Chapter 2: She Truly Wasn’t Good Enough  

Song Ziwan’s nails dug deep into her palms as she clutched the small cake box, beads of blood seeping into the folds of her skirt.  

She heard her own voice crack as she forced out the words, “Sorry for disturbing you.”  

With a cold glare at her boyfriend, she turned on her heel and strode toward the hotel entrance without looking back.  

Zhou Xuyan was about to sigh in relief when his father ordered him to meet his uncle. Reluctantly, he nodded. “Alright.”  

Seeing his girlfriend storm off, he quickly pulled out his phone to send her a comforting message, telling her to take a taxi back to their rented apartment—but his mother snatched the device from his hand.  

Outsiders only knew the Zhou family as a prominent, wealthy clan with many accomplished members. What they didn’t know was how strict the family’s discipline was.  

If any of the younger generation stepped out of line, his uncle wouldn’t hesitate to intervene.  

“No wonder Liz, a five-star hotel, has so few guests in the restaurant tonight. Uncle must be coming,” Zhou Xuyan muttered awkwardly before raising his voice just enough for Song Ziwan’s retreating figure to hear. “Take a taxi back.”  

Song Ziwan didn’t turn around.  

Zhou’s father cast a disdainful glance at her back and said to his son, “Your uncle will arrive at the restaurant soon.”  

The words made Zhou Xuyan realize his parents had arrived first to await his uncle’s appearance.  

His aunt might have even accompanied him to Shencheng.  

At a moment like this, he couldn’t afford to upset his parents—otherwise, facing his uncle later would be unbearable.  

Zhou Xuyan followed his father to the private dining room on the fifth floor. The restaurant and lobby were swiftly cleared, with all staff standing at attention, awaiting the imminent arrival of the esteemed guest.  

Outside the hotel, security guards in dark blue uniforms, earpieces in place, tensely scanned the area after the evacuation—only to spot a lone woman leaning against the display window in the lobby.  

One guard hurried over to shoo her away. “Miss, please leave immediately.”  

When Song Ziwan had been standing before the Zhou couple, she had wanted nothing more than to rush home, lock the door, and sob her heart out.  

But the moment she stepped out of Liz Hotel, she couldn’t bring herself to leave just yet.  

Now that Zhou Xuyan’s parents knew about their relationship, she was determined to fight for the love she had carefully nurtured.  

“What? Your hotel dares to chase away guests? Do you want me to expose your disgraceful behavior?” Song Ziwan raised her tightly clenched phone, her eyes flashing with warning.  

The guard hesitated, but before he could force her out—  

A voice crackled over Channel 5 in his earpiece.  

“All units, high alert. The distinguished guest has arrived. During their presence, no unauthorized personnel are permitted near their designated areas…”  

The towering guard whipped his head around as several bulletproof SWAT vehicles rolled into the hotel plaza.  

The sheer scale of the entourage meant only one thing—the person inside held immense authority.  

Turning back, he jabbed a finger at the defiant woman. “Fine, stay if you want—but don’t move a muscle! And keep that phone down. No photos, or you’ll regret it…”  

In an instant, the guard jogged back to the hotel entrance, joining his colleagues in forming a human barricade on either side of the doors—standing at solemn attention to welcome the VIP’s arrival.

Song Ziwan recalled the covered walkway outside the elevator entrance moments ago, where Zhou’s father had mentioned that Zhou Xuyan’s uncle would be arriving soon.

She knew this uncle of Zhou Xuyan held a significant official position but wasn’t sure exactly what kind of cadre he was. “Could it be that they’re waiting to welcome Zhou Xuyan’s uncle?”

Her eyes filled with suspicion just as she saw her boyfriend Zhou Xuyan hurriedly step out of the lobby.

But it was clear he wasn’t coming after his girlfriend. Instead, he stood respectfully by the SWAT armored car, bowing slightly as he said, “Uncle, you’ve arrived…”

“Yes, here on business and thought I’d drop by to see your parents,” replied the man in a deep, resonant voice, patting Zhou Xuyan on the shoulder. “Didn’t hear you’d be at the hotel beforehand…”

“I only just found out from Mom and Dad,” Zhou Xuyan replied with the humility of a junior, staying close to his uncle’s side like a personal aide, following him briskly back into the lobby.

Song Ziwan strained on tiptoe, catching only a glimpse of the tall, imposing figure emerging from the car, his hair a striking white.

She had imagined him as a ruddy-nosed, potbellied old man, but through the gaps in the crowd, she saw Zhou Xuyan deferentially accompanying a strikingly handsome man whose features bore some resemblance to his own.

The man exuded an aura of stern authority, an intangible pressure surrounding him, flanked by serious-faced military personnel in uniform.

She had thought the Zhou family was just an ordinary cadre household in the compound. Never had she imagined that Zhou Xuyan’s uncle, clad in military uniform, would bear insignia on his shoulders that she’d only seen on television news.

A few minutes later, she quietly walked out of the hotel plaza and hailed a taxi.

Once inside, Song Ziwan leaned against the window and searched for military ranks and their corresponding insignia.

The moment the results loaded, a glaring reality struck her.

It was a social stratum she could never reach in her lifetime.

“No wonder Zhou Xuyan kept our relationship hidden for seven years. All these years, I didn’t even know who his closest friends were…” Uncontrollable tears pattered onto her chest.

She had always believed the Zhou family was just an ordinary household in the compound.

That as long as she was brave enough, no one could tear their love apart.

Tonight’s encounter with the Zhou family shattered her illusions. As Zhou’s mother had said, in the eyes of outsiders, she was pinning her hopes of happiness on climbing the social ladder, with Zhou Xuyan as her perfect candidate.

“Ha… haha…” Song Ziwan let out a bitter laugh.

—

Meanwhile, in a modern, stylish Chinese restaurant.

In the main dining area, a table of military personnel sat in orderly formation as waitstaff carefully served dishes.

Across from them, nearly the entire restaurant staff was attending to a private room where a group of distinguished guests dined.

Elegant laughter filled the refined private room.

“Xuyan here is one of the most promising young members of our Zhou family. Your career keeps growing—I’m happy for you,” said Zhou Xuyan’s uncle, holding a teacup as he regarded his nephew with warm eyes.

Zhou’s mother beamed. “Brother, don’t flatter him too much. He’s nearly thirty and still not engaged. Fortunately, the Gu family’s daughter has returned from studying abroad. Our families have discussed arranging a meeting to see if we can make this match work.”

“Xuyan isn’t seeing anyone?”

When asked about the marriage by his uncle, Zhou Xuyan found the words stuck in his throat.  

He sipped his tea awkwardly, not daring to speak further.  

“Brother’s wife, which Gu family are you referring to?” Uncle Zhou’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.