The first time Shi Zhi met Fu Xiling was on her boyfriend Shen Jia’s birthday.

A group of about twenty of them entered the bar in a lively crowd. Shen Jia had already reserved the biggest booth in advance, and after confirming the reservation with the last four digits of his phone number, the waiter led them inside.

The late-night bar was deafeningly loud, with flickering lights that danced unpredictably. The DJ’s beats blasted heavily, bombarding everyone’s eardrums. Most of the people were crammed into the dance floor, shaking their heads and bodies to the rhythm, waving their arms freely amidst the vibrant lights and flowing liquor.

Shi Zhi followed a half-step behind Shen Jia, looking down at the delivery status of the birthday cake on her phone. Someone in the dance floor backed up and almost bumped into her, but Shen Jia stopped them just in time, thoughtfully moving her closer to the edge of the dance floor for safety.

The noise made it impossible to hear each other clearly. Shen Jia smiled at Shi Zhi and mouthed a reminder, “Be careful, it’s crowded.”

Shi Zhi smiled gently. “Got it.”

Her boyfriend, Shen Jia, was a graduate student in science and engineering at University B. He was an excellent student, beloved by professors and mentors. Despite being a top student, Shen Jia wasn’t the boring type. He had plenty of friends, enjoyed sports, loved pets, and had a passion for traveling.

Whenever people met Shen Jia, he always wore a warm smile. His behavior and demeanor exuded the qualities of someone raised in a good family, and he was well-liked at school.

A lot of girls adored this gentle and refined type. So when Shen Jia pursued Shi Zhi, she agreed within two weeks. They had been dating for half a year now, and their relationship was decent. Shi Zhi was quite satisfied with her boyfriend.

As they navigated through the crowd, the waiter stopped at their reserved booth. Shen Jia’s friends were in high spirits, teasing loudly, “Shen Jia, you’re too generous! Booking such a big table makes us feel bad for our average gifts while the birthday boy spends this much…”

“Stop teasing and sit down. Decide what you want to drink.”

Shen Jia was smiling at first, but before he sat down, his gaze swept in a particular direction. Shi Zhi noticed the slight pause in his steps and the subtle stiffening of his smile as the corners of his lips slowly dropped.

Sensitive to changes, Shi Zhi followed Shen Jia’s line of sight and saw the person in the booth next to theirs—Fu Xiling.

The adjacent booth was of the same size as theirs, meant for about twenty-five people. But sitting there on the large gray sofa was just one guy.

He seemed about their age, dressed in a black t-shirt, lounging with an almost careless sprawl. His long legs were stretched out, and he leaned lazily against the spacious sofa. The surrounding lively atmosphere seemed to have no effect on him. He held an iPad, staring down at it, engrossed in whatever he was doing.

Shi Zhi glanced at him twice. Her intuition told her he wasn’t waiting for anyone nor did he have any companions. Judging by the denim jacket draped over the sofa, it probably belonged to him.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, the guy looked up.

He had strikingly sharp features—high brow bones, deep-set eyes, and a tall nose bridge. At first glance, his eyes carried a faintly aggressive vibe, as if his thoughts were hard to read.

Half of his face was obscured by the club’s strobing purple lights. The fragmented shadows cast an inexplicable wickedness to his smile as he casually raised a hand to greet Shen Jia’s group. Judging by his lips, it looked like he said, “Hey, what a coincidence.”

Shen Jia seemed to take a deep breath, but when he turned back, he had his usual gentle smile. Putting down his backpack, he told the group he’d spotted someone he knew and wanted to say hi.

Shen Jia’s childhood friend followed him. Shi Zhi, observing quietly, guessed that Shen Jia and this guy—Fu Xiling, as she soon learned—must have known each other for a long time.

However, their relationship didn’t seem close. The exchange of pleasantries lasted only a couple of minutes before Shen Jia returned.

From the conversation between Shen Jia and his friend, Shi Zhi picked up on his dislike for Fu Xiling. Though his good manners restrained him from openly criticizing, the disdain was unmistakable.

Dislike. But why?

Shi Zhi glanced back discreetly. Fu Xiling’s table was laden with untouched drinks—a Macallan whisky and several beers. Only half a bottle of mineral water had been drunk, and the waiter had just cleared away a large bowl, possibly from dumplings or soup.

As for Fu Xiling himself, he was still engrossed in his iPad. He didn’t seem to be there for entertainment but rather as if he had stopped by just for a meal.

“Shi Zhi, what do you want to drink? Beer?” One of Shen Jia’s friends handed her a bottle of Budweiser.

