Lan Rouxue felt as if struck by lightning.
Her mind reeled, her vision swimming as she clutched the edge of the table to steady herself. Only after a long moment did she register the sound of her daughter’s heartbroken sobs.
She hurried over and scooped Lan Yue into her arms.
"He’s so mean! Uncle Kou pushed me… How could he push me?" Lan Yue wailed between tears.
Father Ji would never have pushed her.
She missed Father Ji.
Lan Rouxue bit her lower lip.
The one at fault wasn’t Kou Xing.
It was Ji Zhiyuan.
She could hardly believe that after all these years together, her boyfriend had set her up—deliberately leaving her alone in the office, intentionally leaving his laptop unlocked, letting her steal the chip code—all to use her as a pawn in his scheme to deal a crushing blow to Kou Technologies…
Just when had he discovered her dealings with Kou Xing?
Instead of confronting her, he had orchestrated this trap in secret.
How calculating.
How had she never realized, after all this time, that Ji Zhiyuan was such a despicable man?
Before she could even gather her thoughts, a message buzzed on her phone—
"Lan Rouxue, let’s break up."
The words hit her like a hammer to the skull.
So, it was true. Ji Zhiyuan had deliberately engineered this situation to corner her…
How ruthless.
Now, the only lifeline left to her was Kou Xing.
She tapped open the news and saw Kou Technologies making headlines.
"Kou Technologies hit by malware attack—production line infected, company in total collapse, losses exceed 200 million…"
"Since its overseas listing, Kou Technologies has seen rapid growth, but this malware incident could set the company back a decade, dealing a devastating blow…"
Ji Zhiyuan glanced at the news on his phone, his lips curling in disdain.
Kou Technologies was nothing more than a minor branch of the Ji Group’s empire. He held no personal grudge against them.
But Kou Xing had brought this upon himself.
Ji Zhiyuan had never been one for mercy—he’d simply been blinded by Lan Rouxue for too long.
He never acted unless necessary.
But once he decided to strike, he left no room for retreat.
He opened WeChat.
The message he’d sent remained unanswered.
He had expected Lan Rouxue to at least try to explain why she’d made such a choice.
But she hadn’t.
All those years of devotion—now a joke.
Ji Zhiyuan sat in the pavilion on the lawn, downing glass after glass of liquor.
"Great-Grandma, if Big Brother keeps drinking like this, it won’t end well," Ji Zhouye whispered. "What could’ve happened to make him drink so much?"
He nudged Duoduo. "Go see who your dad’s texting."
Duoduo, worried about her father’s health, tiptoed behind the pavilion and peeked at his unlocked phone screen.
She scurried back, wide-eyed. "Daddy sent Auntie Lan a WeChat message saying he wants to break up."
"Seriously?" Old Master Ji brightened. "They’re really splitting?"
Duoduo shook her head. "Auntie Lan hasn’t replied yet, so maybe not."
She didn’t like Lan Yue or Auntie Lan and secretly hoped her father would end things.
But if he was this upset, maybe breaking up wasn’t the only option.
"Hah! So the boy’s finally seen through that woman. Good!" Old Master Ji stroked his chin. "Still, after so many years together, he’s bound to feel some attachment. We can’t let Lan Rouxue swoop back in with tears and pleas… Zhouye, take your brother bar-hopping. Plenty of pretty women there—a fresh sight might cleanse his mind of her."
Ji Zhouye had been itching for a night out.
But his wallet was painfully thin.
He thumped his chest. "Don’t worry, Old Master. I’ll drag Big Brother out of this mess."
"Oh, and take Great-Grandma with you," Old Master Ji added, massaging Rong Yu’s shoulders. "Mom, you’ve been too busy lately. Go unwind at the bar—experience how the youngsters live."
Rong Yu adored modern life.
She’d never been to a bar before.
Old Master Ji coughed. "I’ll tag along too—"
Rong Yu pressed a hand to his silver-haired head. "If you want to live a few more years, go to bed."
Duoduo piped up sweetly, "If Great-Grandpa sneaks his phone instead of sleeping, I’ll call Auntie."
Young as she was, she already knew Auntie ruled the Ji family hierarchy.
Old Master Ji: "…"
Miserable.
But he dared not argue.
Ji Zhouye was already urging Ji Zhiyuan. "Big Brother, drowning in liquor is pointless. Come on, I’ll take you somewhere fun."
Ji Zhiyuan kept drinking. "No."
"Then come with me," Rong Yu said, snatching his glass. "You just got paid, didn’t you? Treat your great-grandma to drinks—unless you refuse?"
Ji Zhiyuan gave a bitter laugh.
All month, he’d worked day and night, taking on side jobs to save up—planning a trip with Lan Rouxue.
Now, it was all meaningless.
He rubbed his temples and stood. "Fine."
Ji Zhouye drove them to a bustling bar. "Dreamweaver Bar—Hai Chang’an and Si Lin hang out here all the time…"
Mid-sentence, he cursed. "You’ve got to be kidding me. Of all people—?"
Rong Yu glanced up. A black luxury car had pulled up ahead, and from the passenger seat stepped Lan Rouxue.
Lan Rouxue froze.
She was here tonight for Kou Technologies.
Back when she’d worked as Ji Zhiyuan’s secretary, she’d met an expert in this field—someone who could minimize Kou Technologies’ losses.
Hearing the expert was entertaining clients at Dreamweaver tonight, she and Kou Xing had rushed over.
And now, of all times, she ran into Ji Zhiyuan and his family.
Ji Zhouye wanted to scream.
He’d meant to cheer his brother up, only to stumble upon Lan Rouxue with another man—clearly more than just friends.
For someone as loyal as Big Brother to initiate a breakup, she must’ve cheated.
"Well, well—" Ji Zhouye’s sneer was cut short.
Kou Xing’s icy voice rang out first. "Impressive tactics, President Ji. I’m in awe."
Ji Zhiyuan, slightly drunk and still dazed from the car ride, only noticed Lan Rouxue standing beside Kou Xing after he spoke.
His eyes darkened with fury.
He’d known for a while about Kou Xing’s frequent visits to Lan Rouxue’s home, but seeing them side by side still sent a surge of emotion through him.
Matters of the heart weren’t so easily discarded.
His voice was low. "I’m equally impressed, President Kou, using a woman to steal trade secrets."
Rong Yu’s brow arched.
She’d assumed this was just a messy love triangle. But industrial espionage?
At least her foolishly love-struck grandson wasn’t entirely hopeless.
"Let's go in already." Ji Zhouye rolled his eyes at Lan Rouxue before slinging an arm around Ji Zhiyuan's shoulder. "Big bro, I heard this place has loads of beauties. Let’s get a few to join us for drinks..."
