Chapter 3: Bring Her Back  

As the night deepened, the once calm sky stirred with wind and rain, droplets pounding so hard that the emerald bamboo in the courtyard could barely stand upright.  

What was thought to be a brief thunderstorm turned into a drizzle that lasted three days.  

Late that night, Butler Li entered the hall with an umbrella in hand.  

The servants had long since finished their work, leaving the vast living room empty, illuminated only by the faint glow of wall lamps.  

The ringing of the phone echoed clearly through the hall. Butler Li made sure no one was around before hurriedly answering.  

He reported the household affairs in a hushed tone to Assistant Xu on the other end, briefly mentioning Yu Zhi’s daily routine before getting to the main point: “Assistant Xu, the Song Family sent Madam a birthday invitation.”  

Whatever the response was, Butler Li lowered his voice further: “Don’t worry, I’ve already intercepted it secretly. Madam doesn’t know.”  

Unbeknownst to Butler Li, who thought his actions were covert, he had been watched for quite some time.  

Yu Zhi, clad in a red spaghetti-strap nightgown, leaned against the railing, one hand pressing the silver bell bracelet on her wrist as she observed Butler Li’s guilty demeanor in the hall below. Her eyes held nothing but laziness, betraying no other emotion.  

[Host, they’re going too far!]  

Xiao Shui’s voice was practically dripping with righteous indignation.  

“How did I meet this Song Chuhe again?”  

Xiao Shui immediately knew that Yu Zhi had once again filtered out people she wasn’t interested in while absorbing memories.  

[Let me see… It seems like during a torrential downpour, you ran into a café drenched from head to toe. Song Chuhe very gallantly lent you his coat, and afterward, you two even had a meal together…]  

“Stop.” Yu Zhi couldn’t take it anymore and couldn’t help but complain: “What a cliché plot.”  

[Cliché or not, Song Chuhe really is the epitome of grace and integrity.]  

Yu Zhi picked up on Xiao Shui’s high praise for Song Chuhe: “Oh? Since when did you become an expert?”  

[Of course! Our World System operates purely on data. According to the data I’ve gathered, Song Chuhe is gentle, humble, comes from a prestigious family, and has impeccable manners. In this world, he’s the most sought-after bachelor among high-society ladies.]  

Given the series of questionable actions the AI Brain had taken, Yu Zhi didn’t trust its data one bit.  

She shook her head helplessly and padded back to her room in her fluffy slippers.  

[Huh? Host, aren’t you going down to expose him?]  

Drowsiness washed over Yu Zhi, and she let out a big yawn, her words slightly slurred: “Why bother with all that trouble? I couldn’t care less about some birthday party.”  

She’d much rather stay home and catch up on beauty sleep.  

Having followed Yu Zhi through rough times before, Xiao Shui had never realized just how much of a homebody its host was.  

Yu Zhi didn’t give the incident another thought—until she woke up to an unexpected follow-up.  

The moment she picked up her phone, she saw a message from Song Chuhe.  

[Song Chuhe: Yu Zhi, I found the ideas you mentioned in our last conversation quite interesting. I’ve incorporated some of them into the layout design for my birthday party.]  

Attached was a photo of a lavish estate adorned with pale purple hyacinths and white-gold tulips.  

[Song Chuhe: I even had the Dutch tulips you mentioned specially flown in.]

Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling the urge to test him, so she deliberately replied.

【Birthday banquet? You’re throwing a birthday banquet?】

She was really putting on a convincing act.

A reply came quickly from the other side.

【Song Chuhe: Yes, didn’t you receive the invitation?】

Yu Zhi played dumb to the fullest.

【No, did you send me one?】

There was no immediate reply, so Yu Zhi simply set her phone aside and went to wash up in the bathroom.

It wasn’t until she was sitting at the dining table having breakfast that a slightly apologetic response finally came through.

【Song Chuhe: Sorry, I was handling something just now. I’ll send you an electronic version instead.】

An e-invitation popped up right after.

Seeing how he was skirting the issue, Yu Zhi didn’t believe for a second that he hadn’t guessed the invitation had been deliberately intercepted.

She scrolled down and found another one—this time addressed to Pei Yuezhou.

【Song Chuhe: You can attend with your husband.】

The system Xiao Shui piped up again.

