On the way to the academic venue, the second assistant had already pulled up Song Zhile's profile.
"Song Zhile, 26 years old, second son of the Hilair Hotel family. Attended Bowen High School before furthering his studies in M-country. He was Yan Xi's senior by two years."
Zhou Yanci asked, "Did they have any interactions?"
"Yes. Both were top students in their grades. They likely met during freshman speeches or similar events."
The assistant produced a photo downloaded from Bowen High School's official website—a group picture of the top students from each grade during Yan Xi's first year. Song Zhile was clearly in the frame, standing close beside Yan Xi.
Zhou Yanci's tone turned slightly sour. "Are they still together now?"
The assistant hesitated for a moment before quickly replying, "According to colleagues at the academic venue, Yan Xi and Song Zhile are still chatting together. They seem to be getting along well."
Zhou Yanci's expression darkened further.
He quickened his pace, striding swiftly toward the academic venue.
The financial forum was a large-scale event, with the organizers booking the entire hotel for the occasion. Zhou Yanci still had some distance to cover before reaching the venue.
But just before entering, he spotted a familiar figure waiting for him in the hotel corridor.
Zhou Yanci stopped in his tracks.
Meng Yingrong's eyes lit up with unrestrained joy at the sight of him.
Ever since Meng Xuanyu's incident, Zhou Yanci had refused to see her. The reception at Zhou Corporation barred her entry, the security at the Zhou residence turned her away, and later, Zhou Yanci deliberately avoided her by leaving for a business trip to X-country.
After much effort, Meng Yingrong had learned that Zhou Yanci would attend this financial forum and had come specifically to intercept him.
Her eyes reddened as her gaze fell on Zhou Yanci's ankle. At least he was walking without difficulty—his injury must have healed.
"Yanci."
Zhou Yanci hadn’t expected to see Meng Yingrong here. He gave a slight nod. "Mother."
Meng Yingrong opened her mouth, but despite her eagerness to speak, the words stuck in her throat. She didn’t know where to begin.
After a long pause, the first thing she managed to say was, "Xuanyu is still in prison, injured. The first trial is coming up. Can you help him?"
Zhou Yanci fell silent for a moment before suddenly laughing.
Even now, the first thing his mother thought of upon seeing him was Meng Xuanyu.
Meng Yingrong stumbled over her words. "Yanci, don’t misunderstand—I do care about you. I knew you were hospitalized, but seeing you walk so briskly, I assumed you’d recovered. I also heard about the blizzard you encountered in Queenstown, but since you’re back, I thought you were fine… But Xuanyu, he—"
"Did Meng Xuanyu not tell you?" Zhou Yanci interrupted.
Meng Yingrong looked bewildered, unsure what he meant.
Zhou Yanci enunciated each word clearly. "If Meng Xuanyu hadn’t laid a hand on Yan Xi, I might have helped him. But he did. The injuries he has now? I gave them to him."
Meng Yingrong’s eyes widened in shock.
"So, you want my help? All I’ll do is make things worse for him."
"Yanci," Meng Yingrong said, heartbroken, "I know I’ve wronged you all these years. I neglected you because I thought… with your father by your side, you already had more than enough. I didn’t realize—"
"You weren’t wrong," Zhou Yanci replied. "I don’t lack anything."
Meng Yingrong exhaled slightly in relief, but then Zhou Yanci continued, "Since you’ve been absent for the first half of my life, you might as well stay that way. I have my father. I have my sister. That’s enough."
Meng Yingrong felt as if her heart were being torn apart. "Yanci, I know keeping it from you was wrong, but I had my reasons. Xuanyu, he—"
"Mother, don’t make me repeat myself." Zhou Yanci’s gaze turned icy. "If you want my help, I’ll only make Meng Xuanyu suffer more."
Meng Yingrong froze, her blood running cold as if frozen to the bone.
……
Stepping past Meng Yingrong, Zhou Yanci entered the academic venue.
Pausing at the entrance, he scanned the room.
Near the side of the venue was a refreshment area. While everyone else was engrossed in the academic discussions on stage, Yan Xi was sneakily nibbling on a small cake.
Zhou Yanci pulled out his phone and sent her a message.
[Where are you?]
Yan Xi replied quickly: [Attending a forum with my advisor. Are you back in the country?]
Zhou Yanci: [Yes, I’m back.]
After a moment’s thought, he sent another message: [Someone just asked for my help, but I refused. Do you think I’m being too cold?]
Yan Xi: [What’s the big deal?]
