Volume 1, Chapter 168: Do You Have Any Regrets?

The Maybach drove out of the Lou Corporation's underground parking garage.

Sang Wan's phone began to ring persistently.

It was a call from Lu Xiaomu.

Looking as though he had just woken up from a nap, Lu Xiaomu's hair was messy, and his little face wore a look of disappointment. "Mom, I won't be able to spend the New Year with you."

They had originally agreed that although they couldn't set off fireworks together tonight to ring in the New Year, they could spend tomorrow together.

Sang Wan had even made plans with him to go skiing in the suburbs tomorrow.

Yet right now, the little fellow on the screen looked listless and dejected.

"What's wrong?"

Sang Wan asked gently, "Did your father say no?"

Ever since Sang Wan unblocked Lu Junian, Lu Junian would send her a few messages every few days.

Sometimes he would send pictures Lu Xiaomu had drawn or Lego structures he had built.

Sometimes he would let her know that Teacher Tingting had called and what feedback she had given.

He always kept it within three to five sentences, making sure never to annoy her.

Even after arriving in Paris, he would send her the locations of delicious restaurants.

Or perhaps photos he had taken of her at the venue inside the Palace of Versailles.

However, ever since the finals, Lu Junian had not sent her a single message.

Was it because the Lou Corporation had won the championship?

Yet the Lu Corporation's performance had not been bad either, not to mention that Lu Junian was not someone so petty and narrow-minded.

Thinking it over, Sang Wan concluded there was only one possible reason.

Lu Junian had seen Lou Ye's Moments post.

In the circle of the imperial capital's elite, although Lou Ye and Lu Junian were not on each other's contact lists, there were plenty of ways to find out.

Sang Wan was still secretly anxious, worrying whether Lu Junian would stop Lu Xiaomu from seeing her in the future.

Then she heard Lu Xiaomu say in a low voice, "No. After the New Year, Grandmother is going abroad. Dad said Grandmother might stay abroad for a long time, so he wants me to spend these few days keeping her company."

Su Baohui was going abroad?

Sang Wan was startled.

In the driver's seat, Lou Ye's gaze deepened.

By the time Sang Wan had coaxed Lu Xiaomu, telling him that winter was still long and they would have many, many chances to go skiing, ice skating, and build snowmen together, Lou Ye's expression had returned to normal.

Looking at the worried Sang Wan, he asked, "What's the matter?"

Sang Wan shook her head. Fearing Lou Ye might think she was intentionally keeping things from him, she sighed and said, "Sister Wang, the former nanny of the Lu family, called me a while ago and said Lu Junian had dismissed all the drivers and maids at home, keeping only her and having her come over during the day just to clean up."

If he had broken up with Lin Zhaozhao because he felt they were incompatible after spending some time together, Sang Wan would have found it completely normal.

Yet dismissing even the domestic helpers left Sang Wan utterly baffled.

Coupled with the information from Lu Xiaomu that Su Baohui had been picking him up from kindergarten in the afternoon, and Lu Junian would go over to her place for dinner after work before bringing Lu Xiaomu home, and then personally driving his son to kindergarten the next morning—

Sang Wan had initially thought he had found his conscience and was finally going to be a responsible father.

However, Su Baohui was going abroad.

Who would pick up Lu Xiaomu after school then?

With not even a nanny at home, who would cook dinner?

A series of ensuing problems arose, and Sang Wan could not simply ignore them even if she wanted to.

Her mind was in a whirl of confusion.

There was a brief silence in the car carriage, and when Sang Wan snapped out of her thoughts, she realized how unusually quiet Lou Ye was.

"Lou Ye..."

A trace of unease surfaced on her face, and Sang Wan asked softly, "Do you... have any regrets?"

???

Lou Ye looked baffled. "Regret what?"

"Regretting your regret!"

Sang Wan uttered a tongue-twister.

Yet Lou Ye understood her completely.

With anyone else, given his ability, making the other person fall hopelessly in love with him would be effortless. He wouldn't even need to do anything to make them revolve around him and put him first in everything.

Yet it had to be her.

Sang Daizheng, Sun Yueqing, Lu Xiaomu...

Every single matter was nothing but trouble. Just as things had finally quieted down, her ex-husband dismissing his maids and her former mother-in-law going abroad could indirectly create trouble for her and, by extension, affect him.

