Ye Zhilan called Su Yan the moment she stepped out of Qingci Technology, her tone dripping with malice.
"Su Yan, are you playing me? Let me tell you, don't think for a second that because you goaded Ye Zhan into causing a scene with my parents, you can hold onto your position as the young mistress of the Ye family. If I really wanted to, I could have you kicked out of the Ye family like a stray dog in a heartbeat. Don't forget how you ended up with Ye Zhan in the first place."
Had it not been for the documents Su Yan provided, she would never have gone there in person to discuss an acquisition. She had already cut off the financing channels for Qingci Technology, waiting for them to be driven into a dead end so she could take over with ease. Instead, not only did the acquisition fail, but she had been humiliated. She wouldn't let Jiang Jinyue off the hook, and she certainly wouldn't let Su Yan get away with this either.
"Sister, please don't be angry. How could I possibly play you?" Su Yan said, her tone humble. "We're family. My hatred for Jiang Jinyue is even deeper than yours."
In truth, Ye Zhilan knew this had nothing to do with Su Yan, but after being humiliated by Jiang Jinyue, she needed someone to bear the brunt of her anger.
"It had better be that way! Don't forget who helped you get everything you have today."
The line went dead.
Su Yan stared at Ye Zhilan’s name on her call log with a sinister expression. It remained to be seen who would end up a stray dog kicked out of the Ye family.
***
The employees at Qingci Technology, unfazed by the acquisition attempt, set off to dinner in high spirits. Before meeting Jiang Jinyue, Meng Zanchen had been a quintessential spendthrift rich kid. While he now understood the difficulty of earning money, habits formed over many years were not easily broken. Every dinner he hosted had an average cost of at least one thousand per person. Tonight was a welcome party for Jiang Jinyue, and he had booked a table at a seven-star hotel.
The atmosphere was lively, and Jiang Jinyue had a few too many drinks. She wasn't drunk, but she felt a bit dizzy. She stood in front of the mirror in the restroom, splashing cold water on her hands before pressing them against her forehead. The crystal chandelier above cast a hazy light through the mirror, making her peach-blossom eyes appear even more tender.
"1982 Montrachet with bluefin tuna—Boss Jiang is certainly generous to her staff."
Lu Chenhuai turned on the faucet next to her, pulled up his sleeves, and placed his hands under the water, revealing silver cufflinks.
Jiang Jinyue took one look and looked away. "Is President Lu jealous?"
"Hardly." He turned off the faucet and dried his hands in one fluid motion. "After all, those cufflinks you gave me were a 'collector’s item' that took you several streets in New York to find."
Jiang Jinyue rolled her eyes internally. Who is he implying is cheap? If you think the cufflinks are worthless, then don't wear them!
"I'll be going now, President Lu."
As Jiang Jinyue turned to walk toward the door, she was pulled back and pressed against the wall by Lu Chenhuai, who then used his leg to shut the door.
"I heard Ye Zhilan plans to acquire your company."
Lu Chenhuai held her waist with one hand and braced the other against the wall behind her. She was sensitive to the cold; he was thoughtful, at least.
"President Lu is certainly well-informed." Jiang Jinyue looked up at him with a smirk. "And I'm not that easy to bully."
"You don't take Ye Zhilan seriously, but what about the Ye family? If the Ye family hadn't stepped in, those investors wouldn't have kept their distance!" Lu Chenhuai had also been drinking; his breath carried a faint, not unpleasant scent of alcohol. "Why don't we start over..."
"President Lu is drunk." Jiang Jinyue interrupted him and pushed him away. "It’s not over yet. Your conclusions are premature."
***
When Jiang Jinyue returned from the restroom, she saw several missed calls from Su Jing.
Su Jing hadn't shown up for Su Yan's wedding. Su Yan had claimed that she and Su Jing had discussed it before deciding to have Jiang Jinyue return to act as her bridesmaid. Jiang Jinyue hadn't believed her, but three years ago, when the Su family decided to send her abroad, it was Su Jing who had persuaded her. From that moment on, her reliance on him had begun to falter.
The call didn't go through, but Su Jing sent her a WeChat message: "I'm in the lobby on the first floor of the Putai Hotel."
Jiang Jinyue finished reading the message, excused herself from the others, and left. Meng Zanchen offered to drop her off, but when she said her brother was coming, he hesitated, eventually saying, "Call me if you need anything."
As long-time friends, Jiang Jinyue knew exactly what hesitation lay behind his unspoken words. Everything from the past was history now—Su Jing included, as was Lu Chenhuai.
"Brother, why are you here?"
As soon as she reached the lobby, Jiang Jinyue saw Su Jing standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, finishing a call. She waited until he hung up before walking over.
Su Jing was striking, possessing a refined, aloof handsomeness. Beyond his appearance, his knowledge and achievements made him a standout among the second-generation circles in Longcheng. Otherwise, the Ye family would never have agreed to let Ye Zhan marry Su Yan. In high-society marriages, background and resources were paramount; the individual themselves was the least important factor.
Su Jing tucked his phone into his pocket and walked toward her. "Why didn't you call me when you got back?"
"I thought you all knew."
Since Su Yan claimed Su Jing had agreed to her return for the wedding, she would go along with the act. Sure enough, a flash of cold light crossed Su Jing’s eyes.
"Still so naive." Su Jing reached out and ruffled her hair, his expression turning doting. "I've already had the house in Jinlin Dongyuan tidied up for you. Stay there for now, and we can find you a place you like better later."
"I want to go home. Is that alright?"
Su Jing seemed surprised by her request. He paused for a moment, then smiled. "Of course. I'm heading back too. Want to ride with me?"
Jiang Jinyue nodded.
She followed him out a step behind, the innocent, harmless smile on her face gradually fading. Three years could change so much. Look at that; she could now act right in front of Su Jing without even a racing heart. She owed that to the two-plus years of pretense she had performed with Lu Chenhuai in New York.
***
Inside the black-gold VIP room on the second floor, the atmosphere was boisterous. Many of Longcheng’s elite were enjoying their drinks. Lu Chenhuai refused a drink poured by a hostess and lit a cigarette by the window. The sandalwood window frames sliced the twilight into diamond-shaped shadows, the curling smoke blurring Lu Chenhuai’s sharp features.
He watched Jiang Jinyue leave the hotel with Su Jing. Su Jing even took the scarf from his own neck and wrapped it around hers.
The heat from his fingers seared into his skin. The cigarette he had barely touched had already burned down to the filter.
"Why bother? I told you back then that women are like fire—be careful not to play with it and get burned."
Lu Chenhuai glanced at the man beside him and let out a cold hum. "I haven't seen you rest for a moment, either."
"I'm different from you. I treat every woman who falls into my arms the same. You, on the other hand, treat everyone the same except for that little wildcat of yours. The worst part is you don't even realize it, and yet you still got dumped."
"I was the one who broke it off," Lu Chenhuai insisted.
"If you say so."