8:00 PM — The Continental Hotel
Shan Qi discreetly followed Zhou Yang's car, only to find herself pulling up in front of a painfully familiar five-star luxury hotel in Shanghai—one where a single night could easily cost over a thousand dollars.
Her expression darkened.
"This hotel…" she muttered under her breath. "This is the one Yi Han and I stayed at when we were drunk."
The realization made her grip the steering wheel tighter.
"So generous to another woman, huh? What a scumbag."
She tossed her keys to the valet and slipped into the hotel lobby, keeping her head low. The familiar scent of expensive perfume and polished marble filled the air as she scanned the surroundings, quickly choosing a strategic spot behind a tall decorative flower vase near the entrance.
A few minutes later, Zhou Yang appeared.
And beside him—
Lan Xin.
She was dressed impeccably, wrapped in a dark violet bodycon dress that hugged every curve, her shoulders bare, her neckline deliberately low. She looked confident, radiant—like someone who knew exactly where she stood.
Shan Qi's jaw clenched.
Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone, switching it to silent mode, and began snapping photos and recording discreetly.
She waited.
For holding hands.
For an intimate touch.
For anything she could use as solid proof.
But to her surprise—there was none.
Zhou Yang kept a careful distance, his posture stiff, eyes constantly scanning the lobby as if afraid of being recognized. The two of them walked side by side, not too close, not too far. No hands intertwined. No affectionate gestures.
They looked less like lovers—
And more like two people deliberately pretending not to be.
Shan Qi frowned.
"What is this?" she whispered to herself. "Putting on an act?"
She zoomed her camera in, capturing their expressions, their cautious body language, the subtle tension between them.
He's hiding it, she realized.
This bastard is being careful.
But Shan Qi wasn't fooled.
Where there was smoke—
There was fire.
And she was determined to wait long enough for the truth to slip through.
Shan Qi trailed behind them from a careful distance, watching as Zhou Yang and Lan Xin stopped at the elevator lobby. She hid behind a pillar, eyes locked onto their reflections on the mirrored wall.
Moments later, the elevator arrived.
She watched silently as Zhou Yang and Lan Xin stepped inside. The doors slid shut with a soft chime.
Her gaze remained fixed on the elevator display above.
19.
The number lit up.
Just as she was about to move—
"It's you… Shan Qi, right?"
A voice sounded beside her.
Startled, Shan Qi turned her head. She lifted a finger, pointing uncertainly at the man in front of her, her brows knitting together as she searched her memory.
"You are…?"
He looked familiar. Too familiar.
"It looks like you're perfectly sober today."
Tian You chuckled lightly, his tone relaxed.
The word sober struck her like a lightning bolt.
In an instant, memories of that disastrous, alcohol-soaked night outside The Hex Bar came rushing back.
"Oh—!" Her cheeks flushed crimson. "You're—!"
Tian You.
She instinctively straightened up, suddenly very aware of how composed she looked compared to that night. Still, her eyes kept darting back to the elevator screen, watching the number remain frozen at 19.
Tian You followed her gaze, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"Such a small world," he said casually. "Are you staying at this hotel again?"
The implication made her ears burn.
"Ah—no!" Shan Qi waved her hands hurriedly. "I'm not staying here. I'm—uh—actually here to catch an adulterous couple for my friend."
She didn't elaborate.
"I really have to go now! Oh—and thank you for the other night!" she added quickly.
Before he could respond, Shan Qi rushed toward the next elevator just as the doors opened. She stepped inside, turned back briefly, and gave him an awkward wave.
The doors slid shut.
Tian You stood there for a moment, still processing what he had just heard. He turned his head toward Feng Yan, who had been beside him the entire time.
"Did I hear her wrongly?" Tian You asked, half-amused. "Catching an adulterous couple? Is she talking about that drunk friend from the other night?"
Feng Yan's expression remained calm, unreadable.
But he already knew the answer.
