Champagne dripped in golden droplets from Liu Hai’s hair, tracing a path down her neck to her collarbone. Lin Zhiyu’s nostrils were filled with the scent of alcohol emanating from her own body.

This Ji Xianlin possessed the typical male protagonist mindset found in male-oriented novels for Lu Yuchen’s sake, she would abandon all reason and charge forward as his vanguard.

Just like now, barging in recklessly to pick a fight with her. If she was so formidable, why didn’t she confront Shen Yanli for justice instead?

So she only knew how to bully the easy target, didn’t she?

The female voice outside the door was firm and powerful, momentarily stunning both of them. Lin Zhiyu followed the sound with her gaze.

The newcomer wore an ink-wash printed shirt set in neutral tones, accentuated by her naturally cool temperament. A vivid red scarf draped around her neck added a touch of unrestrained individuality.

As she removed her sunglasses, large round earrings swayed with the motion. The moment Ji Xianlin recognized the visitor, she froze in place, utterly bewildered.

“Sis ” Ji Xianlin stammered, rooted to the spot and visibly flustered by the newcomer’s presence.

Her face felt uncomfortably sticky. Lin Zhiyu pulled out tissues, wiping herself while observing the scene. Hearing that barely audible address, she grew even more puzzled.

Sis?

Since when did she have a sister? Was this mentioned in the book?

The disbelief in Ji Xianlin’s eyes seemed genuine. Lin Zhiyu’s gaze shifted between their faces.

Did Ji Xianlin actually fear her?

Ji Mingxi’s glance swept over Ji Xianlin before dismissing her entirely. She carried a spacious black tote bag over one shoulder, from which hung a dark blue trench coat.

While Lin Zhiyu was still staring blankly, Ji Mingxi suddenly stood before her. Warmth enveloped her body as the coat dispelled the lingering chill from the champagne.

“Are you alright?” Her calm, cool voice was close enough to feel her breath. Lin Zhiyu instinctively recoiled halfway, but Ji Mingxi tightened the coat’s collar, denying her retreat.

Unsure how to respond in the tense silence where she was outnumbered, Lin Zhiyu remained quiet for two seconds.

If she said the wrong thing, would these two sisters bury her together?

Ji Mingxi stood a full head taller, forcing Lin Zhiyu to look up to meet her eyes. Her gaze held a clarity quite different from Ji Xianlin’s unreasonable demeanor.

“Okay? Much better?” Her answer carried a questioning tone, ready to retract if Ji Mingxi showed any sign of hostility.

To her surprise, Ji Mingxi nodded without taking Ji Xianlin’s side. Instead, she turned to reprimand: “Ji Xianlin, after all this time apart, is this all you’ve amounted to?”

“Sis! How can you blame me without hearing the whole story? They were the ones who attacked A’Chen first!” Ji Xianlin’s face flushed with anger.

“You’d debase yourself like this for a man?” Ji Mingxi wrapped her arm around Lin Zhiyu’s shoulder, the strong limb merging the coat’s warmth with her skin.

“Debase? Sis, why aren’t you on my side? A’Chen is my husband what’s wrong with standing up for him?” The words stung Ji Xianlin deeply.

Having her own sister oppose her and side with others was painful for anyone.

Especially in front of Lin Zhiyu.

Ji Mingxi countered: “Then why didn’t he come himself?”

This question made Ji Xianlin’s agitated emotions falter momentarily.

Ji Mingxi thought she had come to some realization, her frustration at her inability to change her softening. Her voice leveled out as she whispered persuasively, “He’s your husband, and you’re his wife. If he truly cared for you, how could he let you go out alone to seek justice?”

Her voice grew even softer, attempting to reclaim the rationality she had long lost. “Ah Lin, don’t be fooled by him. That man Lu Yuchen is not trustworthy.”

“Ji Mingxi.” Ji Xianlin clearly didn’t believe her. These words flowed through her mind like water, briefly lingering before draining away through the cracks. “How can you side with an outsider? He’s your own brother-in-law. Aren’t you cursing your own sister, me?”

It was futile to expect her to listen after just a few words. The water had flowed through, leaving its traces behind. Since the seed had been planted, the fruit would inevitably grow.

“Ah Lin.” Ji Mingxi spoke helplessly, vainly trying to reclaim their faded kinship.

Instead of responding, Ji Xianlin retorted, “Then do you know that this woman tried to seduce Ah Chen? She’s about to marry Shen Yanli yet she still provokes Ah Chen. What kind of person does that make her?”

The conflict suddenly shifted to Lin Zhiyu, who had been watching the drama unfold with amusement. Hearing her name called, she snapped back to attention.

She couldn’t help but click her tongue in annoyance.

When had she ever tried to seduce him?

Lin Zhiyu: “Don’t slander people without evidence. You can’t just make claims without proof.”

“I have photos taken by my people. What excuse can you possibly make?”

She pulled tattered photos from her bag, their surfaces creased with white marks from being crumpled.

Carrying photos of her husband with another woman in a seemingly “ambiguous” situation in her bag what a peculiar thing to do, something most people wouldn’t consider.

It seemed this matter had affected her deeply.

Ji Mingxi hesitantly took the photos and then fell silent.

Seeing Ji Mingxi remain speechless after viewing them, Lin Zhiyu sensed trouble and immediately understood the photos must have been taken from angles convincing enough to make people believe them.

Alone in the private room, with Ji Mingxi who shared the Ji surname and Ji Xianlin being family, whatever she said would likely go unheard.

