Lin Heng remembered how he met Shang Xinglu.

Not just a brief encounter in passing, but the first time they actually spoke.

…It was hard to forget.

At a banquet.

More precisely, it was an event where 80% of the attendees were single men and women—a large-scale matchmaking gathering disguised under a grand-sounding title: a charity gala.

A perfect excuse to raise funds while also playing matchmaker—two birds with one stone.

Lin Heng had, well… accidentally ended up there.

Of course, President Lin would never admit he had been tricked into attending.

Just like he would never admit that he was actually afraid of furry animals, rather than just being allergic to them.

Anyway, the banquet was boring.

After making a couple of symbolic bids on auction items he hadn’t even looked at, he slipped outside for some fresh air during the standing dinner portion.

If he had to put a time limit on that “fresh air” break, it would last approximately two hours—until the event ended.

So, Lin Heng hid—no, he openly took refuge behind a neatly trimmed hedge in the garden and lit a cigarette.

As the first exhale of smoke drifted into the autumn night, he gazed up at the sky.

Tonight, the night sky looked particularly clear.

The garden was quiet, thick with the scent of greenery.

Very quiet.

…No, wait. There was a faint sound of sobbing.

The sound came from deeper within the garden.

The tall hedges, meticulously trimmed to a person’s height, were adorned with vibrant red roses.

But the dim lighting in the garden, further obscured by the dense foliage, left the deeper areas shrouded in darkness.

Normally, he wouldn’t have paid attention.

It wasn’t unusual for people to retreat somewhere private to let out their emotions.

But that night, for some reason, Lin Heng did step forward.

After walking a few meters, the hedge ended, and to the left, a small pavilion shaped like an elegant birdcage came into view.

Inside stood a woman in an evening gown.

More accurately—she was crying.

No, sobbing uncontrollably.

From afar, he had only heard faint weeping. But now, standing closer, he saw a woman who was crying with complete disregard for her makeup, tears streaming down her face.

At the same time, she was stomping on something with her high heels.

Mumbling something under her breath.

She looked… quite unhinged.

Lin Heng remained still.

But she noticed him.

Through her sniffles, Shang Xinglu glared at him and snapped, “What are you looking at?! Never seen a woman cry before?!”

Lin Heng raised his hands in surrender and immediately turned to leave.

“Hey, wait a second.” Shang Xinglu called after him. “Got a handkerchief? Or a tissue? Lend me one.”

Lin Heng thought for a moment, then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.

As he stepped closer, he finally saw what she had been stomping on—a photograph of Shen Wang, riddled with holes from her high heels.

Shen Wang.

Lin Heng knew of him. You could say they were acquainted, but Lin Heng had long since filed him under the not worth knowing category.

Shang Xinglu took the handkerchief. A moment ago, she had been a furious, almost feral woman, but now, in a much softer voice, she murmured, “…Thanks.”

Then, she roughly wiped her face and blew her nose.

Lin Heng: “……”

The cleanliness-obsessed President Lin instinctively took a step back. Then another.

Shang Hanglu glanced at him. “What’s your name? I’ll buy you ten new ones.”

“No need.”

“Just to be clear, I’m not trying to get your name and number.”

“I know. Really, don’t bother.”

After wiping her face, she seemed calmer. Perhaps having someone nearby helped her regain control—or more likely, she still had some dignity left.

Shang Xinglu twisted the dirty handkerchief into a ball. “Well, congratulations. You got to witness my pathetic moment, Mr. Nameless Stranger.”

“……”

“To be honest, most women get a little hysterical after a breakup. The only difference is whether someone sees it or not. The guy in the photo? That’s my ex-fiancé. We were engaged. Now we’re not.”

“……”

“As for why we broke up… Look, I may not be extraordinary, but I’m still the precious daughter of my family. Yet, in his family’s eyes, I was never good enough. If they didn’t want me, they should’ve just said so! It’s not like I wanted them either!”

Her eyes welled up again.

Then, she picked up the torn photo, shredded it further, and tossed it into the trash along with the dirty handkerchief.

“Ugh, whatever! I’ll find someone better-looking and richer than him! Shen Wang can go eat dirt!!!”

At that moment, Lin Heng suddenly pointed at himself.

Shang Xinglu: “?”

Lin Heng said, “I’m better-looking and richer. Want to marry me?”

What he meant to say was—looks and money shouldn’t be the only criteria for choosing a husband.

Marriage required careful consideration, discussing finances, family expectations, interests, and even drafting a prenuptial agreement.

But before he could elaborate—

Shang Xinglu replied, “Sure.”

“I dare to marry. Do you dare to take me?”

Lin Heng: “…………”

---

Lin Heng had agreed to ask around for her, but these kinds of matters wouldn’t be resolved overnight. Shang Xinglu wasn’t in a hurry either.

After all, there was no point in rushing.

And stress could cause premature aging, which would affect her stunning beauty!

Going bankrupt and losing her looks? That would be the real tragedy!

For now, Shang Xinglu stayed relatively quiet.

