[Location: Private Rooftop Lounge — City A | Time: 7:00 PM | Weather: Overcast]
The rooftop bar overlooked the sparkling city skyline, soft jazz humming under the hush of evening. The ambiance was discreet, expensive—perfect for whispered betrayals.
Chen Yao arrived precisely on time, draped in a sleek crimson dress. She spotted Du Haoran instantly, seated near the edge, drink in hand, smirk firmly in place.
"You always had a flair for dramatic settings," she remarked, sliding into the chair across from him.
"Only for conversations that matter," Du Haoran replied smoothly. "And I suspect this one does."
He signaled the server.
"Whiskey? Or shall I guess your poison's changed over the years?"
"Save the charm, Haoran. Just say what you called me here for."
He chuckled, but his eyes remained sharp.
"You want him back, don't you?"
Chen Yao didn't answer.
"You want Yichen to look at you the way he used to… before he became a stranger."
"And you want to cut him down, piece by piece," she countered, folding her arms. "Let's not pretend we have the same goal."
Du Haoran leaned forward, voice lowering.
"You and I may never be allies, but we're useful to each other."
"Go on."
"He's unpredictable now. Colder. Less forgiving. And that woman—Lingxi—she's not just a memory. She's a weakness."
"You think I didn't notice?"
"What you don't know is how deep that connection runs."
"Enlighten me."
Du Haoran pulled a small flash drive from his jacket.
"Photos. Reports. A timeline that overlaps with his so-called disappearance."
"What's the catch?"
"No catch. Just a reminder that the man you're mourning isn't the same one who walked out of your life."
Chen Yao took the flash drive but didn't look at it.
"You're doing this for yourself, not me."
"Of course. I want him gone from Xu Corporation. You want him back. Let's not stand in each other's way until we have to."
He raised his glass.
"To aligned motives."
She didn't toast him back.
[Location: Xu Corporation HQ — Yichen's Office | Time: 8:00 PM]
Xu Yichen sat behind his desk, reviewing a security report. His office, dimly lit, reflected the hard lines of his jaw and the shadows under his eyes.
Yuan Fei entered quietly, carrying a tablet.
"Surveillance picked up Miss Chen meeting with Du Haoran tonight."
Yichen didn't look up.
"Location?"
"Skyline Lounge. Private corner table."
"Let them talk. Nothing they say changes the facts."
"Sir… Haoran is digging into Miss Qin's past."
That made him pause.
"Find out how much he knows. And contain it."
"Already on it."
Yichen leaned back, tapping the edge of the desk with his finger.
"If he touches her, he'll regret it."
"You want me to escalate?"
"No. Not yet. He'll reveal his hand soon enough."
[Location: Qin Lingxi's Apartment | Time: 8:30 PM]
Lingxi sat on the floor of her studio again, sketchbook open but untouched.
Her phone buzzed once.
[Message — Yuan Fei]
He's begun moving. Stay alert.
She didn't reply.
Instead, she walked to the small wooden box on her shelf. Inside were old letters—faded, creased, but intact.
One, in particular, bore the initials X.Y.C. in delicate handwriting.
She read it again.
"If I ever return, I won't come as the man you once knew."
Lingxi closed her eyes, the words sinking in deeper than she wanted them to.
[Location: Chen Villa — Chen Yao's Room | Time: 9:00 PM]
She plugged the flash drive into her laptop. The folder inside was titled simply: "Lingxi"
Click.
Photos—Lingxi at a university in another city. Working at a small hospital. Sketches matching those in Xu Yichen's private collection. A security image from five years ago of Yichen and Lingxi boarding a train.
Chen Yao's hands clenched.
"He left with her…"
More files—flight tickets, hospital logs, a blurry photo of Lingxi holding an umbrella, Yichen at her side.
The timeline was undeniable.
"He didn't vanish. He chose to disappear—with her."
Her reflection in the screen looked nothing like the girl he married.
[Location: Du Haoran's Study | Time: 9:15 PM]
Du Haoran sat alone, the city lights flickering against his whiskey glass.
He picked up a photograph—Yichen, standing beside an older man, their postures identical.
"You always played the perfect heir," he muttered. "But you forgot how much dirt you left behind."
He opened a drawer, revealing an old legal document marked CONFIDENTIAL.
"Let's see how loyal your past really is."
[Location: Xu Corporation Rooftop | Time: 10:00 PM]
Xu Yichen stood under the sky, the city silent around him.
He held a copy of Chen Yao's signed divorce paper, reading it one last time before tearing it into precise, quiet pieces.
His phone buzzed.
[Text Message — Unknown Number]
Haoran has something. About her.
He didn't reply.
Instead, he whispered to himself,
"I won't let anyone take her again."
[End of Chapter 9]