Five years ago, being alone with Bo Ye would have set Tang Shi’s heart racing, her every move cautious and deliberate. But five years had passed. Time had changed everything, and everyone. Now, all she felt was a hollow numbness. As the elevator ascended, Bo Ye stared at Tang Shi’s profile. He had a face so handsome it could have been drawn by an artist, and as his eyes remained fixed on her, she could feel his scorching gaze. Five years ago, he would never have worn such an expression. Back then, he couldn't have wanted her further away, wishing she would vanish from his life forever. But now, he watched her with that searing intensity, like the alpha of a wolf pack zeroing in on its prey. It left Tang Shi feeling trapped, with nowhere to run. With a soft *ding*, the elevator doors slid open. Tang Shi stepped out first. Behind her, Bo Ye watched her slender frame, silent for a long moment before his long legs followed. She finally stopped outside the door to Room V2. Bo Ye offered a slight smile. “Not going in?” Tang Shi gritted her teeth and pushed open the heavy doors to the room. The moment she stepped inside, a low whistle cut through the noise. The air, thick with the stench of alcohol and smoke, hit her like a wall. A flicker of disgust crossed her mind, but she masked it, allowing only a subtle frown. Then a voice boomed from the couch, “Damn, look at her! Who brought this one in!” Bo Ye chuckled from behind her. “What, Fu Zhen? You want her?” As Tang Shi looked up, she also caught sight of Jiang Xie. Their whole group was sprawled across the sofas, surrounded by escorts in miniskirts and off-the-shoulder tops. The scene was a gaudy spectacle. Tang Shi, standing there, was painfully out of place. Fu Zhen poured a glass of liquor and held it out to her. “Did Ye bring you? Hey, gorgeous. Care for a drink?” “Hey, hey, Fu Zhen, don’t play with fire,” Jiang Xie warned him from behind. But the man was too drunk to listen. He wrapped an arm around Tang Shi, pulling her down to sit beside him, and beamed at Bo Ye. “Ye, you’re a true friend! How’d you know she was just my type?” Bo Ye’s eyes darkened, but he said nothing. Fu Zhen kept drinking, even spearing a piece of watermelon and holding it to Tang Shi’s lips. Her brow furrowed, and after a moment’s hesitation, she opened her mouth and took it. A chorus of whoops and hollers erupted from the group. “Hahaha! Fu Zhen has no shame! Feeding her right off the bat!” “But she ate it, didn't she! Fu Zhen, you're getting lucky tonight!” Fu Zhen laughed, still holding Tang Shi, and rested his head on her shoulder. “Hey, beautiful,” he murmured. “Wanna play a game?” Bo Ye watched from the side, his fingers tightening unconsciously around his glass. Jiang Xie leaned in and whispered, “Ye, you want me to go talk to Fu Zhen…?” “No need.” Bo Ye’s voice was as cold and still as ice. She was just a woman. Why… why did she get to him like this? Tang Shi smiled at Fu Zhen. “So, you’re the one who wants to talk business with Bo Ye?” “Hey now, beautiful.” Fu Zhen’s handsome face fell. He turned to Bo Ye. “Ye, what did you tell her? All she wants to talk about is business. What a buzzkill.” So it was him. Tang Shi picked up her glass. If Bo Ye’s purpose in bringing her here was to entertain his client, then all she had to do was entertain Fu Zhen. She smiled at the room. “My apologies for being late. This one's on me as an apology. And please, go easy on me in the games later.” Fu Zhen’s face lit up. He pulled her closer. “Aren’t you just adorable.” Tang Shi nestled against him, a smile playing on her lips, which were now glistening from the alcohol. “You think so? I think Young Master Fu is pretty adorable himself.” The name Fu Zhen wasn’t unfamiliar. Before she was imprisoned five years ago, Tang Shi had been a well-known socialite, the esteemed daughter of the Tang family. She often heard the names of the most notorious young heirs in their circle, and Fu Zhen was one of them. He was supposedly from the next city over, but his family’s wealth was so immense that countless people in this city were desperate to get on his good side. Watching Tang Shi flash that radiant smile at another man, a nameless fire ignited in Bo Ye’s gut. He’d brought her here to humiliate her, but now, somehow, he was the one left seething. Jiang Xie watched him nervously. “Ye… you alright?” Even if she was an ex-wife, no man would make his ex-wife entertain another man with drinks. It was as if there truly was nothing left between them. But Bo Ye’s jaw was clenched, his gaze fixed on Tang Shi like a blade, yet the words that came from his lips were, “I don’t care. Let her do what she wants.” That’s right. As long as she could seal the deal with Fu Zhen for him, what did it matter if she had a few drinks? Even if she slept with Fu Zhen… The chaotic thought was cut short by another round of cheers. He snapped his head up just in time to see the exact moment Fu Zhen’s lips left Tang Shi’s. In the next second, a murderous storm brewed in his eyes. Someone was clapping. “The lady does what she says! I’m impressed! My treat!” “She can play and she can pay! I love a bold woman like you!” “How about another round?” Jiang Xie saw the look on Bo Ye’s face—a murderous aura so intense