Snake-like lightning streaked through the clouds, intermittently illuminating the night with eerie purple flashes until a rolling thunderclap erupted, unleashing a torrential downpour.
In the suburban Jingyun Villa, the bedroom lay in silent darkness. A pool of fresh blood stained the plush carpet, while a life-sized stuffed toy in the corner had been gutted, its head impaled with a small pair of scissors. A long shadow stretched across the wall.
The glow from an iPad screen cast a pale light on a woman's face as she typed expressionlessly into a search bar:
"How to make someone vanish from the world without a trace?"
After browsing for a while without finding any legally feasible solutions, Ye Shengsheng's eyelids drooped, her lips pressed into a tight line. She switched to a second-hand shopping app, logging in with a string of numbers. Instantly, 99+ messages exploded onto the screen—every one of the 146 listings she'd posted before her shower had been snapped up.
Who knew "¥1 Scumbag Ex Memorabilia Clearance" would be so popular? Weren’t buyers worried about bad luck?
The listings ranged from luxury handbags to preserved rose arrangements, from couple’s sunglasses to matching fitness trackers—anything remotely connected to Zhu Ze had been ruthlessly offloaded.
Each post carried the same caption:
"Scumbag’s surname is Zhu—no sales to men surnamed Zhu.
Homewrecker’s surname is Gao—no sales to women surnamed Gao.
Homewrecker’s hometown is Yucheng—no deliveries to Yucheng addresses."
Though brief, these lines were loaded with implications.
Skimming through buyers’ curses directed at the cheating pair, Ye Shengsheng exhaled a fraction of her rage. She tossed the iPad aside, drained the remaining half-glass of red wine, and flopped back onto the bed, willing sleep to come.
Today marked the third day since Zhu Ze’s affair with Gao Xueying had been exposed—and the third day Ye Shengsheng became the internet’s favorite laughingstock.
One was her fiancé; the other, her closest friend of four years during their studies in the UK. Yet they’d hooked up right under her nose. These past few days, Ye Shengsheng had barely eaten or slept, her emotions cycling through shock, fury, and even fleeting fantasies of hiring a hitman on the dark web.
To make matters worse, her parents were in Italy celebrating their pearl anniversary. When the scandal topped the trending searches, Ye Huaisheng had texted her: "Turn off your phone. Don’t respond. Wait till I’m back to handle this."
After all, no matter how messy the younger generation’s drama got, it couldn’t jeopardize the interests of their family conglomerates.
Being barred from retaliation was downright suffocating.
And really, what gave Zhu Ze the right to cheat? If anyone should’ve strayed, it should’ve been her. As for Gao Xueying—she’d funded her UK tuition, brought her back to Beijing to kickstart her career, and introduced her into her own social circle. And how did Gao repay her? By screwing her fiancé.
Pathetic.
The worst part? The two had chosen Hong Kong for their escapades, where paparazzi caught them red-handed, splashing several intimate photos under lurid headlines. The cover shot, taken through sheer hotel curtains, showed the woman’s legs mid-air, the editor thoughtfully zooming in on her tensed foot—leaving zero doubt about what they’d been doing.
#ZhuGroupHeirSurrendersToPeakEcstasyInCausewayBay
#SocialiteQueenDethronedByBackstabbingBFF
Had this happened on the mainland, the headlines would’ve been far less crude.
Three days in, and Zhu Corporation must’ve gone bankrupt, given how this tabloid trash still dominated trending lists.
Though Ye Shengsheng had been a regular on the trending searches since returning to China—thanks to her looks and pedigree—this was her first time being dissected as a pitiable victim. Exhausted, she silently prayed for the Greek god of death to hurry up and intervene.
The faint scent of wine lingered in the air as she picked at the quilt, staring blankly at the ceiling in the dark. Then, footsteps paused outside her door, followed by a knock. She immediately shut her eyes.
The housekeeper’s gentle voice floated in: "Miss, Miss Fu is here to see you."
"I’m asleep," came the muffled reply into the pillow. The thought of countless strangers dissecting this love triangle, forwarding gossip in group chats, made her want to hide from the world.
Suddenly, the door swung open, flooding the room with light as Fu Zhicheng barged in, stirring the stagnant air with a gust of damp wind.
