The spotlight on the stage lit up, and the speakers played Du Yu's favorite anime theme song.
Du Yu slowly stepped onto the stage from one end, cosplaying as her favorite anime character—a fearless, battle-hardened queen who was unafraid to love or fight. It perfectly matched the theme of the day.
Jiang Shen, acting like a proper host, began interacting with Du Yu in flawless Mandarin.
Though the setup resembled a wedding ceremony, the people on stage weren’t the bride and groom, and the audience wasn’t there for a banquet. Still, everyone enthusiastically joined in, quickly heating up the atmosphere.
Zhou Zhuofei even overheard Du Yu’s colleagues discussing how skilled Jiang Shen was, suggesting they invite him to host their next comic convention.
Zhan Zilang immediately recognized Jiang Shen by his voice and quietly remarked to Zhou Zhuofei, "I didn’t expect him to be into Assassin’s Creed."
"Or maybe he’s just hiding his face." After all, with the hood up, you couldn’t tell who was underneath.
After Du Yu’s grand entrance, Jiang Shen invited a few lucky guests on stage for games and handed out small gifts.
Once the games ended, while the crowd was still buzzing with excitement, Jiang Shen returned to announce the next segment—encouraging people to come up and share their blessings.
Zhou Zhuofei could clearly sense Jiang Shen deliberately looking at her as he spoke. Was this a signal?
Was it about to begin?
As Jiang Shen asked if anyone wanted to come up, Zhou Zhuofei debated whether she should volunteer to warm up the crowd—but Du Yu hadn’t given her any heads-up!
While she was still hesitating, Jiang Shen jumped off the stage, seemingly ready to pick someone himself.
The closest table was Han Chubin’s. Jiang Shen deliberately skipped over Han Chubin and instead handed the microphone to the man beside him, inviting him to speak on stage.
The man showed no hesitation, confidently stepping up. Following Jiang Shen’s lead, he introduced himself, explained his relationship with Du Yu, and offered his blessings.
With him setting the tone, the rest of the segment proceeded smoothly.
Jiang Shen moved around the venue, inviting five or six guests before finally returning to the stage—stopping right beside Han Chubin.
"Now, we have one last guest whose blessings we haven’t heard. Does anyone know who it is?"
The crowd played along, shouting in unison: "No—idea!"
"That would be our birthday girl’s boyfriend, Dong Ye! Let’s hear what Dong Ye has to say."
This step was clearly prearranged between Jiang Shen and Han Chubin. The latter showed no sign of panic, smoothly taking the microphone and stepping onto the stage.
Zhou Zhuofei’s instincts flared—after all this buildup, it was finally happening.
As Han Chubin took the stage, the lighting shifted, leaving only a single spotlight on him. Meanwhile, Du Yu, unnoticed by most, had stepped down and now stood at a distance, facing him.
Apart from Du Yu, Jiang Shen, and Zhou Zhuofei, everyone else believed they were about to witness a beautifully romantic moment.
Han Chubin was in high spirits. Though Du Yu had organized the birthday party, all the credit was being attributed to him.
Every time he overheard Du Yu’s friends praising her "generous boyfriend" and expressing envy, his satisfaction grew.
What could be more gratifying than being admired in front of so many people?
He felt the tens of thousands he’d spent were absolutely worth it.
The blessing segment had also been discussed with Jiang Shen beforehand. The host had even asked for a few couple photos, promising to display them on the big screen during his speech.
So when Han Chubin began speaking and noticed the LED screen lighting up behind him, he wasn’t surprised.
Even when murmurs rose from the audience, he paid no mind—until he saw Du Yu’s expression change.
Her smile vanished, replaced by a cold stare laced with unmistakable disgust.
What was going on?
He instinctively glanced at his friends—their faces were frozen in shock as they stared at something behind him.
Confused, Han Chubin turned around.
The LED screen’s glare made his eyes water, but through the blur, he could still make out the content—it wasn’t the photos he’d given Jiang Shen. Instead, it showed two screenshots of chat logs.
The profile pictures in the logs were blurred, but the conversations revolved entirely around him.
A quick scan revealed the first chat: someone had used his photos to ask if the other person knew him. The reply confirmed it—and mentioned his infidelity.
The second log was similar, with the other person admitting they’d known Han Chubin had a girlfriend when they got involved.
What the hell was this? He couldn’t even recall who these people might be.
But that wasn’t the main issue. Forcing himself to stay composed, he turned to Jiang Shen with feigned outrage.
"What’s the meaning of this? Who told you to fabricate these fake screenshots to slander me?"
Jiang Shen remained unruffled. "If the screenshots are fake, how about this?"
He pressed a button, and the speakers immediately played a voice recording—distorted but still audible.
"Tell me about the Dong Ye you know."
"Dong Ye? When I met him, he went by Zi Ye."
"How did you meet?"
