The night was deep, moonlight like silver cascading over the terrace. Wall lamps on the pillars illuminated the entire platform.

Lin Zhiyu leaned against the railing, watching him as the evening breeze brushed her cheeks. With each breath, she caught the faint scent of cedar from him.

The man stood beside her, his expression calm under the bright moonlight, his eyelashes lowered as he looked at her with inscrutable eyes.

“What are you thinking?” Lin Zhiyu waved her hand in front of his face.

Her slender, pale hand swayed before his eyes, and in the afterimage of her movement, he could see her arched eyebrows. Shen Yanli smiled faintly, grasping her wrist in his palm to stop her motion.

“It’s nothing.” The skin of her wrist felt unusually cool to the touch. He slid his palm down to feel her fingertips.

Sure enough, they were cold.

Shen Yanli continued to rub her hand gently as he suggested, “Are you cold? Let’s go inside.”

At his reminder, Lin Zhiyu suddenly felt a chill run through her body. She nodded.

“Okay.”

“Have they left?”

In the lavishly decorated corridor, Shen Yanli and Lin Zhiyu walked side by side.

“Of course,” he replied with certainty, as if he had already arranged everything.

The corridor had been cleared, with no one in sight. Golden-patterned walls adorned with paintings stretched all the way to the end.

The man’s steps were steady, the girl’s light and nimble. The corridor was wide enough that even walking side by side did not feel crowded.

Shen Yanli had taken off his jacket, wearing only a gray shirt with a dark-striped tie fastened by a silver tie clip. The warm light cast a soft golden glow over the contours of his profile, softening the aloofness in his demeanor and adding a touch of gentleness.

Lin Zhiyu looked up at him. This face had too great an impact on her visually. It was hard to imagine how the author could bear to give such a handsome face such a tragic ending.

Then it occurred to her this was a male-oriented story, where the focus was on the network of relationships, not on appearances.

She let out an almost imperceptible sigh. “Anyway, I can’t bear it.”

Though her voice was soft, Shen Yanli heard it. He lowered his gaze to her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she shook her head, her steps not slowing but growing even lighter. “Shen Yanli, I’ve figured it out. Let me tell you.”

Her tone was bright, brimming with excitement as she shared with the person beside her, “Defeating him isn’t hard. We just need to cut off his network of relationships or find someone with even stronger connections to suppress him.”

Shen Yanli didn’t look at her, responding gently to her conclusion. “Okay.”

He glanced down at the rhythm of her steps. When Lin Zhiyu was excited, she didn’t watch where she was going. Her radiant eyes were fixed on his, clear and transparent like the sky after a rain, when the mist clears.

The curve of his lips deepened.

Without a word, he matched her pace.

“So, what should we do first?” Lin Zhiyu was clueless. She stopped walking, waiting for his answer.

“Make him turn against the Ji family,” Shen Yanli stayed with her.

A crisp snap echoed as Lin Zhiyu clicked her fingers in approval. “Exactly.”

Very good, a teachable student indeed.

Shen Yanli chuckled softly, nodding.

She nodded in satisfaction. “Then all we need to do is identify his network of relationships and break them down one by one!”

Before she could finish, she turned her head and her steps were halted by the yellow wall ahead. Shen Yanli reached out, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to pull her toward him.

Before they knew it, the two had moved from the center position to the right side against the wall. Fortunately, Shen Yanli intervened just in time one more step and her shoulder would have rubbed closely against the wall.

“Did it touch?” he asked.

Lin Zhiyu shook her head.

“Zhi Zhi, watch where you’re walking,” he said with a hint of helplessness, a wry smile gracing his handsome features.

Lin Zhiyu waved her hand dismissively, seemingly unfazed, though the interruption appeared to make her forget what she had been saying.

Her hand still suspended mid-air, Shen Yanli kindly reminded her, “Tackle them one by one.”

“Right.” She tapped a single finger solemnly beneath his chin, her expression suggesting she was about to launch into another lengthy speech.

Shen Yanli didn’t want to hear it.

“Alright, Zhi Zhi,” he said, gently lowering her raised index finger and enveloping her hand in his palm. “Can we talk about something else?”

“There’s an auction downstairs. Shall we go take a look?” he continued.

“No,” Lin Zhiyu stubbornly shook her head.

What was he doing? How could he be so dismissive about matters concerning life and death?

Ignoring him, Lin Zhiyu put on a stern face and lectured him, “You can’t be like this, Shen Yanli.”

“This is about our future survival. You can’t afford to be careless. Do you understand?”

With her hands on her hips and a serious expression, the young girl resembled a seasoned little teacher.

Unfortunately, her delicate voice and flushed cheeks made the scolding sound more like coquettish pleading to Shen Yanli.

He lowered his head, calmly holding her slender fingers without changing his expression, drawing out his response, “Alright, little teacher.”

Lin Zhiyu’s face flushed with anger. She pulled her hand back and hid it behind her. “Shen Yanli!”

“Are you even listening to me?”