"Girl, answer your damn phone! I’ve been worried sick!"
Fu Zhicheng—her ride-or-die since kindergarten, practically a sister from another mister—marched in without ceremony.
Blinded by the abrupt light, Ye Shengsheng yanked the covers over her head. "What’re you doing here this late?"
Before reaching the bed, Fu Zhicheng tripped over the mutilated stuffed animal, unleashing a C-bomb. "Sweetie, the world’s on fire, and you’re holed up here practicing voodoo? I can’t with you."
With zero tact, she tugged at the silk quilt, but Ye Shengsheng clung on, determined to play turtle.
Giving up, Fu Zhicheng plopped onto the mattress. "Zhu Ze deserves an Oscar. Playing the teetotaling saint all these years, only to pull this crap. And Gao Xueyao? I told you she was a gold-digger."
Pitching her voice into a sickly-sweet mimicry, she parodied: "Oh whyyy? How could this happen? Wow, Mr. Zhang, you’re sooo amazing! Tell me that act wasn’t sketchy."
Ye Shengsheng thought she’d numbed herself to the betrayal, but hearing their names reignited her fury. She flung the covers down, hair wild like an irate peacock’s plumage: "Stop with the hindsight wisdom."
"And you should’ve had foresight," Fu Zhicheng shot back. "Around us, she was all ‘I’m just a sweet lil’ bean’, but add men to the mix? Boom—instant pick-me girl. Textbook gold-digger!"
Ye Shengsheng, flushed with frustration, squinted at her. "What exactly are people saying about me?"
The question was rhetorical—the answer was obvious.
Yet Fu Zhicheng, usually a relentless gossip machine, fell uncharacteristically silent. Sensing Ye Shengsheng’s genuine ignorance, she hesitated. "Well… nothing much, really—"
Years of friendship meant Ye Shengsheng instantly caught the evasion. Propping herself up on one elbow, she braced for impact. "Spit it out. What did they say?"
Her tone was eerily calm, as if no insult could faze her now.
Fu Zhicheng studied her for a beat before blurting: "Gao Xueyao made a PDF. Compiled every shady remark you’ve ever made about others. The whole circle’s in chaos."
Rain hammered against the floor-to-ceiling windows as silence swallowed the room.
Ye Shengsheng’s hair slipped over her shoulders, her slender arms trembling—whether from exhaustion or rage was unclear. Using Fu Zhicheng’s phone, she scrolled through the damning PDF.
Every piece of evidence—every behind-the-back jab—was meticulously documented.
Some of it was intimate girl-talk between best friends, but most were carefully guided answers twisted to suit a narrative.
She fished her phone from under the pillow, and the moment she turned it on, her hand nearly went numb from the barrage of notifications flooding in. Ye Shengsheng tapped on the profile picture of one of the people involved—their Moments were already set to private. She checked several others in quick succession, only to find the same result. Turns out, anger could reach a point where words failed. Her dark eyes glinted dangerously, her lips bitten red, chest rising and falling faintly.
While she had been playing the bigger person, letting public opinion corner her at home, the other side had thrown all decency out the window and struck first.
Now, she was isolated by the entire circle.
Fu Zhicheng watched her expression cautiously. "What now?"
Outside, thunder rumbled again. Ye Shengsheng brushed a hand over her forehead, glancing at the raindrops streaking the glass. A thick, murderous intent overshadowed the faint desire to give up.
"Where can I buy a flying guillotine?"
An hour later, a red sports car wound through half the city before Fu Zhicheng brought her to a newly opened nightclub—[Crossing].
The name was fitting. One thought could lead to enlightenment, another to ruin—either way, the process was a trial.
[Crossing] was a fresh addition near the university district, far enough and secluded enough to avoid running into acquaintances. The perfect place to drink without restraint, to drown completely.
Bathed in heavy red light, Ye Shengsheng weaved through the crowd in her mermaid-tail dress, assaulted by a mix of perfumes and alcohol.
The booth had been reserved by Fu Zhicheng through the club’s PR. By the time they arrived, the table was already lined with an array of colorful drinks.
