Chapter 3

  At nine o’clock in the evening, Shi Heyuan and Lian Guangya still hadn’t come home. They both sent messages to Shi Yu in the family group chat, letting her know they were working late at the company. Shi Yu also informed them that she was meeting Feng Xing at a bar tonight. Lian Guangya told her to be careful and to take the driver along.

Shi Yu didn’t need the reminder—she wasn’t planning to go alone anyway. After all, this was still a new world to her. All the information she had about it came from the original host’s memories and the novel’s plot. She had no intention of blindly trusting anyone. It was essential to stay cautious.

At 9:30, Shi Yu was dressed and ready, carrying a small designer bag as she headed out. The driver, Xiao Zhang, was waiting for her in the garage. He was the son of Zhang Shu, the gardener. Tall and broad-shouldered, with a naturally intimidating presence when he kept a straight face, Xiao Zhang could easily double as a bodyguard.

“Miss,” Xiao Zhang greeted her with a nod as he opened the backseat door.

Shi Yu smiled and nodded back. “Thanks.”

Xiao Zhang smiled slightly, his hand resting on the roof of the car as he waited for her to get in. “Miss, you’re too polite.”

Shi Yu settled into the backseat, her gaze lingering thoughtfully on Xiao Zhang as he started driving.

Over the past two days of living in this new home, Shi Yu had noticed a few things that didn’t quite add up. Her personality was significantly different from how the original host was described in the book. According to the novel, the original Shi Yu had been a spoiled princess since childhood, arrogant and used to being served, never once uttering a word of thanks to the staff.

But just now, she had thanked Xiao Zhang. She had expected him to be surprised, perhaps even shocked, that the young mistress had suddenly changed her personality after falling ill. But he had accepted her thanks with complete ease, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

And it wasn’t just Xiao Zhang. The older household staff didn’t treat her the way one would expect them to treat a spoiled heiress. Their attitude toward her was more like how family elders would treat a younger member of the family. If the original Shi Yu had truly been as arrogant and cold as the book described, why would the staff be so comfortable and warm with her?

What was going on here? Something didn’t feel right…

Shi Yu gazed out the window, her expression calm. She couldn’t figure it out just yet, so she decided to push the thought aside for now.

The car pulled into the bar’s parking lot. Shi Yu stepped out and told Xiao Zhang to wait for her in the car. If anything happened, she’d let him know.

Feng Xing had already received her message and was waiting at the entrance. When he saw her, he came up to greet her excitedly.

“You finally showed up! The fun’s about to start!”

Shi Yu raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said it would start after eleven?” She glanced at the time—she was actually early.

Feng Xing led her inside. “Haozi said he’s almost here!” He gave her outfit a once-over and frowned. “Why are you dressed so plain?”

Though her outfit was from a luxury brand, the white t-shirt and denim shorts were simple and understated.

Shi Yu glanced down at herself and waved it off. “This isn’t plain.” Seriously, this outfit alone cost tens of thousands. In her original world, she’d never been able to spend so lavishly.

“You just mentioned… Haozi?” She had caught a key name from his earlier comment.

“Yeah, Qin Hao!” Feng Xing slapped his forehead. “Didn’t I tell you? Tonight’s excitement is thanks to him! It’s normal that you don’t know him, his family’s new money. They got rich from a land redevelopment deal and used the payout to start a company. He’s not part of the same circle as you guys—the real old money crowd. Honestly, your family’s wealth is on another level. I don’t even belong in the same circle as you. Qin Hao set this whole thing up because he wants to network with people from your level.”

Shi Yu more or less understood the situation. After thinking it over, she tried to recall if the original host’s memories included anyone named Qin Hao, but there was nothing. Even in the original story, he was barely mentioned, probably just a minor character passing through the background.

Since he was just a side character, Shi Yu didn’t give it much thought. She was here tonight simply to relax and enjoy the scene—nothing else mattered.

In the bar’s luxurious private room, several second-generation heirs came over to greet her. She casually exchanged a few words with those she was more familiar with, handling each interaction with the perfect balance of warmth and distance. After about ten minutes, Feng Xing, who had stepped out for a moment, came back leading someone toward her.

“Hurry up! Your husband’s here!”

Shi Yu: “???”

The moment she saw the newcomer’s face, which matched the memory in her mind, Shi Yu immediately wanted to curse.

Lu Jingye was wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, his tailored suit crisp and flawless, it looked like he had come straight from the office. He lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes dark and complicated as he stared at Shi Yu.

Shi Yu gave him a glance but didn’t acknowledge him. Instead, she said to Feng Xing, “Stop talking nonsense! We broke up.”

Feng Xing: “?! Huh?”

Lu Jingye’s brows furrowed as he stared at her.

The room fell into a brief silence. No one said a word, but everyone’s gaze shifted toward them, their faces practically radiating gossip. Who would’ve thought that before tonight’s main event even started, the Lu and Shi family drama would already provide such a fresh scoop?

Lu Jingye quickly picked up on the stares around them and grew even more irritated. He hated being looked at like this—like some circus act. His cold gaze swept across the room, and the others immediately lowered their heads, pretending nothing had happened. They went back to drinking and chatting as if nothing was wrong.

Lu Jingye sat down beside Shi Yu and said quietly, “Stop it.”

Shi Yu gave him a puzzled look, her expression genuinely confused. “Stop what?”

Lu Jingye forced down the anger brewing inside him. He had come here tonight because he knew Shi Yu would be here. His father had told him he must smooth things over with Shi Yu, cutting ties with the Shi family was not an option. Even though he was reluctant, he understood that reconciling with Shi Yu was necessary.