From Shan Qi's words, from what he had overheard earlier that day—and from the man Yi Han had been speaking to—Feng Yan was almost certain she was referring to Yi Han's fiancé.
Zhou Yang.
Shan Qi followed the elevator to the nineteenth floor and hurried toward the restaurant she had seen Zhou Yang and Lan Xin enter earlier. Just as she was about to step inside, a staff member stopped her politely.
"I'm very sorry, Miss," the restaurant manager said with a courteous bow. "This restaurant is exclusive to hotel guests only. May I recommend our public restaurant on level fifteen instead? I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience."
"What?" Shan Qi's heart sank. "But—"
She clenched her fists, frustration bubbling up. Without access, she wouldn't be able to get any closer. No photos. No proof.
Standing just outside the restaurant entrance, she bit her lip, racking her brain for a solution.
Damn it… what now?
At that moment—
"She's with us."
The voice came from behind her.
Shan Qi froze and turned around.
Tian You walked over casually, hands in his pockets, looking entirely at ease. Standing right beside him—
Was Feng Yan.
Shan Qi's eyes widened slightly.
The restaurant manager immediately straightened, recognition flashing across his face.
"Good evening, President Tian You," he said respectfully, then glanced at Feng Yan with even more caution. "President Feng."
He didn't question further.
"Of course," the manager continued, stepping aside. "This way, please."
Shan Qi blinked, momentarily stunned, before realizing what had just happened.
She was in. Easily
As she followed them into the restaurant, she stole a glance at Feng Yan's tall figure walking ahead—his presence calm, commanding, effortlessly authoritative.
Her heart thumped.
Yi Han… she thought.
You really have no idea what kind of man you've crossed paths with.
"Huh… President?" Shan Qi's mind blanked.
"What the hell—he owns this hotel?!"
Her face burned the instant the realization hit her.
I was drunk, squealing like an idiot, calling him a 'lost puppy' friend…
She wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury herself in it.
If she could rewind time, she would.
Following Tian You and Feng Yan into the restaurant, Shan Qi kept her head down, praying neither of them remembered every embarrassing detail from that night. Feng Yan's presence felt nothing like the man she vaguely recalled from Yi Han's description—polite, calm, almost gentle.
This version of him was distant. Cold. Untouchable.
They were led to a table not far from Zhou Yang and Lan Xin's, far enough to avoid suspicion yet close enough to observe. The restaurant was dimly lit, warm golden lights casting soft shadows that blurred faces and concealed expressions—perfect for private conversations.
Shan Qi swallowed nervously.
Still, she didn't forget why she was here.
Lowering her head slightly, she angled her phone and began snapping photos discreetly, her movements careful and practiced.
One shot.
Two shots.
But the more she watched, the deeper her disappointment grew.
Zhou Yang sat upright, his posture formal. Lan Xin leaned in only slightly, her smile restrained. No touching. No intimate gestures. Not even a hand resting on the table too close to his.
Anyone looking at the photos could easily explain it away.
A business dinner.
A client meeting.
Nothing inappropriate.
Shan Qi clenched her jaw.
"This bastard…" she muttered under her breath. "He's being careful."
Careful enough to leave no cracks.
Careful enough to hurt Yi Han without leaving evidence.
She lowered her phone, frustration tightening her chest.
If this is all I get… how am I supposed to help Yi Han?
Across the table, Feng Yan sat quietly, his gaze lowered, fingers resting calmly against the rim of his glass. But from beneath his lashes, his eyes briefly shifted—
Not toward Shan Qi.
But toward the table where Zhou Yang sat.
And in that fleeting glance, there was no warmth at all.
------------
"So he's the one you're trying to catch?" Tian You asked softly, glancing toward the nearby table.
"Yes!" Shan Qi replied without hesitation, anger flaring in her eyes. "All the hurt he's inflicted on my Yi Han—he's absolutely shameless."
