Huo Ruiyang was reviewing documents on his desk when his brother’s words made him pause mid-motion. He lifted his gaze, his expression hardening.  

Suddenly, he recalled the dream he’d had two days ago—Xia Anran tangled in a mess of knotted threads, struggling desperately, her eyes pleading for him to save her through the gaps.  

After waking, he had dismissed the dream. But now, it seemed she really was in trouble?  

Huo Ruiyang set down the documents and straightened up, his deep voice betraying no emotion:  

“What happened?”

On the other end of the line, Huo Ruifeng lazily settled into his chair, reclining against the backrest and propping his long legs on the desk, adjusting for maximum comfort.  

He deliberately dragged out the silence. Huo Ruiyang’s brows furrowed.  

“Cat got your tongue?” 

Huo Ruifeng smirked. This was exactly what he wanted—to test his elder brother’s feelings toward Xia Anran.  

And look, the results were clear.  

Huo Ruiyang wasn’t indifferent to Xia Anran at all. On the contrary, he cared—deeply.  

Otherwise, given his brother’s usual cold demeanor, the normal reaction would’ve been a dismissive “Not my problem” before hanging up without another word.  

Now that he knew Huo Ruiyang had at least some concern for Xia Anran, Huo Ruifeng decided to fan the flames—to reconnect the severed red thread between them.  

Hearing rumors was one thing, but seeing her in person had convinced him. This ex-fiancée of his brother’s was sharp-witted, courageous, and resourceful. Paired with his icy elder brother, they were a match made in heaven. It’d be a shame if they didn’t end up together.  

Huo Ruifeng heaved an exaggerated sigh, spinning the situation into something far graver:  

“Ah, Brother, Xia Anran’s in a terrible state. Somehow, news of her broken engagement with you leaked to the Song and Dance Troupe. You know how it is—where there are women, there’s drama. Once they found out, they started gossiping about her, ostracizing her, bullying her. She even got poisoned by Regimental Commander Zhou’s niece during the lead singer competition!”

“She barely managed to earn the lead role on merit, only to have it revoked because she’s not an official troupe member. She’s trapped between a rock and a hard place, every step a struggle!”  

As he spoke, even Huo Ruifeng began to feel a little sorry for his ex-sister-in-law.  

Truthfully, this mess was partly his fault. He was the one who had blabbed in the cafeteria about Xia Anran sharing the same name as his brother’s former fiancée—exposing her broken engagement and making her a target.

Since he caused the problem, wasn’t it only right that he fix it?  

The more Huo Ruiyang listened, the deeper his frown grew, his voice turning sharp:  

“Poisoned?”

Huo Ruifeng sighed mournfully.  

“Exactly! If Fangfang and the others hadn’t found her in time, she’d have lost her voice. Just think how pitiful she is—traveled all this way to marry you, only for you to reject her outright. A woman who’s been publicly jilted can’t just go back to her village. She tried to build a life in the troupe through hard work, but now she’s being shunned.”

“Alone in a strange city, no family, no friends… Ah, it’s tragic!”

Huo Ruiyang didn’t want to hear anymore. The more he listened, the more agitated he felt—as if invisible hands were squeezing his heart, leaving him unsettled. He gritted out:  

“Enough nonsense.”

Huo Ruifeng listened to the dial tone on the other end, then placed the receiver back on the landline. His long fingers intertwined as he raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing at the corner of his lips.

His elder brother had always been the picture of composure, unshaken by anything.  

But just now? His emotions had been anything but steady.  

And why? Because it **hurt**.  

…

Huo Ruiyang set down the phone and picked up the documents on his desk, but his focus had scattered. After a futile attempt to read, he closed the folder, his gaze lingering on the landline.  

His brother’s words echoed in his ears—*Xia Anran, ostracized, poisoned?*  

Huo Ruiyang lifted the receiver, his knuckles taut as he swiftly dialed a series of numbers. But at the final digit, his finger froze. His brow furrowed, hesitation rooting him in place.  

Just then, Zhang Hengye pushed the door open, oblivious to Huo Ruiyang’s tension. Leaning against the desk with a grin, he said:  

“Ruiyang, set the work aside. My mom just called—she’s made dumplings and wants us to head back for dinner.”

Huo Ruiyang looked at him and abruptly asked:  

“Hengye, did you call your cousin?”

Zhang Hengye blinked, confused.  

“Why would I call him? He’s on duty—can’t join us for drinks.”

Huo Ruiyang held his gaze in silence. Zhang Hengye stared back blankly before suddenly slapping his forehead with a laugh:  

“Ah, my memory’s garbage! Totally slipped my mind. I’ll call him now.”

Huo Ruiyang wordlessly handed him the receiver and returned to his seat, pretending to review documents while eavesdropping on the conversation.  

“What? It’s that bad? Damn, I should’ve called sooner— Wait, why do you care about my connection to Xia Anran? She’s a relative of a friend who asked me to look out for her. Yeah, you got it. Thanks, man. I’ll treat you to a meal later.”

As Zhang Hengye hung up, Huo Ruiyang’s eyes snapped to him. Though silent, the demand in his gaze was unmistakable. Zhang Hengye hurriedly explained:  

“Didn’t expect things to escalate so fast. Xia Anran joined the troupe, right? They held a competition, and Regimental Commander Zhou’s niece drugged her to win. But get this—Xia Anran still aced it, earned the lead vocalist spot… only to get booted because someone reported her as a temporary member…”

He rambled through the details from his cousin, watching Huo Ruiyang’s expression darken like storm clouds, his aura freezing the room.  

*Wait—is he pissed?*  

Zhang Hengye cautiously probed: “Ruiyang… you mad?”

When no answer came, he added:  

“You and Xia Anran are done anyway. Besides, she’s fine now. I told my cousin to watch out for her. Sure, she lost the lead role, but once she gets formal status, they’ll reinstate her.”

*No formal status?*  

Huo Ruiyang’s frown deepened. *His father just dumped Xia Anran in the troupe as a temp?* No contract meant she could be axed anytime.  

Zhang Hengye observed Huo Ruiyang’s thunderous expression and nudged:  

“Ruiyang, drop it for now. Come on—dumplings won’t wait.”

Huo Ruiyang stood, filed the documents into a drawer, and grabbed his military cap from the coat rack. Zhang Hengye brightened: “That’s the spirit! Nothing’s worth skipping a meal. Mom’s heartbroken over your injury saving me—went all out cooking to ‘replenish your blood’ or whatever.”

Huo Ruiyang met his eyes:  

“Hengye, there’s something I need to handle. Thank your mother for me—I’ll visit her another time.”

Zhang Hengye’s smile stiffened:  

“Huh? What’s so urgent?” 

Huo Ruiyang clapped his shoulder, tossing back one word:  

“Later.”

Zhang Hengye could only gape as Huo Ruiyang strode off. He glanced at the landline.  

Wait—did Ruiyang went to find Xia Anran?