Zhou Yanci: [It’s someone very important to me.]
Yan Xi paused. Zhou Yanci watched as the "typing" indicator flickered on and off for a while before her reply finally appeared.
[If you refused someone that important to you, you must be hurting too.]
[Cat hug emoji.]
At that moment, Zhou Yanci's heart melted entirely.
He wanted to step forward right then and wrap Yan Xi in a tight embrace.
But just as he took a step, passing the traditional Chinese screen obstructing his view, he spotted Song Zhile sitting beside Yan Xi.
Zhou Yanci: "..."
Song Zhile was chattering away, pulling Yan Xi into a conversation about Zhou Qingyu, completely oblivious to the fact that Yan Xi’s attention had already shifted from him to her phone.
Then, a shadow fell over them. Despite the venue’s air conditioning set at a comfortable 26 degrees, Song Zhile suddenly felt as if a block of ice had materialized beside him.
He looked up and saw the man standing before him—his expression dark and intimidating.
Yan Xi, who had been pondering how to comfort Zhou Yanci, brightened the moment she noticed his approach, her eyes lighting up with delight.
"You came?"
Zhou Yanci caught the excitement in her gaze.
Oh, so chatting with your senior makes you this happy?
Pointing at Song Zhile, Zhou Yanci asked coldly, "And this is...?"
Yan Xi had nearly forgotten Song Zhile was there. Song Zhile, however, was brimming with enthusiasm, radiating the energy of a prospective brother-in-law meeting the family. Not wanting to embarrass him, Yan Xi took the initiative to introduce them.
"This is my senior from Bowen High School, Song Zhile."
Then she gestured to Zhou Yanci. "This is... Qingyu’s older brother, my boss, Zhou Yanci, CEO of Zhou Corporation."
Zhou Yanci: ?
Did I need you to introduce me like that?
Yan Xi seemed oblivious to his reaction, and Song Zhile, even more clueless, eagerly extended his hand.
"CEO Zhou, nice to meet you."
Under Yan Xi’s watchful gaze, Zhou Yanci reluctantly shook Song Zhile’s hand.
Just then, a senior colleague approached Yan Xi to remind her, "Xi Xi, it’s your turn to go on stage. Professor Han wants you to present your paper."
"Oh, right!" Yan Xi had a speech to deliver today. She grabbed her research paper and said cheerfully, "You two chat! I’ll be right back!"
With that, she hurried off to find Professor Han, leaving the two men alone.
The atmosphere turned awkward—unnervingly so. Zhou Yanci couldn’t fathom why he and Song Zhile needed to make small talk.
Yet Song Zhile wore a grin, one that struck Zhou Yanci as downright foolish.
The more Zhou Yanci looked at him, the more irritated he became.
Song Zhile broke the silence first. "CEO Zhou, Yan Xi only mentioned my connection to her, but to be honest, Qingyu and I—"
Zhou Yanci cut him off impatiently. "That’s all in the past. She’s taken now."
Song Zhile froze.
Zhou Qingyu was already in a relationship?
A pang of bitterness shot through him, but he stubbornly retorted, "But when I asked Yan Xi earlier, she was vague about it. I don’t think they’re officially together!"
Zhou Yanci: ?
Zhou Yanci glared. "Who said they aren’t together? They just haven’t gone public yet!"
Song Zhile smirked, his expression dripping with disdain. "CEO Zhou, we’re both men—you know how this works. If they’re not public, it means there’s no real love. When you’re crazy about someone, you’d shout it from the rooftops. Who would hide it?"
"If they’re hiding it, it’s either not love or not enough love. In that case, what’s wrong with me stepping in? Even if there’s a goalkeeper, does that mean the striker shouldn’t shoot?"
The words stabbed straight into Zhou Yanci’s heart. His face darkened further, a fire raging in his chest, threatening to explode.
"Not going public... could be for other reasons. You can’t generalize."
Song Zhile shrugged. "But we went public back then."
Zhou Yanci’s pupils constricted. "You two dated?"
"Yeah!"
The memories of his time with Zhou Qingyu flooded Song Zhile’s mind, filling him with sweetness.
He turned to Zhou Yanci, sincerity in his eyes. "CEO Zhou, give me a chance, won’t you?"
After all, Zhou Yanci was Zhou Qingyu’s brother. Coming from a harmonious family himself, Song Zhile didn’t believe in sibling rivalry. He wanted his relationship with Zhou Qingyu to have her family’s blessing.