Feng Yan's fingers paused briefly against his glass.
"He is her fiancé?" he asked. The only words that came out his mouth.
"Y-yes," Shan Qi answered, her voice tightening.
Tian You leaned back slightly. "Then what do you intend to do?"
"I'm going to get evidence," Shan Qi said firmly. "So Yi Han can call off the wedding properly. He won't be able to deny it."
The table fell quiet.
________
An hour passed.
Zhou Yang and Lan Xin remained composed, careful to maintain their distance. No slips. No intimacy. Not even a trace of affection that could be caught on camera.
Shan Qi stared into her champagne glass, the bubbles long gone.
Nothing…
She set the glass down and stood up quietly.
"I think I should go," she said, her tone apologetic. "I've probably disturbed the two of you long enough."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay and have dinner with us?" Tian You asked.
Shan Qi shook her head. "No, thank you. I'm really sorry to disturb you—and Mr Feng."
Tian You studied her for a moment before speaking again.
"You're not feeling tipsy after the champagne, are you? I can have the driver take you home."
"I'm fine," she replied quickly. "Thank you for the kind gesture."
She straightened and gave a small bow.
"I'll excuse myself then. Mr Tian You, Mr Feng."
With that, Shan Qi turned and left the restaurant.
The moment she stepped into the hallway, she pulled out her phone and began typing furiously, updating Yi Han on everything that had happened—every detail, every frustration.
Back at the table, Tian You watched her retreating figure until she disappeared from sight.
She looked disappointed.
No—more than that.
She looked helpless.
Tian You exhaled quietly, fingers tapping against the table.
"She really wants to help her friend," he said thoughtfully.
Across from him, Feng Yan remained silent.
But his gaze lingered in the direction Shan Qi had left.
And for the first time that night, his eyes darkened with intent.
___________
After dinner, Zhou Yang and Lan Xin moved toward the bar counter for drinks—an action that immediately caught Feng Yan's attention.
Without a word, Feng Yan rose from his seat. Tian You followed.
They took places at the bar as well, ordering whisky on the rocks. By coincidence—or perhaps design—their backs now faced Zhou Yang and Lan Xin, the distance close enough that every word carried clearly through the low hum of the bar.
"Come, my love," Zhou Yang said, lifting his glass. "Let's toast—to my upcoming promotion."
Lan Xin's eyes lit up. "Promotion? Already?"
"Of course." Zhou Yang laughed confidently. "I've met with someone from Feng Capital Group. Looks like I'll be securing their investment very soon. Just a few more pieces of paperwork to clear."
Lan Xin smiled sweetly. "Aww… how thoughtful of you to share such good news with me instead of Yi Han."
"She means nothing to me," Zhou Yang replied without hesitation. "You know that. After we get married, I'll persuade her to sell her apartment. I'll get a share of it—property prices have gone up recently. It'll be worth a fortune."
Lan Xin raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Sounds like you've planned everything already."
"Just wait for me," Zhou Yang said smugly. "Once I get this promotion, the management will entrust me with bigger clients. I'll build my empire—big enough to rival Feng Capital. Maybe even become their competitor."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Then you'll just sit back and be my queen."
Back at the bar, Tian You slowly turned his head and met Feng Yan's gaze.
For a brief second, Tian You wasn't sure whether to laugh—
Or applaud for Zhou Yang's bravery.
Feng Yan adjusted his thin-framed glasses calmly, the corner of his lips lifting into a faint, amused smirk.
Using Feng Capital Group for his promotion?
Rival Feng Capital?
The thought was almost… entertaining.
Without saying a word, Feng Yan lifted his glass.
Tian You followed suit.
The soft clink of crystal echoed quietly between them.
"To success," Feng Yan said coolly.
The words were smooth. And laced with unmistakable mockery.
"To success," Tian You echoed, a soft chuckle escaping him, amusement laced with sarcasm.