He Yan quietly locked the disc in the drawer of her office desk, hoping that one day it could serve as solid evidence to accuse Fu Shenxing of his crimes.

She had been maintaining her daily routine, attending work as usual—if anything, she had become even more diligent and enthusiastic than before. She intentionally kept herself busy, engaging more frequently with people and handling additional affairs, all in an effort to disrupt Fu Shenxing’s surveillance.

An old classmate had sent her some online information about the Fu Corporation—its founding date, history, main sectors, and even some little-known personal details about Fu Shenxing himself.

To His Yan’s surprise, Fu Shenxing was real. He had been born in this very city, and his life trajectory was complete and traceable. No wonder Officer Chen had spoken with such certainty: Fu Shenxing was not Shen Zhijie.

But there was one suspicious detail—this man had gone abroad three years ago and only returned earlier this year.

He Yan frowned deeply at the message on her phone. That detail could be the crack she needed. But how was that possible? Three years ago, Shen Zhijie was still in prison, not yet executed—how could he have gone abroad?

No matter how she thought about it, the contradiction wouldn’t be resolved.

As for Fu Suizhi—Fu Shenxing’s cousin—their relationship was said to be exceptionally close, a model of brotherly harmony. But what He Yan had witnessed at the club painted a different picture.

That was another point of doubt, and potentially her best entry point into this entire puzzle.

She quietly marked it on paper, then fed the page into the shredder.

Meanwhile, the professor from the business school had written back, and He Yan quickly reached out to Xu Chengbo, urging him to attend the interview. Near noon, he called to say the professor had been satisfied and had hired him as an assistant translator—with decent pay, too.

He Yan was genuinely happy for him and joked, “When you get your first paycheck, remember to treat me to a meal.”

Xu hesitated for a moment. “Why not today? Are you free at noon?”

He Yan had time, but it wasn’t appropriate for a student to treat her. Smiling, she declined. “Save your money. You worked hard for it, and as your teacher, how could I let you spend it on me?”

“What about the school cafeteria?” Xu asked. “We can go to Cafeteria 3, it’s close to your office. I’m almost downstairs now.”

His persistence caught her off guard. Just as she was thinking of a way to decline, Xu stammered on, “Miss He, there’s something I want to talk to you about. It’s about—about…”

“Xu Chengbo!” she interrupted sharply, her voice turning cold. “I am your teacher. I helped you because you’re my student. If you’re about to say something inappropriate, then I suggest you stop right now.”

“I—I…” Xu was clearly startled by her reaction, stammering in confusion.

He Yan didn’t give him another chance. She hung up and slammed the phone onto her desk before bolting from her office. Sure enough, Xu was right downstairs with his bike, still holding his phone, apparently just about to call her again.

She startled him as if descending from the heavens.

“H—Miss He?”

She marched over, snatched the phone from his hand, and canceled the outgoing call. After a brief thought, she quickly typed a message on his phone and sent it to her own:

“Miss He, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. Please forgive me. But I have to say—I like you, and I don’t believe that’s wrong.”

She deleted the message immediately after sending it, then handed the phone back. “What did you want to tell me? Is it about Yu Jia?”

Xu was still in shock, staring at her blankly. “Miss He, are you angry? I didn’t mean anything weird. I just wanted to treat you to lunch to thank you for helping me get that job…”

“Ah, then I misunderstood. I’m sorry,” she replied quickly, seizing the chance to shift tone. Glancing at her watch, she added, “Wait here. I’ll go grab my phone. We’ll have lunch together—my treat, to apologize.”

Xu was completely bewildered by her mood swings but nodded, “Okay.”

He Yan went back upstairs to retrieve her phone. She deleted the unread message, pocketed the device, and returned downstairs as if nothing had happened. Together, they headed for the school cafeteria. It was still early, so the place wasn’t crowded yet. She swiped her staff card, ordered two set meals, and they sat at a corner table.

While eating, she asked, “So? What did you want to say about Yu Jia?”

Xu hesitated for a moment before replying, “Miss He, Yu Jia never went abroad for any kind of treatment. I saw her again—here in Nanzhao.”

He Yan’s spoon paused midair. It hovered for a few seconds before she calmly lifted it to her mouth and slowly chewed the bite. “Oh? Where?”

Xu looked at her carefully, struggling to phrase his words. “I used to work a few days at a nightclub. I saw her there once. I went back recently and asked around—they said she doesn’t work there anymore. She moved somewhere fancier. A place called Zui Jin Zhao.”

The very same club Fu Shenxing had taken her to that night—clearly his territory. Now everything fits together seamlessly. He Yan’s face remained calm. She nodded. “I believe you.”

“So… Fu Shenxing was lying?” Xu blurted out in frustration.

