The student in trouble was from a poor family—well-behaved, with excellent grades. To ease his parents’ burden, he worked part-time jobs wherever he could. But no one expected him to be suddenly accused of theft.

When He Yan got the call, she could hardly believe it. She rushed to the company’s security office. The boy sat quietly in a corner, head bowed. As soon as he saw her enter, his eyes reddened with tears. “Miss He, I didn’t steal that phone. I don’t know how it ended up in my bag.”

She gave him a gentle nod. “Don’t panic. I’ll talk to them first and find out what’s going on.”

The story sounded simple: the boy had been working as a food delivery courier for a nearby restaurant. Today, while delivering a meal, he supposedly slipped a brand-new phone into his own bag when the client wasn’t paying attention. Caught red-handed.

But as soon as He Yan heard the details, she sensed something was off. “The phone went missing, and you managed to catch my student instantly? Isn’t that a bit too convenient?”

The staff explained, “The owner noticed the phone was missing and immediately called the number. The boy hadn’t left the building yet. He panicked and started rummaging through his bag. That’s when we stopped him—he looked suspicious.”

He Yan smiled politely. “Perhaps he offended someone, or maybe this is a misunderstanding—a prank between employees that got out of hand. You wouldn’t know, but this student has always been very well-behaved at school.”

“Miss He, that’s the current situation. We have surveillance footage. We don’t want to wrong anyone, but we’re preparing to call the police and let them handle it.”

They showed her the video. The boy looked nervous as he exited the office, walking quickly. The lobby camera captured him fumbling through his bag in a panic. Whether he was framed or not, the footage clearly worked against him.

He Yan had no choice but to soften her tone. With a strained smile, she said to the manager, “Please, don’t be hasty. Let’s talk this through calmly. He’s still a student—even if he made a foolish mistake, couldn’t we give him a chance to make amends? Let’s handle it here, without troubling the police.”

“Our employee was wronged. As security, we have a responsibility,” the manager said flatly.

She forced an awkward smile. “Well, you’ve already found the phone. That’s very responsible of you—truly! I’ve never seen security more diligent. At our university, forget phones—you could walk out carrying the dean’s whole desk and no one would stop you.”

The manager chuckled, slightly amused.

Seeing a sliver of hope, He Yan pressed on, “How about this—I’ll have the student apologize to the owner and ask for forgiveness. Then I’ll take him back and give him a proper lecture.”

The manager didn’t want the issue to escalate either. After a moment’s hesitation, he agreed and led them upstairs to meet the phone’s owner.

In the elevator, He Yan asked, “Don’t tell me the phone belongs to your CEO?”

“No,” the manager replied. “It’s the CEO’s secretary.”

She was quietly disappointed. In truth, she would’ve preferred if it had been the CEO. People in such positions usually had egos and were easier to placate with the right words. Secretaries, however, could be harder to deal with.

Sure enough, her instincts were right. The young and attractive secretary was ice-cold. She stepped out of the CEO’s office, gave He Yan a frosty glance, and said, “What’s there to discuss?”

He Yan smiled, keeping her tone pleasant. “He’s just a student. He made a mistake. Shouldn’t we give him a chance to correct it? Let him apologize to you.”

The secretary sneered. “Who says he’s not getting a chance? He can correct himself at the police station. Being poor is one thing—but being poor and shameless? Someone has to teach him a lesson.”

Her words were harsh. The boy behind He Yan couldn’t stay silent. Trembling with anger, he burst out, “I didn’t steal your phone! You harassed me—I said no, and now you’re framing me!”

He Yan instantly cursed inwardly. True or not, this wasn’t the time to say such a thing. As expected, the secretary’s expression changed. She laughed coldly, “You think I’m framing you? That’s not up to you—or me. Let the police decide.”

He Yan quickly tried to defuse the situation, but before she could say more, the elevator behind them chimed.

A voice, low and calm, asked, “What’s going on here?”

It wasn’t loud, yet it silenced the entire room. He Yan felt as though she’d been pricked by a needle. She turned sharply and saw Fu Shenxing—cool and composed, his eyes indifferent.

The secretary’s arrogance vanished. She lowered her eyes and called out meekly, “Mr. Fu.”

Fu Shenxing looked at her, then at He Yan, then at the manager. The manager explained the situation quickly. Fu Shenxing listened quietly, then turned back to He Yan.

“Miss He, this is your student?”

She gripped the boy’s arm tightly to keep him from acting out again. “Yes. He’s in the same class as Yu Jia. She can vouch for his character—he’s not the type to steal.”

The secretary looked ready to object, but Fu Shenxing silenced her with a glance.

He turned back to He Yan and said, “If he’s your student, then you can take him.”

She was stunned. She hadn’t expected him to be so agreeable. As he arched an eyebrow slightly, she snapped out of it and quickly thanked him. “Thank you—thank you so much!”

She didn’t want things to drag out, so she made to leave quickly. But just as they were entering the elevator, he called out to her.

“Miss He.”

She turned.

He curved his lips slightly. “Are you free this evening? Would you join me for dinner?”