Zhou Yanci clenched his fists, grinding his teeth. "Does Yan Xi know about this? That you’re trying to pursue her?"
Song Zhile scratched his head sheepishly. "Of course. We just talked about it. But if possible, I’d love your blessing too. I’d be honored if you could attend our wedding!"
Zhou Yanci: ???
This was beyond absurd. Not only was this guy trying to steal his girl, but he also expected Zhou Yanci to attend their wedding?
Was he out of his mind?
.
In a corner of the venue, Qu Yan had been watching Zhou Yanci intently.
The way he had looked at Yan Xi earlier made it clear—something was going on between them.
Before, Zhou Yanci had shown no interest in romance, so Qu Yan hadn’t worried. She was attractive, and proximity gave her an advantage. She’d always believed her chance would come.
But then Yan Xi appeared.
Yan Xi was also beautiful. She also had proximity.
And most importantly—Yan Xi was young.
Qu Yan hated society’s obsession with shaming women for their age. She believed every age had its own beauty.
Yet, faced with Yan Xi’s vibrant presence, Qu Yan couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
Zhou Yanci had never liked her, and knowing her feelings, he always avoided her. Now with Yan Xi in the picture and Meng Yingrong arranging blind dates for Zhou Yanci, Qu Yan was running out of time.
Qu Yan recalled what Father Qu had told her: "Zhou Yanci is a highly responsible man. Responsibility can be a virtue, but sometimes it’s also a flaw. So, exploit his weakness. Secure your position through motherhood, and you’ll succeed."
Gritting her teeth, Qu Yan tightened her grip on the champagne bottle. After a moment of hesitation, she poured the champagne into a glass.
A waiter passed by, and Qu Yan stopped him, placing the glass on his tray.
"Take this to Mr. Zhou."
The waiter, arranged by Father Qu, understood immediately. Glancing at the still-fizzing champagne, he delivered it straight to Zhou Yanci.
At that moment, Zhou Yanci had just finished listening to Song Zhile’s absurd theory about attending weddings to give blessings and was fuming. Seeing the drink, he downed it in one go.
As the last drop disappeared into Zhou Yanci’s mouth, a faint smirk flickered in Qu Yan’s eyes.
Song Zhile noticed Zhou Yanci’s disinterest. It was no surprise—the Zhou siblings were estranged, and Zhou Yanci barely tolerated Zhou Qingyu. Why would he have any goodwill toward her fiancé?
Song Zhile knew when to back off and promptly fell silent.
The two listened to the forum’s speeches in silence. In the comfortably air-conditioned venue, Zhou Yanci gradually felt an unnatural heat rising within him. The sensation quickly made him suspect the champagne. His expression darkened, his breathing grew ragged, and he immediately contacted Assistant Sun.
Within minutes, Zhou Yanci’s ears flushed an unnatural red. Assistant Sun arrived, handed him a room key, and the two hurriedly left the venue.
Meanwhile, Yan Xi had just finished her speech on stage. Her task complete, she bid farewell to Professor Han and prepared to leave.
But after circling the venue, she couldn’t find Zhou Yanci.
Yan Xi turned to Song Zhile. "Where’s Mr. Zhou?"
Song Zhile shrugged. "I saw him leave with his assistant. Must be something urgent."
Yan Xi frowned. What could be so urgent that he’d leave without a word?
As she walked, she texted Zhou Yanci: I’m done here. Did you leave already?
Before she could take another step, a man in a suit stopped her.
"Ms. Yan," the bodyguard greeted politely, "Ms. Meng would like a word."
The only "Ms. Meng" Yan Xi knew was Meng Yingrong.
...
In the Hilton lobby’s lounge area, Meng Yingrong sipped her Americano leisurely, then lifted her gaze to study Yan Xi.
Yan Xi sat across from her and, without ceremony, ordered a mocha from a passing waiter.
Placing her bag aside, she smiled at Meng Yingrong.
"Ms. Meng, long time no see."
Meng Yingrong maintained her elegant poise, scrutinizing Yan Xi.
Her impression of Yan Xi had always been "Zhou Qingyu’s lackey," never worth a second glance. But now, taking a closer look, she realized Yan Xi was quite striking—youthful yet poised in her blazer.
A month ago, Meng Yingrong would’ve scoffed at the idea of Zhou Yanci falling for someone like Yan Xi. But now, she knew better than to underestimate her.
Objectively, Yan Xi was capable and shrewd—only her humble origins held her back. If not for that, Meng Yingrong thought, Yan Xi might even rival Lu Wanning.