“And then?” she asked.

He went quiet. He didn’t know what else he could say.

He Yan felt conflicted. She knew the boy meant well, but the more earnest he was, the more she couldn’t drag him into this mess. It was far too dangerous. If Fu Shenxing caught wind of this, Xu might very well lose his life.

She couldn’t be that selfish—especially not to someone who genuinely wanted to help her.

She hardened her tone to shut down his kindness. “Xu Chengbo, let me say this again. Yu Jia is no longer your concern. Don’t bring her up with me again—not on the phone, not in person. And whether Fu Shenxing lied is none of your business.”

The light in his eyes slowly faded. In the end, he lowered his gaze and whispered, “I’m sorry, Miss He. I shouldn’t have meddled.”

She wanted to tell him he wasn’t meddling, that his words had helped her, that she truly appreciated it… But in the end, she said nothing. She just looked down and quietly continued eating.

The following weekend:

He Yan went alone to a department store and purchased a coat similar in style to the one Hua Jie had lent her. She called to ask for her address. “I should’ve brought this to you earlier,” she said, “but I’ve been swamped these past few days.”

Hua Jie sounded both surprised and pleased. “You’re too polite! I’ll just come get it. I’ve got nothing better to do anyway.”

He Yan thought for a moment, then suggested a compromise. “I’m out right now. If you’re free, let me treat you to lunch. I truly appreciate what you did for me.”

“Lunch sounds great!” Hua Jie agreed immediately.

They arranged a time and place. Hua Jie sprang out of bed in a hurry, still naked, and began banging on the room next door.

“Little Baiyang! Get up! Quit playing dead!”

A few minutes later, a bleary-eyed, gorgeous young woman opened the door, yawning. “What time is it? We work night shifts, you know. It’s murder getting up this early. What, no union for escorts now?”

“I am your damn union!” Hua Jie smacked her face playfully and shook her shoulders. “You’re the most educated one here. Tell me, what kind of nonsense do educated folks like to hear?”

Little Baiyang squinted. “You trying to reform yourself, Hua Jie?”

“Reform your ass!” Hua Jie swore. “If you had any charm, would I be the one licking boots now?”

The two exchanged banter, then Hua Jie filled her in on what had happened to Fu Shenxing—and how, after storming out in fury, he’d called that woman back to his place, didn’t apologize or say a nice word, just made her come over, screwed her, and let her go.

Little Baiyang was stunned. “Now that’s a woman with a spine.”

“A rare one,” Hua Jie agreed. I heard Jiang-ge call her Miss He. Supposedly she’s a teacher.”

They parted ways, and Hua Jie rushed out to meet He Yan at a cozy little restaurant.

When they met, He Yan handed over the new coat. “I couldn’t find the original, so I picked one that looked similar. I wasn’t sure of your taste, but here’s the receipt. If it’s not to your liking, you can return it.”

Just looking at the bag, Hua Jie could tell the new coat was high-end. It was clearly pricier than her own. Though she didn’t lack money, she appreciated He Yan’s consideration—especially since He Yan was someone involved with Fu Shenxing. Without even checking the contents, she grinned. “If it’s your choice, I’m sure it’s better than the old one!”

He Yan smiled modestly. “You’re kind, Hua Jie.”

One had an ulterior motive; the other wanted to latch on. And so, the two chatted like old friends.

He Yan intended to use Hua Jie as a bridge to lure Fu Shenxing out, but she knew better than to rush. Instead, she discussed trivial topics, letting things unfold naturally.

In the end, it was Hua Jie who first probed. “Things are okay between you and Mr. Fu now?”

He Yan paused, then said quietly, “He was pretty angry because of what happened to his cousin. But it’ll pass.”

Hua Jie nodded. “Young Master Fu is a bit much sometimes. Don’t let it get to you. After that scolding, he’ll probably know better next time.”

He Yan laughed wryly. “Come on. They’re brothers. No matter what, blood is thicker than water. I’m just an outsider.”

“Hell no!” Hua Jie waved her hand dismissively. “Men love saying ‘brothers are limbs, women are clothes,’ but they never finish the line. You know how it should go? ‘You wear my clothes, I break your limbs. You break my limbs, I wear your clothes.’”

The phrasing made He Yan burst out laughing. “You should say that to Fu Shenxing, see what he thinks.”

“Don’t you dare!” Hua Jie gasped. “He’d break my damn limbs!”

He Yan played along, smiling faintly, then casually said, “By the way, there’s something I wanted to ask you. Someone asked me to find someone, and you know a lot of people...”

Hua Jie raised her brows. “Who?”

He Yan pulled out a photo of Yu Jia. “This girl. Her family hadn’t been able to reach her. They asked me to help look.”