Shi Zhi, well-acquainted with bar drinks—including their cost and markup—was about to respond when Shen Jia intercepted the beer. “Don’t mess around; Shi Zhi doesn’t drink.”

Then he ordered her a fresh fruit juice, thoughtfully adding a straw.

Shen Jia’s friends were similarly decent people. They came to bars more for a second round of casual bonding after meals, to unwind healthily from the pressures of their routines. They didn’t drink excessively, had good manners, didn’t flirt with girls, and even danced only among themselves, competing over heart rates and stamina.

Shi Zhi appreciated the clean and simple vibe of the group. She happily played the role of the “good girl,” sipping her juice slowly while sitting beside Shen Jia.

Around eleven at night, Shi Zhi told Shen Jia she needed to use the restroom.

That wasn’t her real intention.

She stepped outside the bar and stood near the entrance, waiting for the three-tier birthday cake she had carefully ordered.

This was her first relationship, and she’d put a lot of effort into it. The cake was in Shen Jia’s favorite blue, with decorations customized to his liking.

The cool night breeze provided a refreshing contrast to the bar’s clamor, which the heavy door completely muffled. Shi Zhi refreshed the delivery tracking on her phone, unaware that someone had appeared a few steps behind her.

When she received the cake and turned around, her gaze met Fu Xiling’s scrutinizing eyes.

Fu Xiling leaned against the wall outside, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he toyed with his phone. He was staring at her, unabashedly.

Shi Zhi held his gaze for two seconds, realizing he had no intention of looking away. She concluded this guy must have some sort of issue. Frowning, she shot him a cold glare, then walked off with her large cake box without a word.

Her first impression of Fu Xiling was anything but good.

Admittedly, Fu Xiling’s looks were outstanding—among the best she’d ever seen in a guy. But to her, he seemed like one of those players who treated bars as their second home, living a messy romantic life.

Not a good person, she decided.

Shi Zhi carefully navigated the crowd with her cake box and returned to the booth. Shen Jia’s surprised expression three meters away was quickly followed by a chorus of cheers, drawing curious glances from others nearby.

Shen Jia came over to take her hand, speaking gently. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

Shi Zhi brushed off the cost and simply said, “Happy birthday.”

The reactions around them pleased her. She crouched beside the table, helping to untie the ribbon while holding a candle. She turned to Shen Jia and asked, “Do you guys have a lighter?”

She had a plan in mind—she knew her slightly upward gaze while asking for help would make Shen Jia more affectionate. She also knew the flickering candlelight would make her eyes shine.

Shen Jia tousled her hair affectionately. “It’s fine, get up. There are so many people here; let them handle it.”

His friends egged him on:

“When you make a wish, you better wish to be with Shi Zhi forever!”

“Jia, you’ve got it all figured out in life. Just make a wish for me—that I’ll find a girlfriend as amazing as Shi Zhi!”

Shi Zhi smiled faintly. When Shen Jia gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, she noticed a tall figure walking past with a jacket in hand, settling into the neighboring booth.

She didn’t know what Shen Jia wished for with his eyes closed and smiling face. She thought that after celebrating his birthday tonight, their relationship would naturally grow stronger.

But life often surprises you. After cutting the cake, there was a small incident.

It was brief.

Shen Jia’s phone, lying on the table, lit up with a new comment notification on Weibo. Shen Jia didn’t notice it while leaning forward, chatting and drinking with his friends. It was Shi Zhi who handed the phone to him.

He took it casually, but after glancing at the screen, his expression changed dramatically.

This wasn’t the same subtle dislike he showed earlier with Fu Xiling—it was panic. And beneath that panic, Shi Zhi caught a glimpse of something that looked suspiciously like delight.

The lighting in the bar had shifted to a cool blue, slicing the alcohol-laden air into angular geometric shapes like scenes from a futuristic movie.

Under the cold tones, Shi Zhi quietly watched Shen Jia clutch his phone, lying to her.

He said his family had just texted him, and he needed to step outside to return the call.

Shi Zhi didn’t expose him. She nodded understandingly and said, “Alright, just come back quickly.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I’m done…” Shen Jia, in his haste, squeezed through the crowded booth, accidentally knocking over an empty beer bottle. The sound was swallowed by the noisy environment.

Unaware of what was truly happening, his friends joked, “What’s going on? Two beers, and Shen Jia’s already tipsy? Is he rushing to the bathroom?”

“Come on, guys, don’t overdo it with the birthday boy. Shi Zhi, aren’t you going to check on him?”

Shi Zhi, calm and composed, smiled faintly. “He’s just making a call to his family. I’ll let him handle it on his own.”