Wang Xiaoke went in and out of the fitting room several times, but Su Man kept shaking her head.

“Alright, this one will do.”

Finally freed from the ordeal, Wang Xiaoke let out a long sigh of relief and took a closer look at herself in the mirror.

Her jet-black, smooth hair, large almond-shaped eyes, delicate nose, and cherry-like lips were framed by a fair, jade-like oval face still carrying a hint of baby fat. A black-and-white waist-cinching short dress hugged her well-proportioned figure, blending cuteness with a touch of charm.

“Now, put on these heels,” Su Man commanded firmly, picking up a pair of rhinestone-embellished high heels from a nearby shoe rack.

Looking at the seven-centimeter heels, Wang Xiaoke hesitated again. “But I can’t walk in these,” she said.

“It’s fine. You’ll get used to it as you walk,” Su Man dismissed her protests, leaving her no room to refuse.

It wasn’t until half an hour later that Wang Xiaoke, wobbling in the heels, finally stepped out the door.

“Manman, can we swing by my place on the way?” Wang Xiaoke hesitated but eventually decided it was better to avoid making any apologies if she could help it.

“What are you up to now?” Su Man narrowed her big eyes, suspecting that Wang Xiaoke was trying to evade the situation again.

“Nothing! Although the script isn’t completely finished yet, I’ve written a good chunk of it. I was thinking we could copy the document so I can work on it some more. If I hurry, I might be able to finish it in time, and then we’ll have something to submit,” Wang Xiaoke explained.

Su Man’s eyes lit up as soon as she heard Wang Xiaoke’s words. “Alright, let’s go now.”

The Wang family lived in a standalone, four-story villa. Wang Xiaoke’s room was on the third floor, in the far right corner.

“Manman, can you go inside first and check if anyone’s home?” Wang Xiaoke asked.

“And what about you?” Su Man looked puzzled.

“Are you silly? I’m technically in a runaway state right now. If I just walk back like this and someone sees me, it’ll be a complete joke!”

“True,” Su Man agreed without hesitation.

Wang Xiaoke waited outside for quite a while, but Su Man still hadn’t come out. Watching the minutes tick by, she started pacing anxiously like an ant on a hot pan.

“Forget it. I’ll just get the stuff myself,” she muttered. Glancing at the distance between her window and the ground, Wang Xiaoke decided that climbing the wall would be the most direct and efficient way—not to mention it would save her from the embarrassment of being caught.

Without wasting any time, she took advantage of her familiarity with the house. She climbed over the iron fence, swiftly scaling the old locust tree that had been growing in her yard for over a decade. Its dense, leafy branches provided perfect cover.

Luckily, in her rush to leave yesterday, she hadn’t locked her window.

She was almost there. Seeing the window just within reach, Wang Xiaoke stretched out her hands, trying to grab hold of the wire mesh outside the window. With her reach, she was confident that success was just around the corner.

What she didn’t realize, however, was that while she was climbing the tree, a luxury sports car had just pulled up at the front gate.

A handsome young man stepped out of the car, dressed in a luxurious, custom-made suit. His hair was neatly slicked back, revealing a pair of phoenix-shaped eyes under long brows that extended to his temples. A high-bridged nose and thin lips completed a face that could easily drive women crazy.

Chen Ze had just gotten out of the car when he noticed something—or rather, someone—dangling from a tree not far away. Driven by curiosity, he slowly walked over to investigate the situation.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Su Man had just entered and immediately spotted Wang Chengyao and Feng Jin.

“Good afternoon, Uncle and Auntie,” Su Man greeted politely.

“Is Xiaoke still not up? I came to discuss something with her,” she said, following the script she had prepared earlier.

“What? Xiaoke isn’t with you?” Wang Chengyao looked surprised. Knowing how close Wang Xiaoke and Su Man were, he had assumed that if Xiaoke wasn’t home, she was likely staying at Su Man’s place.

Feigning ignorance, Su Man maintained her composure. “No, she’s not. Did something happen?”

“I scolded her about something yesterday, and she got upset and ran away from home,” Wang Chengyao said worriedly, turning to head toward Wang Xiaoke’s room. “Su Man, can you help me check if you have contact information for any of her other friends or classmates? Xiaoke has always been a sensible and well-behaved child. Now that she’s out there on her own, I can’t help but worry about her.”

Seeing this, Su Man quickly reassured him. “Uncle, don’t worry too much. Xiaoke’s an adult now; she’ll know how to take care of herself. Why don’t I check her room for you instead? You can take care of anything else you need to. Panicking won’t help the situation.”

“Chengyao, everyone is worried about Xiaoke, but Su Man is right. This isn’t something we can rush. Xiaoke needs to figure things out on her own,” Feng Jin softly advised from the side. “Besides, based on the time, Chen Ze should be arriving soon. If you can seize this opportunity, the company’s financial problems could finally be resolved.”

Hearing this, Wang Chengyao stopped in his tracks.

“Alright then, Su Man, I’ll leave this to you,” Wang Chengyao said.

Su Man, eager to keep him from following, quickly patted her chest in assurance. “Don’t worry, Uncle. Leave it to me!”

When she stepped into Wang Xiaoke’s room, Su Man was shocked. “Where am I? This place looks like a pigsty!”

Books and newspapers were scattered across the desk and floor. The bed was unmade, clothes were tossed haphazardly on the dresser, and even the window was left wide open.

Su Man made her way to the computer with difficulty, thoroughly checking it, only to find it completely empty.

“How could there be nothing? Could someone have deleted it?” She searched again and again but confirmed that the computer held nothing at all. Resigned, she sighed and moved to close the window.

Outside, Wang Xiaoke was clinging to the branches of the locust tree, swinging with all her strength. Just as she reached out to grab onto the windowsill, she heard a loud “bang”—the sound of the window being slammed shut.

Her fingers slipped against the glass, unable to find a grip. Like a kite with a broken string, she plummeted toward the ground.

“Thud!”

Chen Ze had just reached the tree and was about to speak when a heavy force slammed him to the ground. Stars danced before his eyes.

In a daze, he thought he could even hear the sound of ribs cracking.

So heavy! So suffocating! I can’t breathe! Chen Ze screams internally. Moments later, his vision went black, and he passed out.

Wang Xiaoke lay on the ground for a long time, unresponsive. Why don’t I feel any pain? Could I be dead? she wondered.

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw a man with a bruised and purplish face lying beneath her.

“No wonder I didn’t feel anything—it turns out I had a cushion!” she realized with a start.

Climbing off the ground, she dusted herself off just as the sound of footsteps approached from the house. Wang Xiaoke realized the commotion she had caused must have drawn someone over.

She glanced at the unlucky man in front of her. Hmm, Dad will probably take him to the hospital, so I don’t need to worry about his safety for now. As for repaying the favor for cushioning my fall, I’ll do that if I ever get the chance.