"..." His expression darkened instantly. As if he could see the glower on his face, Cheng Huai’s voice dripped with amusement. “Well, well. To think I had to find out you got divorced from the top trending news. So, tell me, how does it feel to get played?” “...Piss off.” “Ha! Rong Shu is a good woman. You just didn’t know how to appreciate her. Only someone that devoted could have put up with you for six years. Anyone else would have kicked you to the curb long ago.” Fu Jingting retorted, his voice sharp with annoyance. “I never even liked her.” “Oh, right. It’s all about Gu Manyin, isn’t it?” Cheng Huai had met Gu Manyin back in college. It’s true what they say: onlookers see the whole picture. He’d known from a single glance that the eldest daughter of the Gu family was trouble. But Fu Jingting, tragically, was blind to it. Rong Shu, on the other hand, had always impressed him. She was devoted to Fu Jingting, ran the Fu household with flawless efficiency, and never asked for anything in return. A damn shame. Fu Jingting’s expression soured. “Did you call just to rub it in?” “Actually,” Cheng Huai said, his voice light again, “I called to let you know your ex-wife just dropped a fortune to book out the entire first floor of The Gold Vault. And I was honored with an invitation to her party. Anyway, I’ve got to go. The dancing is about to start.” The line went dead. Fu Jingting stared at his phone for a moment, his face a mask of indifference, before turning back to the documents on his desk as if nothing had happened. But a moment later, Assistant Zhang burst in. “Sir, the old madam has returned.” ... Inside The Gold Vault. Rong Shu’s invitation to Cheng Huai had been anything but casual. She had a purpose. Few knew that Cheng Huai was the vice-mayor’s younger son. His business empire was primarily overseas, and he’d returned this time to sign a major deal with the Tiansheng Group. Unfortunately, the Tiansheng board refused to take the up-and-comer seriously, shutting him out at every turn. And in their dismissal, she saw her opportunity. Holding a glass of wine, Rong Shu glided toward him, a graceful smile on her lips. “Mr. Cheng. It’s been a year. You’re as dashing as ever.” Cheng Huai’s classic phoenix eyes, which gave him a roguish charm and a perpetually amused expression, crinkled at the corners. “It is you, Miss Rong, who has left me speechless. It’s hard to believe the stunning, elegant woman standing before me is the same person from two years ago.” Rong Shu swirled the wine in her glass, her smile unwavering. “People change. We must always look forward, mustn’t we?” Cheng Huai leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, playful murmur. “I have to admit, I’m a little confused. You know I’m one of Jingting’s closest friends, so why invite me? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for my irresistible charm?” Rong Shu, knowing his penchant for teasing, wasn’t fazed. She simply played along, leaning in until her lips were close to his ear. She whispered a single sentence, and the playful smirk instantly vanished from Cheng Huai’s face, replaced by a look of utter seriousness. He studied her for a long moment, his gaze a mixture of awe and disbelief. “A woman as brilliant as you… That fool Jingting is going to regret this for the rest of his life.” The smile on Rong Shu’s lips tightened almost imperceptibly. “He’s in the past. Why waste our breath on him?” “You’re right,” he said, his playful grin returning in an instant. “To new beginnings, then! So, my dear Miss Rong, may I have this dance?” He had just extended his hand when a new voice cut in. Li Chuan strode toward them, a glass of juice in his hand. Ignoring Cheng Huai completely, he smoothly took the wine from Rong Shu’s grasp and replaced it with the juice. “You’ll get a headache if you drink too much,” he said softly. To Cheng Huai’s astonishment, Rong Shu showed no sign of protest, accepting the glass of juice as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His gaze then shifted to the young man, and he froze. The young man was strikingly handsome, with the kind of refined aura that screamed high fashion. No wonder he was one of the top supermodels. *Damn...* He could already see the train wreck that was Fu Jingting’s future.