened, her engagement to Lu Boyu would have been called off, right? To Yuxi, Lu Boyu was just a guy from a blind date. But to Du Qian, he was Prince Charming, the perfect marriage prospect.

Lin Feng frowned. "And what happened after that?"

An Lan's anger was still fresh. "After that, Yuxi found out she was pregnant and decided to keep the babies. As her best friends, Du Qian and I were the first to know. Then, that little bitch went and leaked the news to Lu Boyu's parents. Yuxi had never even agreed to the engagement; she and Lu Boyu weren't even a couple. But besides her, both sets of parents and Lu Boyu himself were all set on the marriage. When Du Qian leaked the news, Lu Boyu's parents did a complete one-eighty. They went straight to my aunt and uncle, and that's how they found out Yuxi was pregnant…

"You can probably guess what happened next without me spelling it out. Yuxi ran away from home and came here to Yangcheng."

At this point, An Lan shot Lin Feng a warning look. "If you ever dare to let Yuxi down, I'll be the first one to make you pay."

"You have my word," Lin Feng promised. "I will never let her down as long as I live."

An Lan grumbled, "You'd better remember that. Alright, I need to get back to the store. I'm leaving now."

After An Lan left, Lin Feng sat on the sofa, replaying her words in his mind.

"Daddy, Daddy…"

Sanbao climbed onto the sofa and snuggled into his arms. "Sanbao wants to sleep."

"Let's go, then. We'll go upstairs and sleep."

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