"He posted in our local forum looking for anime fans to meet up at a convention. We exchanged contacts, and he seemed nice at first. After the event, he treated our whole group to dinner and even paid for our rides home."
"And then?"
"We kept in touch. Later, he came back for another convention and messaged asking if I’d join him. He always used the Zi Ye account. Eventually, we started dating, but he was ‘busy’—we only met once or twice a month."
"Then I found out the truth. He had multiple accounts and was talking to girls like me in every city he visited. When I confronted him, he threw 20,000 at me as hush money..."
By this point, the audience was in an uproar.
Han Chubin’s mind went blank the moment the recording started. As it continued, fragments of memory surfaced—this sounded like a girl he’d met three years ago. But her name, her face? He couldn’t recall.
He could only keep denying it. "What’s the point of this fake audio? What are you trying to do?"
Jiang Shen smirked. "My only goal is to keep people from being fooled. Don’t believe me? No problem—I’ve got plenty more recordings we can listen to, one by one."
As soon as the words fell, Jiang Shen pressed the button again, switching to another recorded conversation.
At this moment, Han Chubin had only one thought in his mind—he couldn’t let this continue.
Han Chubin shouted, "This is a violation of privacy! I’m calling the police!" With that, he jumped off the stage, trying to snatch the remote from Jiang Shen’s hand.
But Jiang Shen had already prepared for this. Staff members standing nearby immediately stepped forward to block Han Chubin.
Seeing their imposing figures, Han Chubin hesitated, not daring to charge recklessly.
Jiang Shen stood calmly behind them, unfazed. "Go ahead and call the police. The bigger the scene, the better. I’ll hand over all the materials I have to the authorities—and the press, too. A simple dispute turning into a scandal involving one man and multiple women? The media will love that. Oh, and doesn’t your family own a company?"
The last shred of rationality in Han Chubin’s mind vanished.
But now, he had too many problems to deal with. On a small scale, how could he stop this mess in front of him? On a larger scale, what would happen if this got out?
He could already see many people raising their phones, cameras pointed straight at him.
What were they doing?
Then he noticed Du Yu standing to the side, watching coldly, as if this had nothing to do with her.
But wasn’t this her birthday party? Did she know about this?
Was this all just a setup?
"I’m simply sharing some interview recordings with everyone. Calling it a privacy violation is absurd—I haven’t even mentioned Han Chubin’s name, have I?"
Jiang Shen never once removed his hood, but Han Chubin could feel the piercing gaze beneath it.
Everything had happened too suddenly. The audience was still processing the rapidly changing slides and recordings, with no time to question who had orchestrated this.
Jiang Shen’s aggressive demeanor had, in a way, diverted much of the attention away from Du Yu.
Han Chubin forced himself to calm down. He wasn’t completely cornered—worst case, he could just leave this circle. If he abandoned this identity, none of this would follow him.
He glared at Jiang Shen through gritted teeth. "What do you want?"
"Sorry, what was that? I didn’t catch it." Jiang Shen deliberately held the microphone closer to Han Chubin’s mouth. "Could you repeat that?"
Han Chubin slapped the microphone away impatiently. "Cut the crap! What’s the point of fabricating all this nonsense to humiliate me?"
"Zi Ye isn’t you. Why are you so worked up?"
"This is my girlfriend’s birthday party, not your stage for chaos!" Han Chubin suddenly found his footing, his tone turning righteous. "Stop this right now. If you have a problem with me, deal with me privately. Don’t ruin this event."
"First of all, I’m no longer your girlfriend. Second, you don’t have any say over this party."
Du Yu pulled an envelope from her bag and threw it at Han Chubin’s feet. "Here’s the budget you gave me—every cent returned. Isn’t this how you ‘handled’ all those other girls you deceived?"
Zhou Zhuofei noticed the envelope was much smaller than the one Xie Ya had given before and remarked dryly, "Definitely not 100,000."
Zhan Zilang chuckled. "You’re quite the expert, Zhou-jie."
She shrugged. "Not as much as you."
Han Chubin’s face turned ashen. Only now did he realize—Du Yu and Jiang Shen were in this together. The birthday party was a trap.
He stared at Du Yu, eyes burning with fury. "So humiliating me was your goal?"
"I just wanted everyone to see who you really are—including your so-called friends."
Han Chubin didn’t dare look back at his friends’ reactions. He had invited only acquaintances, afraid his inner circle might slip up. Now, that decision had backfired.
Blinded by rage, he snapped, "What’s your deal? If you wanted to break up or extort money, you could’ve just said so!"
"For my own satisfaction." Du Yu flashed him the most genuine smile she’d ever given him. "Go to hell, you bastard."
Han Chubin roared, "You think ruining me will make your life better?"
"I’d advise against that line of thinking. If you even consider retaliation, every piece of evidence will be sent to your company’s clients—and your parents first. Your family’s business connections aren’t hard to trace."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Don’t put words in my mouth. It depends on how you interpret it."
