Chapter 374: Chapter 374 Perfect Match Everywhere
Early the next morning.
When Lan Yan came out of the guest room, it was already seven o’clock.
She went to bed late last night because she wasn’t used to sleeping away from home and didn’t sleep soundly.
As she went downstairs, she ran into the housekeeper of the Xiao family.
Last night, Xiao Si had brought someone back, but the housekeeper was unaware.
So, when the housekeeper saw her, he froze completely.
“Miss, may I ask who you are?”
Lan Yan smiled gently and responded politely, “Sorry for disturbing you. I’m a friend of Doctor Xiao and stayed over for the night.”
The housekeeper was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with a warm smile.
“Ah, I see! No need to apologize, no disturbance at all. May I know how to address you?” he asked.
“You can call me Lan Yan.”
Lan Yan noticed his age and assumed he must be an elder figure in Xiao Si’s household.
The housekeeper looked at her with warmth and said, “I’m the housekeeper here; everyone calls me Uncle Cheng. You can call me that too, Miss Lan Yan.”
It was the first time Uncle Cheng saw his young master bring a girl home, let alone let her stay overnight.
If the master and madam found out, they would surely be overjoyed.
“Miss Lan Yan, do you have any dietary restrictions for breakfast?” Uncle Cheng asked her with a kind smile.
Lan Yan had no intention of staying for breakfast and only wished to leave quickly.
“Um, Uncle Cheng, don’t bother. I’m planning to head back now.”
Just as she intended to ask if he could arrange a car for her.
A voice came from behind her—Xiao Si’s: “Uncle Cheng, go ahead and prepare breakfast.”
Lan Yan turned around to look at him.
Xiao Si yawned as he descended the stairs.
“Have breakfast before you leave. I’m heading back to the hospital soon, so I can drop you off on the way.”
These words were clearly directed at Lan Yan.
Since he’d already said so, Lan Yan didn’t want to refuse anymore.
“Alright.”
Xiao Si walked up to her and suddenly bent down, leaning close to her.
Lan Yan was shocked by his move, her body instinctively leaning backward.
“Did you not sleep well last night? Why do you have dark circles under your eyes?”
Xiao Si stared at her intently and asked out of nowhere.
Lan Yan: “…”
She reached out with her right hand and placed her index finger lightly against his left chest, gently pushing him away.
Xiao Si straightened up accordingly.
Lan Yan said speechlessly, “Doctor Xiao, if you have something to say, just say it properly. Don’t stand so close!”
Uncle Cheng, who was standing nearby, glanced at them silently, smiled faintly, and walked away.
Xiao Si saw the aloof look on her face and felt a slight shift in his mood.
He teased, “Are you shy?”
“…”
Actually, he hadn’t interacted with Lan Yan much before.
Every time he saw her, she was always with Su He.
“I’ve noticed, you’re even colder than my sister-in-law.”
Lan Yan naturally understood that by “sister-in-law,” he was referring to her boss.
But she didn’t bother replying to his comment.
Xiao Si’s lips curved slightly, “You both are pretty cold, but your kind of coldness really means you don’t talk much. Do you usually only interact with patients and not anyone else?”
From what he recalled, he rarely heard her speak.
Whenever she did, it was always brief.
Lan Yan glanced at him calmly, “Doctor Xiao, not everyone is as talkative as you are.”
On this point, Lan Yan wasn’t wrong.
“Is being talkative such a bad thing?” He countered.
Lan Yan replied, “Doctor Xiao, imagine having a mosquito buzzing by your ear all day. Would you find it annoying?”
Xiao Si caught her meaning—she was comparing him to an irritating mosquito.
“But don’t you think mosquitoes can be kind of cute?”
Lan Yan: “…”
She really didn’t want to talk to him anymore and turned to leave.
Xiao Si found teasing her to be rather entertaining.
After their breakfast, the two prepared to head out.
At that moment, Mr. Xiao and Mrs. Xiao returned home.
Xiao Si raised an eyebrow and asked, “Dad, Mom, what brings you home so early in the morning?”
Lan Yan felt slightly uneasy when she saw Mr. and Mrs. Xiao.
Still, she greeted them politely, “Hello, uncle and auntie.”
Mrs. Xiao ignored her son entirely, walked a few steps ahead, pushed him aside, and warmly took Lan Yan’s hand.
Xiao Si: “…”
“Young lady, what’s your name?” Mrs. Xiao asked with a smile.
Lan Yan was naturally apprehensive of too much enthusiasm, especially from elders.
She managed a somewhat forced smile, “Auntie, you can call me Lan Yan. Lan as in the color blue, Yan as in fireworks.”
Mrs. Xiao beamed at her response, “What a lovely name! It pairs so well with my son’s name, Xiao Si.”
Lan Yan was utterly confused—how did the conversation even get here?
Xiao Si knew immediately his mother had misunderstood.
Lan Yan wasn’t naive; she realized Mrs. Xiao had mistakenly assumed her relationship with Doctor Xiao.
“Auntie, I think there may be some misunderstanding. Doctor Xiao and I are just ordinary friends,” she clarified.