She didn’t have much choice—she had a cast on her foot.

The doctor said it was just a sprained ankle. She’d need the cast for three weeks, though depending on her recovery, it might extend to six.

To be honest, she probably has about seven weeks left, just a little over a month and a half, before she gets divorced.

This is a critical period.

Should she really keep dragging around with a plastered leg during such a critical time in her relationship?

The business circle sisters absolutely don’t agree with that.

She had been quiet, which made the sisters worry.

After all, since the last time when Shiru revealed that Yinyao liked Lin Heng, Shang Xinglu hadn’t gone out with them, which made people start to worry.

The sisters thought they should teach that little b*tch Yinyao a lesson.

Just because she had a pure and innocent face, she shouldn’t think she could do whatever she wanted.

However, in a social circle, it’s impossible to go too far, so the business circle sisters secretly set up a lot of little traps for Yinyao.

The first time was a coincidence, the second time was a coincidence, the third, fourth time…

With the help of her friends, Yinyao finally understood.

As for this, Yinyao felt a little angry but also helpless.

That night, Yinyao dialed Louise’s phone and said, “Louise, there’s something I want to clear up with you in person. Do you have time tomorrow?”

From the other side, loud music blared.

“Ah—?! Wait—! I can’t hear you—! Let me step outside!!”

After a while, Louise picked up the phone again.

Yinyao couldn’t help asking, “What are you doing?”

Shang Xinglu had actually gone on a team-building trip with a second batch of cloud tech employees.

The resort had everything you could need, and it had already formed its own business circle locally.

A group of normally conservative young girls suggested they try something different.

Since they usually didn’t go to bars, they thought about going to one.

There was a lively bar there, mostly full of young people, so the group decided to go.

…and they brought Shang Xinglu along.

They said they had no experience and didn’t know what to do inside, so it was obvious that Louise was the seasoned one.

Shang Xinglu: ………… Fine.

Shang Xinglu explained to Yinyao, “I was just at a rave!”

Rave?

This word… sounds so outdated.

Yinyao suddenly fell silent.

After a while, she remembered, “I thought you injured your ankle. How did you go… raving?”

Shang Xinglu: “It’s fine, my upper body is okay, I can just shake my head! It was so fun!”

Yinyao: “………..”

Who was it that said Louise had been feeling down lately and hadn’t even been going out?

Who said Shang Xinglu was so upset she cried and that her eyes were red and swollen from crying too much and she didn’t want to go out?

Shang Xinglu asked, “What were you about to say?”

Yinyao cleared her throat and quickly said, “Do you have time tomorrow? I’d like to meet you and clear up some misunderstandings.”

“I’m in XXX.” Shang Xinglu gave the location.

“It’s okay, it’s nearby. I’ll drive over tomorrow,” Yinyao said.

They agreed on the time and place.

The next day, Shang Xinglu met Yinyao at a café in the resort.

Yinyao still looked fresh and beautiful today, especially when she smiled—so sweet.

Shang Xinglu couldn’t help but look at her several times.

Yinyao touched her face and asked, “Is there something on my face?”

“No, it’s just that you look particularly beautiful.”

At first, Shang Xinglu was going to say this, but remembering their positions, she changed her words: “No, no, don’t worry, I actually really like your outfit.”

At this moment, Yinyao thought that Shang Xinglu still cared, and last night was just an act.

“Louise, about Lin Heng, you misunderstood.” Yinyao got straight to the point. “Last time in the US, you were there too, and you know Lin Heng helped me pay. I was really grateful. I used to think Lin Heng was a colder person, but this time I had a change of opinion, so I told my friends I had some feelings for him, but I meant it in a non-romantic way.”

Then, Shang Xinglu’s jaw dropped.

“…What did you say?”

Yinyao swore again, “I don’t have romantic feelings for Lin Heng.”

Shang Xinglu: …

Silence.

Shang Xinglu: ……………

More silence.

Shang Xinglu: ……………

The good news, like a soap bubble, burst.

It was gone… gone…

Shang Xinglu’s disappointment was obvious as she said, “Oh.”

But Yinyao thought she didn’t believe her, so she quickly said, “I swear, don’t misunderstand!”

Shang Xinglu waved her hand, “I don’t misunderstand, I don’t misunderstand…”

To be honest, little sister, please, let me misunderstand!

However, she couldn’t say that.

So Shang Xinglu could only sigh.

Looking on the bright side, at least there’s some good feeling there. Even if it’s just platonic, it’s still something—better than no progress at all.

Shang Xinglu quickly added, “I really didn’t misunderstand. How could I misunderstand you? You two only said a few words that day, after all.”

Yinyao sighed in relief, her face lighting up with joy.

“I’m so glad you believe me!”

As she spoke, she reached out and grabbed Shang Xinglu’s hand that was resting on the table.

Her small hand held it tightly, warm and soft. As she held it, Yinyao’s fingers gently, almost imperceptibly, traced Shang Xinglu’s palm.

Shang Xinglu froze.

Emmmmm…

This vibe…

…Is something not quite right?