After the party wraps up, Lin Yuji and Fang Zhiyu head out side by side.

Running into an old flame after so long, naturally they’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

I let out a wry chuckle and stumble off in the other direction, my steps a bit wobbly.

That Omega from earlier trails after me, hesitating like he’s unsure.

I stop, cutting straight to the point to let him know I’ve got no extra feelings for him.

You’d think he’d take the hint and back off, but nope—he somehow musters some courage and pipes up, “Mr. Shen, I’m pretty well-behaved in other ways too.”

The slight buzz from the drinks slows my brain, and it takes me a moment to catch the hidden meaning in his words.

I frown, about to shut him down again, when Lin Yuji steps out from around the corner.

His expression is cool and distant, but his tone carries a sharp edge: “What, Mr. Shen, planning to stick around tonight?”

Mr. Shen…

That flicker of joy at seeing Lin Yuji come back gets crushed by that cold, formal address.

I shake my head. “No.”

“Then let’s head out together? Hard to find a driver at this hour.”

Together?

I blink, blurting out the question on my mind: “What about Fang Zhiyu?”

Lin Yuji frowns slightly, looking a bit puzzled, but answers honestly, “I just arranged a driver to take him home.”

Fair enough—given his standards, he’d never stoop to cheating while married.

Still—

“You driving yourself?” I ask, a bit thrown. “You didn’t drink?”

“Nope.”

He finishes with a smile that’s hard to read, adding, “No one’s around to serve me drinks, after all.”

That grin throws my heart into a spin, and my head feels fuzzier than before.

I don’t dig into whatever’s up with him right now—I just follow him out of the venue on autopilot.