Shen Nan’s Adam’s apple moved, and he narrowed his eyes at Zhou Zuizui, gritting his teeth as he said, “Zhou Zuizui!”

He was warning her.

Zhou Zuizui shrugged, not looking the least bit afraid. “What?” She stood on tiptoe, widening her eyes to look at him, her face innocent. “Did I say something wrong?”

Shen Nan let out a cold laugh, opened the bedroom door, and walked straight in. “Remember what you said.”

With that, he closed the door right in front of Zhou Zuizui’s face.

Zhou Zuizui stared at the door that had just been shut in her face, speechless.

Damn!

“Why did you close the door?”

Shen Nan’s deep voice came from inside the room. “Afraid you’ll end up sleeping with me.”

Zhou Zuizui: “…”

She stood there, thinking about what Shen Nan had just said to her, and before she knew it, she was smiling again.

That brief moment of deep sadness seemed to have lifted a little. She chuckled softly and turned to go back to her room.

Ten minutes later, Zhou Zuizui came out wearing a dress. Before leaving, she made a point to knock on the door next door and called out, “I’m leaving.”

Shen Nan stepped out of the bathroom and opened the door, but before he could say anything, all he saw was the back of Zhou Zuizui disappearing from view, her bare neck gleaming white. He stared for a moment, instinctively narrowing his eyes.

The place Zhou Zuizui and Xia Wen agreed to meet was, unsurprisingly, a bar.

Both of them loved alcohol and were always up for fun.

Zhou Zuizui’s true personality had been suppressed for so long, and the reason she and Xia Wen became close friends was that she couldn’t keep up the pretense anymore.

Back then, Xia Wen had disliked the polite and proper Zhou Zuizui. She always felt that this person was living a lie—her eyes were devoid of any emotion or warmth, yet she pretended to be the perfect good girl who would listen to whatever you said, doing everything according to your wishes…

In short, they had all sorts of issues.

During high school, they couldn’t stand each other.

But in college, they somehow ended up at the same school and in the same class, and that’s when they started to get to know each other. Once they did, Xia Wen went all out to bring out Zhou Zuizui’s other side, not at all politely letting her carefully crafted image crumble. Eventually, she also understood why Zhou Zuizui had behaved so obediently—it was all because she was forced to.

Her upbringing and family circumstances made her that way.

When Xia Wen drove up to the building, she whistled roguishly at the sight of Zhou Zuizui’s dress. “Looking good, sister!”

Zhou Zuizui was wearing a black dress with a strapless, camisole design. Her collarbones were delicate and beautiful, and when exposed, they had an irresistibly alluring quality. After spending the past two years living in a peaceful town, her skin was as fair as snow, and every move she made was unintentionally seductive. Coupled with her exquisite, bright features, Xia Wen could guarantee that… the brightest star at the bar tonight would be Zhou Zuizui.

It had been a long time since Xia Wen had seen Zhou Zuizui like this; it felt a bit unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar.

After getting in the car, Zhou Zuizui chuckled, took off the jacket she had put on in the elevator, and looked at Xia Wen with crescent-shaped eyes. “Missed me?”

“Of course!” Xia Wen replied as she drove away. “I didn’t want anyone else—I just wanted you to come and back me up at the bar!”

Zhou Zuizui choked on her words and shot her a sideways glance. “So my only value is that I can drink?”

“Of course not,” Xia Wen laughed. “It’s that you can drink with me.”

They both laughed. Even though it had been a long time since they’d seen each other, there was no sense of distance between them.

“When you left… didn’t your husband say anything?”

Zhou Zuizui hesitated, then smiled like a mischievous sprite. “I told him.”

Xia Wen watched her, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, feeling like Zhou Zuizui was up to something. She thought for a moment and couldn’t resist exposing her. “Why do I feel like… you’re planning something?”

At that, Zhou Zuizui looked at her with an innocent face. “I’m not! What could I possibly be planning? I’m a good citizen; am I supposed to plot against the backbone of the nation?”

Xia Wen was momentarily speechless and shot her a glance. “You know better than anyone if you’re planning something.”

This woman could smile sweetly while setting a trap full of bad intentions. Xia Wen always felt that in Zhou Zuizui’s hands, Shen Nan was like a lamb to the slaughter—one wrong move, and he’d be caught and devoured by this woman.

Zhou Zuizui just smiled without saying anything, resting her hand on the car window as she turned to watch the night outside.

The bar was bustling, and even from the entrance, the deafening music could chase you away.

Xia Wen, familiar with the place, led her inside. Before entering, Zhou Zuizui raised an eyebrow in surprise. “This bar is still around?”

This was the bar they used to frequent.

“Of course! Business has been great these past two years. A celebrity showed up here recently, giving the bar a wave of publicity.”

More people started coming.

Zhou Zuizui smiled, understanding the situation.

The two of them went inside, found a spot to sit, and began their night at the bar.

…

When Lu Jiaxiu called, Shen Nan was just about to make something to eat.

He answered the call, exchanged a few words, then quickly changed his clothes, grabbed his car keys, and headed out.

It wasn’t until he arrived at the bar that Shen Nan instinctively looked up at the familiar sign. Everything was the same—the name, the look, nothing had changed.

Lowering his gaze, he spoke briefly to the doorman before being led up to the second floor.

As soon as Shen Nan arrived, Lu Jiaxiu called out, “Shen Ye, over here.”

Shen Nan glanced over to see Lu Jiaxiu sitting with Hu Yi. He looked at the two of them and, in a rare moment, smiled. After greeting each other, he said, “It’s been a long time.”

Shen Nan scanned the room and asked, “Where’s Zhou Ran?”

The four of them had known each other since they were kids, but later on, Shen Nan and Zhou Ran both enlisted in the military, while Lu Jiaxiu and Hu Yi pursued business careers, so they gradually lost touch. Zhou Ran, being a criminal police officer, could still meet up occasionally, but Shen Nan was different… He had been stationed at the border for two years, and no one had seen him.

“He’s on a mission, but he’ll come later,” Lu Jiaxiu replied with a smile. He reached out and playfully punched Shen Nan’s shoulder. “You’re finally back.”

Shen Nan smiled in return, expressing his feelings. He felt more relaxed when he was with them.

The three of them gathered for dinner and drinks. From their spot in the second-floor private room, they had a perfect view of the downstairs hall.

Shen Nan sat by the window, scanning the hall below. When he spotted a familiar figure, he pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek and let out a soft chuckle.

Hu Yi and Lu Jiaxiu were still deep in conversation nearby. “You’re staying this time, right?”

Shen Nan responded, “Depends on the mission.”

Most of the time, whether they stayed or left wasn’t something they could decide on their own.

Lu Jiaxiu snorted lightly and raised an eyebrow. “If you want to stay here…”

Before he could finish, Shen Nan suddenly stood up, catching the other two off guard, and walked out.

Lu Jiaxiu, still holding his drink mid-air, froze for a moment and turned to Hu Yi. “What’s up with him?”

Hu Yi shook his head, equally baffled.

Then, he looked downstairs and paused, pointing at a somewhat blurry figure. “Isn’t that… Shen Ye’s wife?”

Lu Jiaxiu followed his gaze. “Oh, it really is her. She’s getting more and more beautiful.”

The two exchanged glances, then looked down at the men surrounding Zhou Zuizui. Hu Yi made a bold guess. “Is Shen Ye… going to protect his wife?”