They might not even count as ordinary friends, as they barely interacted.
Mrs. Xiao, however, showed no disappointment. Instead, she chuckled, “No matter, you’re ordinary friends for now—that doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way!”
Lan Yan: “…”
Not knowing what else to say, she looked up at Xiao Si, silently asking him to handle the situation.
Xiao Si sighed in mild resignation.
He then placed his hands on his mother’s shoulders, turned her around, and nudged her back toward his father.
“Beloved mother, I’m going to be late for work.”
Mrs. Xiao glared at him, “I wasn’t stopping you; I was chatting with Lan Yan!”
“Lan Yan?” Xiao Si looked helplessly at his mother.
Mrs. Xiao turned to Lan Yan and asked with a smile, “You don’t mind me calling you Lan Yan, do you?”
Although she was embarrassed, Lan Yan still smiled and replied, “I don’t mind, auntie.”
Honestly, she wasn’t used to being addressed like that. This was a first for her.
Xiao Si said, “Mom, please don’t get the wrong idea. Lan Yan and I are just regular friends. And don’t go scaring her; she’s shy.”
With that, he turned and left.
Seeing him leave, Lan Yan had no choice but to apologize to Mrs. Xiao, “Auntie, we’ll be heading out now.”
Mrs. Xiao continued to smile warmly as she watched Lan Yan, “Alright, go ahead. Make sure to visit us again sometime!”
Once they’d walked away, Mr. Xiao finally spoke, “Enough looking. That young lady isn’t interested in your son.”
Despite remaining silent earlier, Mr. Xiao could see that Lan Yan and his son had no spark.
Mrs. Xiao protested indignantly, “There’s a saying—love grows over time. You don’t understand! Just because there’s no spark now doesn’t mean there won’t be one later. Besides, they’re perfectly matched in every way—their looks, height, even their shared profession as doctors. It’s called ‘birds of a feather flock together.'”
“And I really like this girl—she’s beautiful, humble, and kind-hearted.”
Mr. Xiao chuckled, “You’ve only exchanged a few words with her, and you’re already so sure? Doesn’t that seem a bit hasty to you?”
Mrs. Xiao shot him a sharp glare.
Mr. Xiao instantly fell silent, “Alright, alright. If you like her, then that’s all that matters. You’re always right, dear.”
“I’ll go and have someone investigate this young woman’s background,” Mr. Xiao offered.
But before he could act, Mrs. Xiao stopped him, “No need. Her background doesn’t matter. Besides, doing something like that would be disrespectful to her.”
Mr. Xiao shrugged, “Alright, everything as you wish, my lady.”
Mrs. Xiao had her own plans in mind and had already begun plotting.
After all, this was the first time her son had ever brought a young woman home overnight; the connection couldn’t be insignificant.
Meanwhile, Xiao Si was already driving a car out of the Xiao family residence.
“Where do you want to go?”
Xiao Si glanced towards Lan Yan, who was seated in the passenger seat.
Lan Yan replied, “Gold-plated Club. My car is still there.”
Xiao Si nodded, “Got it.”
After a pause, he added, “Don’t take what happened earlier to heart. My mom is just like that. Whenever she sees a woman around me, it’s like she’s a wolf leaping at prey, desperate to make us get married.”
Lan Yan responded with a simple, “I didn’t take it to heart.”
Indeed, she hadn’t paid it any mind.
After that, she didn’t say another word.
The sudden quiet took Xiao Si by surprise.
With a resigned laugh, he remarked, “You really don’t talk much, do you?”
Lan Yan thought about not responding, which would be impolite, but she didn’t know what to say. So, she simply uttered, “I’m alright.”
That made Xiao Si laugh out loud, “You really are a conversation killer, huh? Are you even more straightforward than your boss?”
It was no secret within their circle that Su He was a true straight shooter.
Lan Yan: “…”
She didn’t respond further, mainly because she didn’t know how.
On the way to the Gold-plated Club from the Xiao residence, Xiao Si kept trying to stir up conversation.
Lan Yan occasionally acknowledged him.
But it typically consisted of him asking questions and her giving short answers.
“Lan Yan, I’ve come to realize that your future boyfriend must be someone who’s good at conversation. Otherwise, the two of you are going to bore each other to death.”
Lan Yan turned to glance at him briefly, “That’s none of Doctor Xiao’s concern.”
And just then, the car reached the Gold-plated Club.
As soon as the car stopped, Lan Yan unbuckled her seatbelt.
“Thanks,” she said before getting out of the car.
Xiao Si watched her back disappear in the distance and couldn’t help but chuckle.
He genuinely didn’t understand—how could someone possibly talk so little?
Lan Yan was the most silent, reserved person he’d ever encountered—even less talkative than Lu Zhiyang.
Lan Yan drove her car away from the Gold-plated Club and headed straight for Moon Gift Villa to see Su He.
“Well done.”
Su He instructed Fei Xu to place the items into the manor’s collection room.
One item was a gold-crafted crown, and the other was a set of blue-and-white porcelain tableware.
Lan Yan could tell the crown was definitely authentic, but she wasn’t as sure about the tableware.