it could scare a man to death. He quickly shouted to the group, “What are you guys playing?” “Truth or Dare. If you can’t answer or do the dare, you have to kiss someone,” someone replied with a laugh. “Wanna join?” Kiss someone? Bo Ye’s eyes shot to Tang Shi. Her red lips were slightly parted, sensual and inviting. Her arms were draped around Fu Zhen’s neck as she leaned against him, looking every bit the siren. Every man in the room was stealing glances at her. Rage, white-hot and unrestrained, surged from the depths of his soul. Bo Ye didn’t even stop to question it. In that instant, his mind was flooded with frantic impulses—to drag Tang Shi home, to lock her away where no other man could ever touch her again. She was *his*. His property. Anyone who touched her deserved to die. He glared at her, only to see her glance back at him with a smile so brilliant it could eclipse the sun and moon. Tang Shi possessed a devastating beauty; he had known that five years ago. But back then, he had loathed her, despised her, never even giving her a second thought. He saw her as nothing more than a beautiful, vapid vase—dramatic and a far cry from An Mi. Yes… a far cry from An Mi. A woman like this… why, why… Bo Ye found he couldn't control his fury. The moment he saw her kiss Fu Zhen, he wanted to wrap his hands around her neck and squeeze. This cheap woman, how dare she let another man kiss her! Fu Zhen, oblivious to Bo Ye’s expression, continued to hold Tang Shi. She tilted her chin up slightly, revealing the long, elegant line of her neck, accentuated by the delicate chain resting against her collarbone. The image was at once breathtakingly beautiful and heartbreakingly fragile. She was so thin. She must feel weightless in his arms. Acting on the thought, Fu Zhen pulled Tang Shi onto his lap. She let out a small gasp, forcing down the wave of shame as her beautiful face flushed red then turned pale. Fu Zhen wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and whispered, “Coming home with me tonight?” Tang Shi feigned composure, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and playing coy. “Is Young Master Fu teasing me?” Fu Zhen buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. “How could I dare? Why don’t you tell me your name first?” Her name…? Tang Shi froze, her body rigid, unsure how to respond. “What’s wrong?” Seeing her pale face, Fu Zhen teased, “You’re not someone scary, are you? Don’t frighten me now, beautiful.” Tang Shi quickly wiped the smile from her face and stood up unsteadily. “I’m a little dizzy. I’m going to the restroom. I’ll tell you when I get back.” Fu Zhen let out a wolf whistle. “Want me to come with you?” “You can wait a few minutes, can’t you?” Tang Shi’s smile was pure seduction. “Young Master Fu can just wait for me right here.” “Ooh! Tsk, tsk!” “The temptations of a beautiful woman are the hardest to resist! Young Master Fu is in for a treat tonight!” “That’s a true beauty for you—even her words are gorgeous!” Tang Shi walked into the restroom and steadied herself against the sink, cupping her face in her hands and taking a deep, ragged breath. She’d drunk too quickly when she first arrived. Now her head was spinning, her face flushed, and she leaned heavily on the counter, gasping for air. Fu Zhen had asked for her name… What could she say? *My name is Tang Shi.* In City A, there was only one Tang Shi—the former heiress of the Tang family. How could she face everyone in that room? What kind of looks would they give her? Five years later, the great Tang family heiress had fallen to this—selling smiles and entertaining men. What a joke. All her carefully constructed pride and strength would crumble into a laughingstock. She stood there, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind, including the urge to just run away and leave them all behind. But the thought of Tang Wei made her stay. She didn't even notice Bo Ye approach until someone grabbed her and dragged her into the last stall of the women’s restroom. The door slammed shut, and she stumbled into his chest. When she looked up, the man’s face wore its usual mocking sneer as he looked down at her. “Got the guts to seduce him, but not to tell him who you are?” A pale, wan smile touched Tang Shi’s lips. “Mr. Bo, this is the women’s restroom.” Her words didn’t seem to affect him. He locked the stall door, cornering her against the wall. He reached out and swiped his thumb harshly across her lips. The red lipstick smeared on his skin like a crushed petal. “You kissed Fu Zhen?” Bo Ye’s voice was ice. Tang Shi lowered her head. “Rules of the game. I had to play.” “It was just a game, and you were that eager to get close to him?” Bo Ye grabbed her chin, forcing her face up. “Tang Shi, it’s been five years, and you’ve only gotten worse!” Tang Shi laughed, a wild, desolate sound that brought tears streaming from her eyes. “What right do you have to judge me? Bo Ye, you’re the one who dragged me here! You told me to entertain him, and look—I did!” His hand moved to her throat, his grip tightening. “And what if I told you to sleep with him?” “Then I’ll sleep with him! After all, what am I to you but a toy?” Her eyes were red-rimmed as she smiled up at him. “You don’t care. So why should I?”