He Yan stayed cooped up in the hotel the entire day, but her efforts yielded little. In fact, she found less than what Officer Chen had once told her. She learned only that Fu Shenxing was indeed a real person, that his company—Fu Group—operated in various industries, but remained extremely low-profile, rarely appearing in any media coverage.

That evening, she called Liang Yuanze as promised and only then left to get some food. Downstairs from the hotel was a small fast-food joint. She ordered takeout. While she was waiting, someone called out, “Ms. He!” She turned around and saw a familiar face—it was the student she had rescued from Fu Shenxing’s clutches: Xu Chengbo.

He looked like he had just come back from a delivery run, bundled in a thick coat and hauling a big thermal bag. Clearly thrilled to see her, he grinned broadly and asked, “What are you doing here, Ms. He?”

The encounter caught her off guard. She had chosen this remote area precisely to avoid familiar faces from both home and school, yet fate led her straight into one. Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly regained composure. Gesturing toward the pickup counter, she explained, “Just getting some food.” Then, a bit puzzled, she asked, “You're working here now?”

“I just transferred over. I was working at the main branch, but this is a new sub-branch,” Xu Chengbo explained, then chuckled. “Next time you want takeout, just call me. I’ll deliver it right to your door.”

She smiled without responding. Her hand instinctively slid into her coat pocket, gripping her phone. She was still wary of it—afraid it might be bugged—but dared not throw it away for fear of alerting Fu Shenxing.

Her number was called. She picked up her meal and turned to leave, but when she saw Xu Chengbo getting ready to walk her out, she quickly said, “You’ve got work to do. No need to worry about me.”

He agreed verbally but still followed her to the door, watching her like a faithful little escort.

Not wanting him to know she was staying upstairs, He Yan had no choice but to keep walking. With the fast food in hand, she wandered down the block as if going for a stroll. Only when she was sure he was gone did she circle back to the hotel and go inside.

Meanwhile, on A-Jiang’s laptop screen, the little green dot representing her location made a tidy circuit around the neighborhood. He frowned, puzzled, then brought the laptop to Fu Shenxing. “Boss, you gotta look at this. I think I’m losing it. Could she really be out for a casual stroll right now?”

Fu Shenxing had just finished a long, contentious meeting, arguing over profit shares with some of his father's old cronies. His head throbbed. When he heard this, he blinked in surprise. “What?”

A-Jiang placed the laptop in front of him. “Look here. Doesn’t that look like a stroll to you?”

Fu Shenxing studied the path for a moment, rubbing his temples. Then, in a quiet voice, he said, “Send someone to check out the hotel. See what she’s up to.”

“Yes, sir,” A-Jiang said, turning to leave.

But Fu Shenxing stopped him. After a pause, he said, “Forget it. I’ll go myself.”

A-Jiang blinked, stunned, and cautiously asked, “Boss, shouldn’t we just get rid of her? Save yourself the trouble. If she really ticks you off, we could take her whole family out in one sweep.”

Fu Shenxing turned to look at him, his gaze unreadable. “What are you trying to say?”

Intimidated but determined, A-Jiang scratched his head nervously. “Boss, you said yourself she was unlucky, a jinx. Untouchable…”

For a moment, Fu Shenxing said nothing. The silence was suffocating. Then, he gave a faint, humorless laugh. “I’m a calamity myself—born under the star of destruction. I can handle it.” He paused again, then added coldly, “And besides, killing her outright isn’t nearly as satisfying as breaking her slowly.”

With that, he stood and walked out.

A-Jiang scrambled to catch up, driving him to the hotel and parking nearby. “Boss, want me to come with you?”

“No.”

“Should I wait here then?”

Fu Shenxing paused before getting out. Then he turned his head and snapped, “Wait!”

He went upstairs and knocked on He Yan’s door. Inside, the muffled sound of a television could be heard. She answered vaguely, “Who is it?”

“It’s me. Fu Shenxing.”

Silence fell inside.

He smirked faintly and waited.

Moments later, he heard the footsteps retreat instead of approaching. His smile deepened into a cold sneer. He pulled out his phone and called her. Inside, her ringtone rang out, and she answered.

His voice was cutting. “He Yan, did you think just because I slept with you, I’d go easy on you?”

She remained calm. “Mr. Fu, you’ve misunderstood. I just assumed that even after what happened, we’re not familiar enough for me to greet you at the door in pajamas. Please be patient while I change.”

He hadn't expected that. For once, he was at a loss for words and silently put his phone away, waiting.

Inside, He Yan wasn’t changing at all. She was frantically hiding the new phone she had bought. Her voice might have been calm, but her nerves were on edge. She first shoved it under the pillow, then changed her mind and moved it to the mattress. Still unsure, she finally kicked it beneath the bed for safety.

This little drama took some time. When she finally composed herself and opened the door, he was visibly impatient, though his lips curled in that familiar mocking smile.

“Did you use the extra minutes to put on some light makeup?”