Her brows furrowed tightly. Shen Yanli lowered his gaze and softened his tone, not daring to tease her further. “I’m listening.”

“No, you’re not!”

“I was,” he patiently explained. “Ji Xianlin just never met the right people. It’s understandable that she was deceived by bad seeds. If she chooses more carefully, she won’t make foolish mistakes anymore.”

Shen Yanli quietly categorized solutions for her, slowly taking her right hand in his again.

“Zhi Zhi, let’s not talk about them anymore, okay?” His voice grew slightly distant.

Lin Zhiyu stared at him, considering his proposed solution. Only after confirming it was indeed feasible did her emotions begin to calm.

The two stood in the exact center of the corridor, the man lowering his head to meet the girl’s gaze. Under the warm yellow lighting, her fair skin glowed softly, and the diamond ring on her slender finger caught the light in his eyes.

His voice remained as gentle and courteous as ever, proceeding step by step: “Zhi Zhi, what is our relationship?”

“What?” Lin Zhiyu was completely baffled.

She blinked.

What relationship?

His hands continued their gentle movements as he gave a faint hum, deliberately guiding her: “What relationship?”

Before Lin Zhiyu could answer.

A casual, drawn-out voice came from around the corner, interrupting them: “A~ Yan~”

Both turned to look at the source. Seeing who it was, Shen Yanli’s expression darkened.

Wang Jingxuan leaned lazily against the wall, his eyes leisurely roaming over the two of them.

Lin Zhiyu turned back, taking in his displeased expression. She asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just someone here to collect a debt,” he said softly, ruffling her hair before leading her forward.

His large hand enveloped her small one. Wang Jingxuan watched intently, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

In the VIP lounge the one reserved for Wang Jingxuan the room wasn’t crowded. While the card table buzzed with excitement, the subject of discussion on the sofa remained silent.

Shen Yanli calmly took a sip of red wine as if nothing was amiss, paying no attention to Wang Jingxuan who was loudly spreading rumors about his romantic affairs at the card table.

“If I hadn’t said it, who would dare believe it? Anyway, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have dared imagine it.”

“The renowned President Shen actually speaking in such a soft, gentle tone.” Wang Jingxuan had been chattering nonstop for three full rounds.

Everyone in this private room was a heavyweight in their respective fields. With this rare gathering, they naturally spoke freely.

Shen Yanli pinched the bridge of his nose, already growing weary of Wang Jingxuan’s incessant noise.

Lin Zhiyu hadn’t wanted to disturb their brothers’ gathering. As the only woman present, it would indeed be inappropriate, and he didn’t want her to hear such vulgar talk.

But now he regretted it if she were here, these people wouldn’t be carrying on with such enthusiasm.

The whispered discussions in the private room continued.

“Yeah, who would have thought? Our Little Director Shen would one day fall head over heels for someone.”

“Speaking of which, I’d like to meet this young lady who captured President Shen’s heart at first sight.”

They played their cards halfheartedly, their minds clearly elsewhere, casting intermittent, meaningful glances toward Shen Yanli.

Gu Nanci of the Gu family in Jingtan City casually draped an arm over the back of his chair. Slapping a card down while studying Shen Yanli, he asked, “Young Master Shen, where’s the young lady?”

Shen Yanli shot him a sidelong glance. “Gu Nanci, you still have the nerve to tease me? How long has your wife been gone, and you still haven’t won her back? Instead of wasting effort here, you should focus on chasing after her.”

Clearly struck where it hurt, the man clicked his tongue. “Can’t take a joke, can you?”

As he shook his head, his upstream neighbor nudged his elbow. “Leave him be. I’m still single how about introducing your sister to us? Don’t keep her all to yourself.”

Wang Jingxuan grinned cheekily. Gu Nanci flung a card into his lap. “Wang Jingxuan, what part of you is worthy of my sister?”

“Stay away from her,” he said sternly, displeased.

“Tch, you’re no fun either,” Wang Jingxuan waved a hand, dropping the subject.

Lin Zhiyu sat alone in Shen Yanli’s VIP lounge, a pen in her hand as she scribbled and revised on paper, recording everything that had occurred in her dream.

She had no intention of telling Shen Yanli about the double death ending. Until the final moment, victory or defeat remained unknown there was no use in saying more.

Just as she finished writing and prepared to straighten up, the door slammed against the wall. She looked up, too startled to react.

Ji Xianlin poured an entire bottle of champagne directly over her head. The liquid trickled down her neck, the aroma of alcohol filling her nostrils, and the freshly written pages were soaked.

As the glass bottle clattered to the floor, Lin Zhiyu stared at the woman before her, grinding her teeth in fury.

Was this woman insane? Every time something happened with her husband, she had to douse her in alcohol to vent her anger.

Lin Zhiyu stood, holding her skirt, her lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure. “Ji Xianlin, are you out of your mind?”

How many times was this now? Did this woman have to torment her every time they met?

Her expression was stony, her voice flat and emotionless.

“What’s going on here?” An angry female voice sounded from the doorway.

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