The corners of Zhou Suisui’s lips curled into a triumphant smile.
“Then you’d better hurry back. Brother Yan doesn’t wait for anyone.”
“Fuck!”
After hanging up, Zhou Sui'an tossed the ninety-nine diamond-studded roses in his hand onto the roadside.
He floored the accelerator of his Porsche. The tires screeched against the pavement.
He had completely forgotten about the global livestream cameras already set up at the film studio for his public confession, as well as the hundreds of media outlets that had shown up.
He sped home like a madman.
At the villa.
After ending the video call, Zhou Suisui calmly put the small box and the bell collar back into Cui Wu’s drawer.
Cui Wu stared at her, utterly dumbfounded.
“M-Miss, why did you lie to Young Master? When did you become so close to Young Master Jiang?”
Zhou Suisui knew that being reborn was too shocking to believe.
If she told Cui Wu now, Sister Wu—who firmly believed in materialism—might take her for a lunatic.
She gave the bewildered Cui Wu a faint smile. “Just now.”
“Huh?”
“Sister Wu, I’m sorry for borrowing your things in an emergency. I need you to do me another favor. Find a private investigator you know and have them photograph everything about Su Wan’s schedule today, the people she’s recently been in contact with, and all relevant photos and videos. The more detailed, the better.”
After a moment, she added indifferently, “Money is no object.”
Although Cui Wu had no idea why Miss wanted her to do this, she went to carry it out anyway.
“Of course, Miss. I’ll get right on it.”
Only after Cui Wu left the room did Zhou Suisui finally relax.
She knew Su Wan’s tricks far too well.
In her previous life, Su Wan had never intended to accept this confession. She had not even stayed at the scene for half an hour.
At that very moment, she had slipped away to the rooftop of a hotel to discuss opportunities with Director Zhang, who held the script for a major female-lead drama.
She was using her brother’s popularity to build hype for herself and exchange it for a stepping stone to the top.
After arranging all of this, she sat on the luxurious leather sofa in the living room and waited for her brother to come home and demand an explanation.
The several-hundred-square-meter hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
On the television, a financial news report was playing.
A beautiful female anchor was delivering the hottest business news of the day in a polished, professional tone.
“Jiang Group heir Jiang Zongyan returned to the country yesterday. Industry insiders speculate that he has come home to go on a matchmaking date…”
If it had been anyone else, her brother would not have reacted so strongly.
But this was Jiang Zongyan.
In her previous life, this grand confession had catapulted Su Wan to fame. It had also marked the beginning of a nightmare for her brother and the Zhou Group.
“Eldest Young Master Zhou’s over-the-top pursuit of a celebrity—if the Zhou couple were still alive, they’d be so furious they’d rise from their graves.”
That sharp commentary from People’s Headlines had placed the Zhou Group at the center of a storm.
Its stock price plummeted, wiping out more than a trillion yuan in market value.
But in reality, Su Wan had never intended to accept her brother’s confession.
She merely wanted to use his popularity to generate publicity for herself.
Her brother had spent tens of millions creating a grand confession that would be livestreamed around the world, only for her to reject him in tears, claiming that her career was at a critical stage of its upward trajectory.
She had worked hard for years to get where she was. She could not let all of it be ruined now.
“Sui'an, you love me so much. You’ll support me, won’t you?”
“Wanwan, I’ll always support you.”
Unable to bring himself to blame Su Wan, her brother took responsibility for all the consequences.
Afterward, Su Wan gained more than ten million followers overnight and became a bona fide internet celebrity.
Her brother, meanwhile, had been played for a fool. The company suffered massive losses, and the incident became the starting point of his lifelong nightmare.
—
Cui Wu was a professional housekeeper, and her efficiency was unmatched.
About ten minutes later, she hurried back in.
“Miss! I found everything!”
She held out her phone to Zhou Suisui, her face full of righteous indignation. “Young Master treats her so well. How could she do something like this?”
“Greed knows no bounds.”
“She’s despicable! I used to think so highly of her. From now on, I’m throwing away every gift she’s ever given me.”
There was no surprise in Zhou Suisui’s eyes. They were as still as an ancient well.
This was a trap they had designed for her brother from the very beginning.
How could a swindler ever offer genuine feelings?
She sat there quietly, her gaze as calm as still water.
With her delicate, youthful features, she looked like a porcelain princess who knew nothing of the world. Yet her clear eyes held a composure and maturity far beyond her years.
She looked up and gazed out the window.
The spring sunlight was warm and bright. The parasol trees had quietly sprouted several tender green shoots.
The corners of her beautiful lips slowly curved upward.
Su Wan, in this life, it’s your turn to go to hell. I hope you can still be as lucky and composed as you were in your previous life.
Less than half an hour later.
Zhou Sui'an kicked open the villa door. The veins in his temples bulged as he stormed over and immediately began rummaging through Zhou Suisui’s backpack, dumping everything onto the carpet.
He found neither the box of condoms nor the bell collar. He exploded on the spot.
“Zhou Suisui, you’re gambling with your reputation! Have you lost your mind?! Do you even know who Jiang Zongyan is? Do you know anything about him?”
Who was Jiang Zongyan?
He was a flawless perfectionist, a man so rigid that it seemed to be carved into his bones.
They were clearly the same age, yet he was mature and composed in everything he did, making the rest of them look childish and foolish by comparison.
While everyone else was slacking off and sneaking through dog holes, he was already studying economic theory.
Jiang Zongyan had been Zhou Sui'an’s nightmare since childhood—the benchmark against which he was constantly measured.
Whenever Jiang Zongyan was around, no matter how outstanding Zhou Sui'an was, he could only play second fiddle.
Jiang Zongyan was not only handsome, but also brilliant. He ranked first in his grade every single time.
As for Zhou Sui'an, he was the legendary perennial runner-up.
The nickname “Zhou the Second” had been bestowed upon him by Jiang Zongyan.
Damn it.
His sister could date any man she wanted.
But that seductive peacock was absolutely off-limits.
“Zhou Suisui, are you even listening to me?”
Zhou Sui'an gripped her thin shoulders tightly, baring his teeth in fury.
Worried, Cui Wu said, “Young Master, please be gentler. You’re hurting Miss.”
“Sister Wu, go outside for now.”
Zhou Suisui gave the order calmly.
Cui Wu left reluctantly, closing the door behind her and leaving the siblings alone.
Sitting on the sofa, Zhou Suisui looked up at him coldly.
That was her brother—so alive, with such expressive features. Even his anger made her happy.
So this was what it felt like to have a beating heart.
It was wonderful.
Gradually, the corners of Zhou Suisui’s eyes reddened.
“Brother…”
Zhou Sui'an froze. Without realizing it, he loosened his grip.
“W-Why are you crying? I haven’t even scolded you yet!”
Zhou Suisui steadied her breathing, raised a hand, and wiped away her tears. Then, with a single sentence, she left him rooted to the spot.
“Brother, if you confess your love to Su Wan tonight, you’ll become the laughingstock of the entire city of Tang tomorrow.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re going to confess to her in front of the whole world. She only wants to use you to gain popularity and create an image of herself as a clear-headed, independent leading lady. Then she’ll turn around and use the attention you give her to trade for opportunities with a director.”
“Suisui… Su Wan isn’t that kind of person!”
“Whether she is or not, you’ll know if you call her.”
“Impossible…”
Zhou Sui'an instinctively denied it, yet he could not stop himself from pulling out his phone. His hands were trembling.