【How thoughtful. He’s considering your married status.】

Yu Zhi remained unmoved. “Just courtesy. He knows full well Pei Yuezhou won’t go.”

【So, Host, are you going to meet him?】

The banquet was scheduled for two days later, by which time Pei Yuezhou would surely be back. Yu Zhi planned to have a proper talk with him and had no time to spare for others.

“We’ll see.”

But what Yu Zhi never expected was that instead of Pei Yuezhou’s return, she received news of him being hospitalized after a car accident.

It was said that his car had suddenly lost control on the highway, crashing into the guardrail of a bridge. It had nearly plunged into the river, resulting in a major scene.

Yu Zhi and Butler Li rushed to Central Hospital immediately.

The light above the operating room was still on, and the assistant, Mr. Xu, sat on a bench with a freshly applied cast, his face pale.

“Mr. Xu, how is A Yue? How did the accident happen?”

Mr. Xu was surprised to see Yu Zhi but quickly reassured her, “The car’s safety features held up. Chairman Pei isn’t seriously injured, but his previous wounds reopened… they need restitching.”

He discreetly observed Yu Zhi’s expression, noting her genuine concern.

“What wounds? When was he injured?” Yu Zhi’s heart clenched.

“In M Country. A rival faction ambushed him—stabbed him in the waist.” Mr. Xu deliberately emphasized the severity, omitting how much worse they had retaliated against the Song Family.

“Why wasn’t I told about something this serious?” Yu Zhi’s face darkened with anger.

This accident might well have been another attack. The family’s cars were meticulously maintained, and for it to malfunction precisely on the bridge—no one would buy that as a coincidence.

This was clearly an attempt on his life.

“Who is this ‘rival faction’ you’re talking about?”

Unsure of Yu Zhi’s stance, Mr. Xu hesitated before answering, “Song Chuhe…”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Just as Mr. Xu expected Yu Zhi to defend her friend, he watched her stride over to Butler Li in her heels, issue a few instructions, and then leave without another word.

Mr. Xu: “What did Madam say?”

“She told me to guard Sir properly.”

Then why did she leave? Wasn’t she just showing concern for Chairman Pei?

Though Assistant Xu felt deeply powerless, he immediately contacted the bodyguards to follow her.

But soon, after hearing the bodyguards’ report, that sense of powerlessness intensified even more.

This was bad.

In the luxurious VIP ward, the noble man sat propped up on the bed, his porcelain-pale skin betraying some weakness. His gaze swept over everyone who entered, and when he didn’t see the person he expected, the light in his eyes dimmed slightly.

“Where is she?”

Assistant Xu cautiously glanced at his fragile-looking CEO, not daring to answer.

It was Butler Li who gave him a nudge from behind, trying to pass on a little courage.

But that small amount of courage couldn’t withstand Pei Yuezhou’s sharp gaze at all.

Just as the man was about to lose patience, Assistant Xu spoke with a trembling voice: “Madam went to attend Song Chuhe’s birthday banquet…”

The man on the hospital bed gripped the sheets beneath him, his peach-blossom eyes seeming to frost over with a layer of ice, chillingly sinister.

After taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself.

“Does she not know who is responsible for my injuries?”

Assistant Xu didn’t dare meet Pei Yuezhou’s gaze and replied in a very small voice: “S-she knows.”

Hearing this, Pei Yuezhou suddenly laughed, though the laughter didn’t reach his eyes. The overflowing madness stained the corners of his pale eyes with a faint red.

“Good, very good!”

Pei Yuezhou threw off the covers and got out of bed. Though he was in so much pain he could barely stand, he avoided Assistant Xu’s attempt to support him.

“Prepare the car. We’re going to the Song Family.”

His deep, pleasant voice carried barely suppressed anger, extinguishing any thought Assistant Xu had of dissuading him, leaving him no choice but to hurry off to make arrangements.

The mirror on the wall reflected the man’s tall, slender figure, along with the danger and obsession that shrouded him.

Zhi Zhi has been bewitched by Song Chuhe again… It’s alright, he wouldn’t blame her.

But this time, he wouldn’t be soft-hearted anymore.

He would trap her firmly by his side, even if it earned her hatred. He would make her watch as he personally destroyed that hypocrite, piece by piece…