But this wasn’t the time for such musings.
Meng Yingrong slid a document toward Yan Xi.
"I know about you and Yanci. If you want to be with him, you’ll need his family’s approval. A niece-in-law sending her uncle-in-law to prison? That’s hardly a good look."
"This is Xuanyu’s letter of forgiveness. Sign it, and I won’t make trouble for you."
Yan Xi knew Meng Yingrong had been scrambling to resolve Meng Xuanyu’s legal troubles. She’d even approached Zhou Yanci repeatedly—clearly without success, if she was resorting to this.
Skimming the document, Yan Xi scoffed. "Ms. Meng, your brother did kidnap me. Asking me to sign this, claiming it was all a joke, is asking me to commit perjury."
"But nothing happened to you!" Meng Yingrong snapped. "You’re unharmed, while Xuanyu has two broken ribs! Who’s the victim here?"
"If you don’t sign, do you really think you and Yanci stand a chance? I appreciate you discovering his condition, but I will not allow this relationship!"
Yan Xi shrugged. "Tell you what, Ms. Meng—contact Zhou Yanci. If he asks me to sign, I will."
"You—!" Meng Yingrong shot to her feet.
Suddenly, commotion erupted behind them as Assistant Sun broke through the bodyguards’ line, rushing toward them.
He glanced at Meng Yingrong out of the corner of his eye, but his attention remained entirely on Yan Xi.
"President Yan! Something’s happened!"
Since Assistant Sun didn’t mention "Zhou Yanci" in front of Meng Yingrong, she didn’t realize the "something" he referred to was about Zhou Yanci.
Meng Yingrong’s expression darkened. "Assistant Sun, don’t you see I’m in the middle of discussing matters with Yan Xi?"
Assistant Sun’s face was grave. "Madam, I apologize, but this is truly urgent. I’m sorry!"
With that, he grabbed Yan Xi’s sleeve and pulled her away.
Meng Yingrong grew even angrier. But fearing Assistant Sun might report her to Zhou Yanci, she suppressed her temper.
Assistant Sun led Yan Xi, sprinting all the way to the executive suite on the hotel’s top floor.
Along the way, Yan Xi asked, "Is it about Zhou Yanci? What happened?"
Assistant Sun hesitated. "You’ll understand when we get there!"
"The doctor is on the way, but… I think President Zhou needs someone to take care of him now!"
The two ran at full speed until they reached the hotel room door. Assistant Sun swiped the keycard—beep—and the door unlocked.
The executive suite was pitch black. Assistant Sun sensed something strange but still inserted the keycard into the slot.
The lights flickered on, revealing the room’s layout.
The air carried a faint trace of disinfectant. The room was immaculate—spotless floors covered with thick carpeting, the bed neatly made without a single wrinkle.
Yan Xi scanned the room. "Where’s Zhou Yanci?"
Assistant Sun panicked, rushing back to check the room number. "1231—this is the right one! Where is he?"
"You’re saying Zhou Yanci just… disappeared?"
Assistant Sun nodded frantically. "I contacted the doctor, brought President Zhou to this suite, then went downstairs to find you. How could he be gone?"
Meanwhile—
Zhou Yanci’s eyes fluttered open, his body burning with feverish heat. He was desperate for release.
He longed for Yan Xi.
Her sweet lips, her soft body.
The door creaked open. Someone stepped inside.
Half the lights in the suite were on, casting a dim glow. Zhou Yanci’s vision was blurred, his lips parched. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
He remembered Assistant Sun saying he’d fetch Yan Xi before leaving.
"Xi Xi…"
Qu Yan’s heart skipped a beat.
She knew Father Qu’s medicine was potent, but she hadn’t expected it to work this well.
Zhou Yanci lay sprawled on the bed, his deep blue tie loosened, the top button of his shirt undone, revealing his collarbone. His white dress shirt was tucked into dark suit pants, the fabric clinging to his lean, muscular frame.
His eyes were hazy, clouded with desire.
Before leaving, Assistant Sun had boldly poured a bottle of water over Zhou Yanci’s head to keep him somewhat lucid. Now, his damp bangs clung to his forehead, droplets—whether water or sweat—adding to his disheveled, intoxicating allure.
"Xi Xi…"
He called for her again.
Qu Yan knew this drug had hallucinogenic effects—it could make people mistake identities.
Summoning courage, she stepped closer. "What did you call me?"
Zhou Yanci looked at her and smiled. "Xi Xi, you’re here."