“Boss, aren’t you going to check that blue-and-white porcelain set?” Lan Yan asked.
After all, Su He had only taken a quick glance before closing the box.
Su He replied, “No need. The Yun family has always dealt in antiques, and Old Mr. Yun’s private vault houses countless rare treasures. He wouldn’t bother to fake something to fool me.”
Besides, Old Mr. Yun’s vault was equipped with firewalls and programs designed by Su He herself. Every system upgrade required her input.
The internal design of the vault was also her work.
“Speaking of which, you won’t need to head back for now. Stay in the country for the time being,” Su He stated.
Lan Yan nodded, “Alright.”
“You can choose to live in the Pear Garden Pavilion or here,” Su He offered.
“Boss, I’ll stay in Pear Garden Pavilion,” Lan Yan said.
After all, she had lived there longer and was more accustomed to it.
Lan Yan suddenly remembered something, “By the way, boss, isn’t Ella here in Yue City too?”
Su He picked up her cup, took a sip, and acknowledged, “Yes, she came here—and she’s resolved her lifelong matter while she’s at it.”
“What?” Lan Yan was stunned. “What lifelong matter?”
Su He replied leisurely, “She and Ye Jiuqing have registered their marriage.”
Lan Yan was so shocked by the news that her jaw nearly dropped.
“How… how is that even possible?”
She felt utterly confused because she had never seen the two of them as a potential couple.
Su He smiled faintly, “In this vast world, anything is possible.”
Lan Yan still found it difficult to believe, “But, I feel that Young Master Ye doesn’t deserve Ella. Ella is such a good person.”
As soon as she finished speaking, someone walked through the doorway.
That person overheard what was said.
“Then please enlighten me, Dr. Lan, as to what makes me unsuitable for Helan Lingshuang?”
A deep, cold voice rang out from behind Lan Yan, entering her ears.
Lan Yan instinctively turned to face him and met Ye Jiuqing’s blue eyes—deep, icy, and mesmerizing, a gaze that held an almost magnetic pull.
“Young Master Ye.” She addressed him calmly.
She wasn’t afraid of him. After all, her boss was here; he wouldn’t do anything to her.
Ye Jiuqing stared at her coolly, pressing, “Tell me, what makes me unworthy of Helan Lingshuang? Explain yourself.”
These past few days, he kept hearing the same sentiment.
Even his trusted aide, Ah Gui, had said something similar, which left him frustrated and dissatisfied.
Lan Yan put on a false smile, “Young Master Ye, I never said you weren’t a good person. You’re excellent. What I meant was that your aura doesn’t match Ella’s.”
Ye Jiuqing’s eyes gleamed deeply as he studied her before curling his lips into a sinister smile.
“Really?”
Lan Yan nodded, “Yes. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the boss.”
Su He remained seated in a leisurely pose.
She responded with a nonchalant “Hmm.”
Looking at Ye Jiuqing, she casually changed the subject, “What brings you here?”
Ye Jiuqing brushed past Lan Yan and chose the single-seater opposite Su He to sit.
He didn’t beat around the bush and directly asked, “Where’s Ella?”
Upon hearing that, Su He raised an elegant brow and chuckled softly, “You’re asking me where your wife is? Are you joking?”
Ye Jiuqing frowned. If he knew, why would he be here asking?
“Just tell me. I need to see her,” he said.
He had tried calling her, only to find she had blocked his number.
No matter how many times he changed numbers to call her, she wouldn’t pick up. Neither could his people locate her.
It was clear someone was covering her tracks.
The culprit could only be Su He, so she had to know Ella’s whereabouts.
Su He leaned back into her seat, “I honestly don’t know.” Her tone carried a playful edge. “You two only registered your marriage days ago, and you claimed it was forced upon you. So why are you so desperate to find her now?”
“That’s not your concern; just tell me where she is,” Ye Jiuqing demanded.
“I don’t plan to concern myself. In fact, I don’t know where she is,” Su He replied simply.
“Su He!”
Ye Jiuqing, irritated, called her by her full name.
Su He remained unfazed, “Even if you call me ‘Mom,’ it won’t help. I don’t know means I don’t know.”
Ye Jiuqing: “…”
He sat there unmoving, staring at her intensely.
Su He could tell he was trying to wear down her patience.
But she wasn’t the type to waste time on useless standoffs. Her schedule was far too packed.
She stood up and turned to Lan Yan, “Lan Yan, you’re coming to the research institute with me today.”
Lan Yan replied, “Alright, boss.”
…
In the days that followed.
Whenever Su He appeared in publicly accessible spaces, Ye Jiuqing’s figure appeared as well.
He even followed her to work, waiting outside because he couldn’t go in.
To any outsider witnessing the scene, he’d seem like a stalker.
But no matter how much he asked, Su He’s response never changed: “I don’t know.”
One day, Su He received a call and headed to City First Hospital.
The call was from her younger uncle, Su Tianyi. Over the phone, he had simply requested she come to the hospital, mentioning the surgery department had admitted a patient.
When Su He arrived together with Lan Yan, they noticed two uniformed police officers standing guard outside the hospital room.