Shen Yanli hadn’t returned yet, and no one was paying her any mind. Lin Zhiyu quietly moved to the tea table, half-crouched, and picked up the teapot, hiding it behind her back.

No one to help her, no self-defense skills, transported to this place without family or friends.

Without Shen Yanli, these two seemed like NPCs specifically choosing this moment to cause trouble.

She gripped the teapot handle tighter. If they attacked, she would use it to defend herself minor splashing, major head-smashing.

At least she had some protection.

“Zhi Zhi.”

Her entire body tensed in a defensive posture toward the two women. Then, a familiar voice called her name, and her tense body relaxed.

Shen Yanli, not yet through the door, had heard the commotion from the private room from nearby.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, he saw Lin Zhiyu with damp hair, draped in an ill-fitting coat, standing alone. Her hands were behind her back, and she looked up at him, her eyes filled with the helplessness of a stray cat without a home.

“Shen Yanli ”

Seeing him arrive, Lin Zhiyu breathed a sigh of relief. Her savior had come.

He strode in, casting a glance at the two standing by the door, his eyes deep and abyssal, as if ready to drag them into darkness.

“Are you alright?” He checked Lin Zhiyu over, ensuring she was unharmed before relaxing.

Shen Yanli could see the teapot she was hiding behind her back with just a glance downward. He bent slightly to take it from her hands, patting her palms reassuringly. “It’s alright, I’m here now.”

“If you hadn’t come, I would’ve been ganged up on.” Lin Zhiyu complained indignantly. It seemed leaving Shen Yanli’s side automatically triggered some passive skill that attracted enemy attacks.

Shen Yanli methodically removed the overcoat from her shoulders, then picked up his own from the couch and draped it over her. His larger jacket made Lin Zhiyu look like a child playing dress-up in adult clothing, bringing a faint smile to his eyes.

Noticing his amusement, Lin Zhiyu pinched the back of his hand with a serious expression. “Still laughing?”

He captured her mischievous fingers in his grasp, noticing her icy cold palms. The warmth she’d regained earlier had already faded. His expression darkened. “Ji Mingxi, I didn’t have you brought back just so you could harass my wife.”

Lin Zhiyu was momentarily surprised. They knew each other? Was this mentioned in the book?

Ji Mingxi remained silent, merely extending the photograph in her hand toward Lin Zhiyu. With some skepticism, Lin Zhiyu accepted it.

In the photo, a man’s figure partially enveloped a woman who was only barely visible looking up at him, their posture ambiguous. Viewed in isolation, such a photo would indeed be misleading.

This was a sneak shot taken during the Shen family banquet by the pool that day.

Lin Zhiyu spoke earnestly, “You actually believe this kind of photo? It’s clearly staged. Can’t you be more rational?”

No wonder Lu Yuchen had suddenly moved so close to her during their conversation that day – he had planned this all along. Was this how he manipulated Ji Xianlin?

Using a woman’s jealousy as seasoning, then professing devotion when their partner felt insecure – this made them more devoted to him. Was this how he maintained their so-called love?

Ji Xianlin must be brainless too – instead of dismissing the poolside photo after seeing it, she carried it around constantly. Quite peculiar.

That Lu Yuchen could harbor such vile intentions yet achieve a happy ending, while she and Shen Yanli would meet tragic deaths – what justice was there in that?

Shen Yanli’s expression cooled as he spoke deliberately, “Ji Mingxi, remember why you were brought back.”

He only glanced briefly at the photo before looking away silently – he’d seen plenty of such black-and-white manipulated photos before.

Then he continued leisurely, “Don’t forget what I told you. If you don’t want the Ji family to collapse, don’t cause unnecessary trouble.”

His palm continued stroking the back of Lin Zhiyu’s hand, not releasing it even as her icy skin gradually warmed.

Shen Yanli’s casual threat made Ji Mingxi’s expression shift abruptly. She seemed unwilling to accept this. “A Yan, must you be like this?”

This piqued Lin Zhiyu’s interest. Her gaze shifted between the two of them. Shen Yanli remained impassive, his long fingers stroking the diamond ring on Lin Zhiyu’s finger.

His nonchalant demeanor showed no intention of going easy on her. Ji Mingxi watched his hand movements silently.

Swallowing her pride, she grabbed Ji Xianlin’s wrist and pulled forcefully. “Let’s go, come back with me.”

If he could have her forcibly brought back from abroad, Shen Yanli’s influence definitely wasn’t as constrained by his cousins as rumored. The past was the past – now the true authority in the Shen family was this man before her. Remembering past events, she cast an ambiguous glance at Lin Zhiyu before leaving.

And what about her? When the time comes, will you still be able to protect her?

Lin Zhiyu was utterly confused: “What did she mean by that last look at me? Do you have some history with her?”

Shen Yanli: “No.”

Lin Zhiyu looked at him suspiciously, clearly not buying it. “Really?”

Shen Yanli lowered his voice helplessly and confessed: “Fiancée.”

“What?” Lin Zhiyu didn’t catch it.

He repeated: “Fiancée.”

“…”

The private room fell into complete silence for two full seconds, so quiet that Shen Yanli thought Lin Zhiyu was angry. His 190cm frame bent down to meet her gaze. “Why aren’t you speaking? Are you angry?”

Lin Zhiyu’s eyelashes fluttered, their eyes interlocking. She spoke leisurely: “Why wasn’t this written in the book either?”

“…”

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