Assistant Sun was losing his mind.
How could a living person just vanish?
He raked his hands through his already thinning hair, turning it into a bird’s nest.
"This can’t be happening! I personally brought President Zhou here, turned on the AC, even drenched him in water… How is everything gone?"
Yan Xi sharply caught the inconsistency in his words. "If you did all that, there should be signs of use. But this room looks untouched. This isn’t the room you booked."
Assistant Sun pointed at the number. "1231—it’s correct! This was prepared for President Zhou by the organizers."
Yan Xi immediately pulled out her phone and called Song Zhile.
This was his family’s hotel—no one knew it better than him.
Minutes later, Song Zhile arrived at the suite’s door. He glanced at the room number. "Did you go to the wrong building? The hotel’s designed with mirror symmetry—everything on the left and right of the central axis is identical. This is Building B, Room 1231. You’re looking for Building A, Room 1231."
Assistant Sun was even more confused. "Even if I went to the wrong room, the keycard shouldn’t have worked, right?"
That was the baffling part—how could one keycard open two different suites?
Yan Xi swiftly swiped the card against the neighboring suite’s door. It opened.
Assistant Sun’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.
Song Zhile explained, "This must be an internal master key—it opens every room."
So… this was Building B. Zhou Yanci was in Building A!
The three immediately rushed to Building A.
The layout of the Xilai’er Hotel was orderly, symmetrical, and meticulously arranged, but for first-time visitors, it could be a bit confusing. Fortunately, Song Zhile knew the place like the back of his hand—to him, this was home.
At the intersection between Building A and Building B, Song Zhile suddenly paused. He glanced at the directional sign, which seemed normal at first glance, but when he gave it a gentle push, he realized the arrows pointing to Buildings A and B had come loose!
Assistant Sun’s eyes widened in shock.
Song Zhile quickly apologized, "My apologies. It seems the sign was loose, which must have led you astray. This is our hotel’s mistake."
Yan Xi’s expression darkened. The Xilai’er Hotel was a five-star establishment—such a careless error shouldn’t happen in theory. And even if the sign had been loose, how could Assistant Sun’s key card have opened two different suites at once? Someone must have tampered with it.
But there was no time to dwell on that. Yan Xi said urgently, "Let’s find Zhou Yanci first!"
They arrived at Executive Suite 1231 in Building A.
As soon as the door opened, a wave of cold air rushed out. The room was in complete disarray, with an ornate Chinese folding screen blocking the view. Faintly, they could hear a woman’s moans.
The moans mingled with the sound of running water, creating an unmistakably intimate atmosphere in the dimly lit suite.
Song Zhile swallowed nervously. "Maybe we shouldn’t go in… It wouldn’t be good to interrupt President Zhou’s… activities."
No sooner had he spoken than the woman’s moans grew louder, now mixed with whimpers of struggle and pleading.
Yan Xi immediately recognized the voice.
—Qu Yan.
Her face darkened, her breathing uneven.
Assistant Sun hadn’t expected this either. Qu Yan’s voice was far too suggestive, making it impossible not to imagine the worst. And with Zhou Yanci having been drugged… it wouldn’t be surprising if he lost control.
This was a disaster! He never should have called Yan Xi here!
Yan Xi had already pieced together what was happening. Her heart ached with bitterness, tears threatening to spill, but she forced them back.
In the past, she would have turned and left.
But today, she couldn’t hold back. With a furious kick, she sent the folding screen crashing to the floor.
The room was empty—the sounds were coming from the bathroom.
Were they really playing around in the bathroom?
Fuming, Yan Xi stormed inside.
The bathroom was even colder than the suite. Water spilled endlessly from the bathtub, flooding the floor.
Qu Yan was still fully dressed, though her clothes were soaked and disheveled, making her look utterly pitiful. Her wrists were bound to the doorknob with a dark blue tie, and a rag-like cloth was stuffed in her mouth.
When she saw Yan Xi and the others enter, she whimpered desperately, tears welling in her eyes.
Yan Xi froze, then looked further into the bathroom—
The water flowing from the bathtub carried a faint tinge of red, a mix of wine and blood. Zhou Yanci lay in the tub, his arm slashed by the broken shards of a wine bottle. The icy water and the searing pain had barely kept him conscious, his self-control hanging by a thread.
Then he saw Yan Xi.
He lifted his head, his face deathly pale. "Xi'er… you came."
His gaze flickered toward Qu Yan. "I didn’t touch her. Really. I didn’t do anything."