"Of course not!"

Lou Ye took Sang Wan's hand and raised it to his lips for a light kiss. "Because it's you, I gladly bear it all!"

Sang Wan breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she heard Lou Ye ask, "Su Baohui is going abroad?"

Curious as to how Lou Ye knew Su Baohui's name, Sang Wan didn't think much of it and nodded, replying, "Maybe she made plans with friends."

While they were talking, the Maybach came to a halt.

Sang Wan looked up and found the location unfamiliar.

Lou Ye explained, "Jiang Huai organized a gathering to ring in the New Year together. We'll go in and sit for a while. If you want to hang out with them, we'll stay. If you don't, we'll go home and celebrate by ourselves."

Sang Wan nodded.

It was a private winery in the suburbs of the imperial capital, featuring classical garden landscaping and an exceptionally pleasant environment.

Pristine white snow clung to the eaves of the pavilions and terraces, looking as beautiful as a documentary.

Upon learning that this place belonged to Jiang Huai and was not open to the public, Sang Wan couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

Caught red-handed by Lou Ye, he leaned down and whispered to her, "You're a wealthy person now too, so you don't need to compete with us! Whenever you like a place, just tell Rong Jing and have him send someone to show it to you. If you like it, just buy it!"

In a place like the imperial capital, was it somewhere you could just casually buy a property wherever you fancied?

Just how much money was actually in that card???

Sang Wan was filled with shock.

Walking all the way to the back courtyard, the sounds of laughter and frolicking drifted in on the wind.

Entering the courtyard, she saw a few children chasing and playing, along with Jiang Ke'er, who was blindfolded and trying to catch people.

On the rattan chairs upon the steps, Jiang Huai quickly raised a finger, signaling the two of them to make no noise.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Qin Baiquan and a group of others could be seen.

Lou Ye took Sang Wan's hand and walked forward.

"Stars, I'm going to catch you now..."

Completely unaware that the children's laughter had quieted down significantly, Jiang Ke'er flailed about blindly, trying to grab anything she could.

Suddenly, she grabbed the sleeve of Lou Ye's coat. "I caught someone!!!"

Her excited expression froze the moment she pulled off the large scarf covering her face.

"Brother, why are you messing around?!"

Jiang Ke'er muttered under her breath, and catching sight of a corner of a red sweater hiding behind a porch pillar, she cried out and lunged forward.

"Sister-in-law, how is it? Have you inspected the place? Do you like it?"

Jiang Huai greeted them with a bright smile.

Sang Wan was startled. "Inspected what?"

Lou Ye shook his head; he had no idea either.

Jiang Huai put his hands on his hips and sighed. "This garden, the gift I gave you—did you forget?"

???

Sang Wan blinked, and after a long moment, she remembered.

At the hot spring resort, during Ming Qing's welcome banquet, Jiang Huai had let the cat out of the bag, mentioning that the agarwood bracelet she constantly wore on her wrist was a gift from Lou Ye.

Right after that, Jiang Huai had supplemented it with another gift.

However, during that period, she had been immersed in the grief of her mother's passing, remembering only that Lou Ye had handed her a box.

Assuming it must be some expensive piece of jewelry, and considering the relationship between Lou Ye and Jiang Huai, she figured there would be plenty of opportunities to return the favor later.

Sang Wan had accepted it without opening it to take a look.

Only now did it dawn on her belatedly that he had given her this entire estate.

That box must have contained either the house deeds or the land title.

Sang Wan: ...

Seeing her expression was enough to tell her that she hadn't unwrapped it. Jiang Huai didn't mind and proudly boasted, "Sister-in-law likes the Sang Garden so much, and this place was designed by the same architect, so Sister-in-law will definitely love it too... Sister-in-law, do you like it? Does this gift from your junior brother hit the mark?"

She certainly liked it.

But this was... far too extravagant.

Sang Wan cast a look of helpless appeal toward Lou Ye.

She heard Lou Ye chuckle. "If you like it, keep it... Life is so long, are you worried you won't have a chance to return the favor?"

Sang Wan gracefully accepted. "Thank you, A-Huai! I like it, I really love it!"

Jiang Huai's smile was brilliant.

The group of them walked inside together.

Sang Wan's eyes immediately landed on Ming Qing.