Du Yu raised a finger. "First, stay out of my circle. Second, don’t harass me or anyone around me."
Han Chubin’s gaze flickered toward Zhou Zhuofei in the distance, only to meet undisguised disgust in her eyes.
"Seems we’ve reached an agreement," Jiang Shen said. "You have my contact info. Feel free to reach out if you have questions. Now, you can leave—or stay and listen to more recordings. Your life’s quite the drama."
Han Chubin had no time for this. He snatched the envelope from the floor and fled in panic.
Their entire exchange had been broadcast through the microphone, and as he tried to leave, the crowd erupted in boos and curses.
Han Chubin lowered his head, pretending not to hear.
Just get through that door, and none of this will matter!
When he reached the banquet hall’s exit, the doors were shut. Two staff members stood by, unmoving.
Jiang Shen’s voice rang out again. "Mr. Han, surely you haven’t forgotten how to open a door?"
Laughter erupted.
Han Chubin glared at the staff. "You’re not even opening the door? I’ll report you to the hotel!"
One of them replied coldly, "We don’t work for the hotel. Mr. Jiang is our employer."
Left with no choice, Han Chubin tried forcing the heavy wooden doors open. Even with all his strength, they barely budged.
He knew he looked pathetic, but he didn’t care—he just needed to escape.
Sweating profusely, he finally pried open a gap just wide enough to squeeze through, only to hear fabric tear as his clothes caught on something.
Gasping for breath, he didn’t bother checking the damage. He just ran, never looking back.
With the farce finally over, Zhou Zhuofei turned to see Zhan Zilang slipping his phone away, clearly having recorded plenty.
"Enjoyed the show?"
"Thoroughly. You don’t get to see this kind of drama every day."
Zhan Zilang was thoroughly engrossed, but Zhou Zhuofei realized she wasn’t as excited as she’d expected. Perhaps it was because Han Chubin’s unreasonable demeanor reminded her too much of someone she’d rather forget.
She couldn’t fully detach herself from the commotion and simply be an observer.
"Jerk," Zhou Zhuofei muttered resentfully.
Zhan Zilang, assuming she was referring to Han Chubin, chimed in agreement.
Soon after, Jiang Shen politely ushered Han Chubin’s friends out. It was clear some of them had no idea about the situation, and they left amid murmurs and speculation.
Jiang Shen even kindly offered to provide further details if anyone had questions later.
With the crowd cleared, Jiang Shen announced the birthday celebration would continue. Du Yu, acting as if nothing had happened, rejoined the group to play games.
Zhan Zilang grew restless, and Zhou Zhuofei, noticing his discomfort, suggested he remove his helmet mask. But he refused, quoting his character’s line:
"No. A warrior never removes his mask lightly."
Zhou Zhuofei rolled her eyes. "Then suffer in silence."
"Actually, I’m heading out. Could you pass along my gift, Zhou?"
"Fine." Zhou Zhuofei figured the main event was over anyway, so his presence didn’t matter much.
After games, everyone snacked on desserts and fruit. Du Yu put on an anime, turning the birthday party into an impromptu anime fan gathering.
No one minded—they’d gotten drama, made new friends, and had a great time. Why complain?
As the anime played, Du Yu slid next to Zhou Zhuofei with an invitation.
"Let’s grab drinks later!"
"Your call." Du Yu was clearly in high spirits, and Zhou Zhuofei wasn’t about to ruin the mood.
"Perfect. We’ll go after cake."
The event wrapped up with cake-cutting, and guests gradually dispersed.
Zhou Zhuofei trailed behind Du Yu, waiting as she finalized logistics with Jiang Shen. The mountain of gifts Du Yu had received couldn’t be carried alone, so Jiang Shen arranged for their storage.
"Thank you so much today!" Du Yu beamed. Without Jiang Shen’s planning, this gathering would’ve been impossible.
"Don’t mention it. You’re the client—I’m just doing my job."
"Still, you deserve thanks. Oh, we’re hitting a bar tonight. Wanna join?"
Jiang Shen smiled apologetically. "I’d love to, but I’ve got plans with a friend."
"Then we won’t keep you. Let’s catch up later."
Before leaving, Jiang Shen waved at Zhou Zhuofei. "Bye! Send more clients my way."
"Count on it."
Outside the hotel, they grabbed a quick bite. Du Yu’s earlier exuberance had faded, her energy drained.
Zhou Zhuofei didn’t pry—emotional highs often crash, leaving exhaustion in their wake.
To distract her, Zhou Zhuofei teased, "Eat up. We’ve got a bar to hit. Good thing I dressed decently, or they might’ve turned me away."
Du Yu laughed. "No way! If I owned the place, I’d let you in for sure."
"Which bar, then?"
"Only the best!" Du Yu figured she’d already splurged—why stop now?
"Let’s go to New World."