Ye Shengsheng tossed her bag carelessly into the corner, leaned back against the couch, and poured herself a drink with an indifferent expression. Every inch of her radiated a clear message: "Don’t fucking touch me."
She usually hated places like this—too loud, too smoky. But tonight, the noisy, hollow happiness suited her just fine.
"This is the university district. College boys are prime—tall, handsome, with abs," Fu Zhicheng nudged her with a shoulder. "Stop brooding like some poisonous flower. Drop the heiress act and enjoy life."
Ye Shengsheng shot her a sidelong glance. Not wanting to lose her only friend, she swallowed her irritation in silence.
Outsiders often mistook her aloofness for arrogance, but it was just a misunderstanding. She had astigmatism—even when she spotted someone familiar, her gaze would drift unfocused. Over time, the rumor that she was disdainful had spread. Ye Shengsheng considered it and decided she liked the persona well enough. No point correcting it now.
Fu Zhicheng, long accustomed to her demeanor, pressed on. "Finding out about cheating before marriage is a blessing in disguise. When Uncle Ye returns, make sure he squeezes Zhu Ze dry."
Ye Shengsheng lowered her lashes, fiddling with her straw. "The contracts between both families are already signed. It’s not that easy to cut ties."
Fu Zhicheng slammed her glass down hard enough to slosh liquid over the rim. "If it’s an open marriage anyway, why not play along? Give him a green hat tonight."
Ye Shengsheng scoffed. "Men aren’t some necessity. I’d rather go without than settle. Besides—"
"‘Rather go without’ is a flawed argument," Fu Zhicheng cut in. "Truly beautiful women don’t lack suitors because they’re lacking—it’s because they’re so exceptional men are too intimidated to approach. When you meet a decent guy, you need to send signals. Let them know they can pursue you. Got it?"
"I’d have to be insane to look for a man here." Ye Shengsheng took another sip, refusing to spare her a glance.
Unfazed, Fu Zhicheng scanned the dance floor. Three seconds later, she locked onto a target. "Watch and learn."
She tugged her T-shirt off one shoulder, revealing a collarbone, then bounced off the couch with a sway of her hips, striding toward the man. A few exchanged words later, the guy planted a kiss on her cheek. Fu Zhicheng winked at Ye Shengsheng through the crowd.
Damn. Ye Shengsheng mentally applauded her friend. Though she didn’t agree with the advice, a tiny crack had formed in her resolve.
By her fourth drink, the surrounding noise suddenly swelled. Frowning, she looked up—and a man abruptly filled her vision.
The music was deafening, arms flailing everywhere in revelry, yet he moved through the crowd like an anomaly, lazily settling at the bar with a drink. Someone slung an arm over his shoulder to speak; he tilted his head to listen, exuding a careless kind of attractiveness.
Strobe lights outlined his sharp features—the high bridge of his nose, the defined line of his jaw. Her slightly blurred gaze lingered on him, watching without realizing.
Perhaps sensing the heat of her stare, the man casually glanced over his shoulder.
Their eyes met in the charged air.
Without her contacts, Ye Shengsheng missed the blatant once-over he gave her.
Amid the lonely glow, her mind replayed Zhu Ze and Gao Xueyao’s betrayal on loop. Spurred by some reckless impulse, she set down her glass, smoothed her dress with deliberate patience, and strode into the red-lit haze.
Admiring eyes followed her from all directions.
Ten seconds later, she stood before the man, lips curving in a deliberately coy smile. "I think an eyelash fell into my eye. Mind helping me check?"
The man swirled his glass, his gaze never wavering. Long fingers tapped against the rim, radiating lazy amusement.
"You sure you want my help?"
Though his face was still a blur, she caught his smirk. Her expression remained composed, but internally, she stiffened.
First attempt at flirting, and already a failure?
Through the haze of smoke, he leaned down slowly, his lips quirking with faint mockery. "Ye Shengsheng, did you drink counterfeit liquor or something?"
His face drew closer, sharpening in her vision.
"Crystal clear now?"
"I’m Bian Che."
……
Ye Shengsheng’s pupils dilated slightly.
Of course. Taking Fu Zhicheng’s advice was a recipe for disaster.
She’d just hit on her sworn enemy.