She was caught off guard but managed a vague reply, “Sure. But allow us to treat you.”

He smiled, almost amused. “Miss He, do you really think I’d take advantage of your gratitude? It’s just dinner—I won’t bite.”

His meaning was unmistakable. She could no longer feign ignorance. Smiling politely, she said, “Mr. Fu, I think you misunderstood. It’s my husband—he’s a bit jealous. He even gets mad when I eat with friends, so I try to avoid dining with men. I hope you understand.”

His smile carried a hint of mockery. “Miss He, you misunderstood. I wasn’t asking you on a date. I wanted to discuss something—about Yu Jia. It’s not something I can say with others around.”

She had no choice but to agree. “Then allow me to treat you, as a token of thanks.”

“Alright,” he said lightly.

“I’ll call you later,” she added.

She dropped the student off at school. He remained silent for most of the drive. Only after they passed through the school gate did he speak, stubbornly: “Miss He, I didn’t steal that phone. She framed me—because I rejected her advances.”

He Yan glanced at him. “Regardless of the truth, the fact that she succeeded in framing you means you let your guard down.”

He didn’t argue. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Where are you going for dinner tonight?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“I’ll pick you up!” he said. He might be simple, but he wasn’t stupid. He could tell that Miss He had agreed to that dinner because of him. “Tell me where you’re going. I’ll wait outside. If anything happens, call me.”

He Yan laughed, touched by his sincerity. “You’re just a kid. What can you do? Go back to study hall. Cut back on part-time jobs too. I’ll try to get you a scholarship this semester. If it’s still not enough, borrow some from me. Pay me back after graduation. No interest—but you’ll write me an IOU, of course!”

“Miss He…” his eyes turned red again.

“Hey, hey, hey!” She parked by the curb, pointed at him with mock sternness. “Don’t get emotional. Everyone knows I’m a good person—no need for speeches. And don’t you dare fall in love with me. I’m married!”

That finally made him laugh. “Miss He, you’re way too self-absorbed. I’d never fall for someone older than me.”

“Get out! Go to study hall! Brat!” she said with exaggerated annoyance.

He got out of the car but still clung to the door. “Miss He, where are you eating tonight?”

She could see the concern in his clear eyes. Smiling gently, she said, “I’m not rich, you know. We’re not going anywhere fancy—probably just that place west of the school. How about Zizaitian?”

Zizaitian was a mid-range restaurant near the school’s west gate—not shabby, but far from luxurious. He Yan still had a psychological aversion to Fu Shenxing’s face and disliked being alone with him. She deliberately booked a booth seat.

She was always punctual. But to her surprise, Fu Shenxing arrived first.

“Room 502. Miss He, are you here yet?”

Since he had taken the initiative, she could no longer insist on sitting in the booth. She braced herself and went upstairs.

He was standing by the window. When the door opened, he turned, glanced at her, then looked back out. “This city always feels like a beast to me,” he said slowly. “It lies dormant during the day. But at night, it wakes up—spreads its lights like claws, swallows you whole, and traps you in endless darkness.”

She didn’t understand his strange metaphor. Raising an eyebrow, she replied, “Maybe it’s just that people are naturally afraid of the dark. After all, we’re not nocturnal creatures.”

He gestured for her to sit. “I’ve already ordered. Hope you don’t mind.”

Facing his face, she instinctively tensed. She joked to ease the awkwardness, “As long as it’s not too expensive, I don’t mind.”

He smiled faintly. “It’s not.”

They didn’t have much to talk about. If he didn’t speak, she kept her head down and ate quietly.

Halfway through the meal, he suddenly asked, “Miss He, may I ask—why are you so afraid of me?”

She paused, looked up at him.

“Please don’t say it’s a misunderstanding,” he said calmly. “It’s not seduction you’re playing at—it’s real fear. That makes me curious.”

She studied him silently for a moment, then put down her chopsticks and admitted, “Years ago, I was attacked by a robber. You resemble him.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Just resemble?”

She gave a helpless shrug. “Alright—not ‘resemble.’ You look exactly like him. It left me traumatized. That’s why I was so out of sorts when I first met you. I hope you understand.”

He gave a small smile. “Then I should apologize—for scaring you.”

Now that things were in the open, He Yan felt more at ease. “So please don’t misunderstand. I’m not playing games with you. I’m married—and very happily so.”

Fu Shenxing nodded slowly, then smiled again and handed her a small gift box. “Sorry I didn’t mention this earlier. I wanted to thank you—for before. A little gift.”

She was surprised. “You mean about Yu Jia’s leave? You really didn’t have to—”

“Take it,” he insisted. “It’s nothing valuable. Just see if you like it.”

She reluctantly accepted the box and opened it in front of him. But the moment the lid lifted, her expression changed drastically. She recoiled as if scalded, and the box slipped from her fingers.

Photos spilled out across the table. One landed squarely on her plate.

The man in the photo stared blankly into the camera. His face and clothes were soaked in blood. His neck—gaping open—revealed a shattered spine gleaming white beneath the torn flesh.

It was Monkey.

One of the men who had assaulted her years ago.

She remembered.

She would never forget.