“Why are you suddenly talking about breaking up? You know you can’t just casually throw around the word ‘breakup.’ Couples have disagreements all the time, but saying you want to break up is going too far. Being a little temperamental now and then is fine, but a breakup, that’s serious.” He thought he was being patient and understanding, but every word hit a nerve.

Shi Yu rubbed her temples and cut him off. “You think I’m just being difficult?”

“Well, don’t all girls like to be difficult?”

Wow. He really said that with a straight face. Shi Yu’s irritation flared instantly. What was this nonsense about all girls liking to be difficult?

“And you don’t think men are the ones who love making assumptions based on their own biases?”

Lu Jingye’s expression darkened. He could feel the anger rising inside him. She wasn’t like this before! The old Shi Yu had been obedient and sweet, always considerate of his feelings and careful not to upset him. But now, what the hell was going on with her?

“What’s gotten into you?” He didn’t bother sugarcoating it. When it came to her, he never liked beating around the bush.

Shi Yu chuckled softly, took a sip of her cocktail, and said casually, “Just think of me as a different person.”

Of course, that was the truth—but to anyone else, it would sound like an empty excuse. Lu Jingye’s anger flared even more at her dismissive tone.

His patience, already thin, wore out completely. His face darkened, and his tone sharpened. “If you’re going to be like this, fine, do whatever you want!”

He was getting fed up. Just wait, she’d definitely come crying back to him in no time. Trying to play hard to get? Please. He wasn’t going to fall for that.

“Great! Since you said I can do whatever I want, then that’s settled. We’re officially broken up, clean break!”

“You…!” The look of genuine relief on her face stunned Lu Jingye. Was she serious?

But after a moment of hesitation, he convinced himself otherwise. There was no way she meant it. This woman had always been infatuated with him—there was no way she’d truly want to break up. She was definitely playing hard to get.

Fine, let her play. He was sure it wouldn’t take more than a few days before she came back begging for him to take her back.

“Alright, you said it. We’re done, then!” Lu Jingye made up his mind. He’d wait until she came crawling back to him.

The tension between Shi Yu and Lu Jingye was palpable, like an invisible sword fight where neither side was willing to back down. Everyone around them was quietly watching, too wary to get involved in this messy situation.

Just then, Feng Xing returned, his face glowing with excitement. “They’re here! Tonight’s main event is here!”

At his words, the room fell silent for a moment. All eyes turned toward the entrance, curiosity lighting up their faces as they waited to see what Feng Xing was talking about.

A young man was the first to walk in. He wasn’t particularly handsome, but his delicate features and fair skin gave him a refined, scholarly look. As he entered the room, he gave a polite nod to the second-generation heirs present, positioning himself with deliberate humility.

Shi Yu quickly sifted through the original host’s memories—nothing. This person didn’t exist in the original story, so he was likely Qin Hao, the person Feng Xing had mentioned earlier.

“Good evening, everyone. I’m Qin Hao from Fenghao Entertainment,” he introduced himself smoothly. Just mentioning the name of his company was enough for half the heirs present to guess his intentions. A few of them, both men and women, began eyeing the space behind him with curiosity.

Noticing their reactions, Qin Hao immediately smiled and stepped aside. “Since I’m the host tonight, of course, I’ve prepared some entertainment for everyone.”

Behind him, two tall bodyguards entered the room, followed by two younger individuals.

The first was a teenage boy who appeared to be no older than twenty. He had a delicate, soft face, the kind of androgynous beauty that appealed to both men and women. His pale skin and refined features made him stand out immediately.

Shi Yu had no personal stake in the matter, so she lazily scanned the room. Noticing how a few people’s eyes lit up at the sight of the boy, she scoffed silently and took a sip of her drink.

But then the second person entered.

It was a young woman in her early twenties who looked distinctly unwilling. Her steps faltered slightly, as if the bodyguard behind her had pushed her forward. The moment she entered, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Shi Yu even heard Lu Jingye draw a sharp breath beside her.

Curious, Shi Yu followed his gaze—and nearly jumped out of her seat.

The young woman had the most beautiful pair of peach blossom eyes Shi Yu had ever seen, just one glance into those eyes was enough to make anyone feel like they were sinking into them. Her delicate features, high nose bridge, and porcelain-white skin made her beauty otherworldly. Shi Yu swore that in both of her lifetimes, she had never seen anyone this breathtakingly beautiful. Her limited vocabulary simply couldn’t do justice to how stunning this woman was. The simplest way to describe her was: so beautiful it was practically criminal.

And this woman was none other than the original female lead of the novel—Shi family’s long-lost true heiress, Cheng Qingyan.

When Shi Yu had absorbed the original story’s plot, the faces of the male and female leads had imprinted themselves in her mind. But seeing the real person face-to-face was far more striking than any mental image.

Cheng Qingyan’s face was pale, her lips pressed into a thin line, her demeanor icy and distant. Yet the more indifferent she appeared, the more it excited the playboy heirs in the room. A few of them even started whistling.

One of the young heirs lounging at the back whistled and called out, “Not bad, President Qin! You really came prepared tonight!”

Qin Hao smiled politely, working the room as he tried to ingratiate himself with the second-generation elite. The atmosphere grew increasingly rowdy, and the crude comments escalated in number and vulgarity.

Cheng Qingyan and the young boy stood motionless, enduring the flood of degrading remarks. The humiliation was palpable, yet they remained silent.

Qin Hao was already seated comfortably on the sofa. He waved toward them and said, “What are you waiting for? Come here!”

When neither of them moved, the bodyguards behind them shoved them forward.

The second-generation heirs laughed maliciously.

Qin Hao’s smile widened. “They’re new signings from my company. They’re still learning the ropes—please be patient with them.”

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