Of course—what you fear most always finds you.

Even though He Yan had mentally prepared for the possibility of running into Fu Shenxing, when it actually happened, her body still shuddered uncontrollably.

He saw her too, raising his brows slightly. “Miss He? Here for some entertainment as well?”

She didn’t believe for a second that this was just a coincidence, and his feigned civility only deepened her disgust. Pressing her lips together, she forced herself to remain calm and replied coolly, “Just here to find someone.”

“Did you?” he asked.

“I did. I have something urgent to attend to, so I’ll be going now. Goodbye, Mr. Fu.” She instinctively drew her coat tighter around her neck as she spoke and turned to leave. But she had only taken two steps before A-Jiang blocked her path completely.

She stopped, turned back, and met Fu Shenxing’s gaze.

He shifted slightly, looking at her sideways. His tone was casual, unhurried. “Since you’re already here, why not stay a little? Keep me company for a while.”

"He Yan drew a deep breath, suppressing her emotions and trying to maintain a calm demeanor as she negotiated, “Mr. Fu, I really do have something urgent. Give me an hour, and I promise I’ll come back to accompany you. Would that be alright?”

“No,” he answered flatly, domineering and unreasonable. Without another word, he turned and walked inside.

Blocked by A-Jiang, He Yan had no choice but to grit her teeth and follow Fu Shenxing back into Zui Jin Zhao.

The manager had already rushed out to greet them, leading Fu Shenxing toward his usual private room with flattering enthusiasm. “Young Master Su is also here—he’s in ‘Carefree Pavilion.’ Should I?”

“No need to tell him,” Fu Shenxing said indifferently.

The private room was the same one He Yan had been in before, only this time it was even livelier. A striptease was underway on the small stage, and in one corner, a group had set up a game of mahjong with seven or eight men and women gathered around.

Some of the faces were familiar from her last visit; others were new, but carried a clear air of influence. Though they all greeted Fu Shenxing warmly, there was none of the stiff reverence from before—the mood was casual, relaxed.

A man in his twenties waved enthusiastically from the mahjong table. “Xing-ge, come help me out! These guys are ganging up on me!”

The man to his right, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, chimed in with a laugh, “Yeah, save Xiao Wu! At this rate he’ll be playing in his underwear!”

Laughter erupted all around. Fu Shenxing even let out a genuine chuckle, sat down in Xiao Wu’s seat, and looked toward He Yan. “Come. Help me watch my hand.”

All eyes followed his gaze toward He Yan. There was curiosity, envy, even malice in those stares.

Xiao Wu winked at the man with the cigarette and joked, “So this is the new lady Boss Xing’s brought for us?”

“Cut the nonsense,” Fu Suizhi said with a faint smile, his tone light but pointed. “Miss He already has a husband. You all better watch your mouths.”

“She’s married?” Xiao Wu feigned surprise, three parts play-acting, seven parts mischief. He glanced between He Yan and Fu Shenxing. “To whom?”

“What do you care?” the cigarette guy quipped. “It’s not you.”

Fu Suizhi said nothing, merely gave He Yan a mocking glance and called, “Come on over, help me watch the hand.”

He Yan stood still, fists clenched. The filthy banter made her want to grind her teeth into dust. But she forced herself to stay composed, walked over without a word, and sat beside Fu Shenxing.

While the next round was being dealt, he glanced at her sideways and said, “Wearing that heavy coat—you’re not hot?”

Her outfit, out of place in a room full of scantily clad women, was conspicuous. But she dared not remove it. Beneath the coat was a dress that was entirely unlike her usual attire—something that would instantly raise his suspicions.

So she bit back her nerves and replied calmly, “Not hot.”

Luckily, the tiles had been dealt, and Fu Shenxing didn’t press the matter.

The automatic mahjong table sped things up, and a round passed quickly. Fu Shenxing’s luck wasn’t great—not only did he fail to win back Xiao Wu’s losses, he lost even more himself.

Someone laughed, “Xing-ge must be in a good mood tonight—here to hand out his fortune. I still remember that legendary night at Tianhe Garden. Xing-ge held the dealer’s seat for nine rounds straight. Uncle Hu still brings it up every time!”

Xiao Wu grinned. “Looks like he’s winning in love instead of luck.”

Fu Shenxing merely smiled. As he tossed out a chip, he gently tapped He Yan on the shoulder. “Your turn. I’ll help you watch.”

The entire table froze for a moment. All eyes turned to He Yan again—this time with a different shade of scrutiny.

She wanted to say she didn’t know how to play, but feared angering him. After a brief hesitation, she stood up and took his seat. He moved behind her, one hand on the table edge, the other resting lightly on the back of her chair, leaning in close to watch.

“How’s it going?” he asked softly.

Taking the opportunity to draw a tile, He Yan subtly shifted forward to avoid him and replied, “I know the game.”

“Oh?” he replied, his tone light and teasing. He leaned closer, whispering in her ear, “Then play well. If you win back Xiao Wu’s money, I’ll let you go.”

She turned to look at him, half-skeptical.

He smiled faintly, his fingers grazing her earlobe. “I keep my word.”

She didn’t quite believe him, but part of her still wanted to try. Turning back, she scanned the chips and focused on the game.

She had a photographic memory—almost nothing escaped her mind. With her ability to memorize and calculate tiles, “knows the game” was an understatement.

It didn’t take long for the others to notice her skill. By the seventh dealer round, Xiao Wu was cheering, while the man with the cigarette groaned, “This has to be a setup! Xing-ge tricked us—made us drop our guard, then cleaned us out!”

“She’s uncanny,” muttered the heavyset man across the table. He looked at He Yan, then at Fu Shenxing, asking, “Xing-ge, where’d you find this girl?”

Fu Shenxing didn’t answer. He narrowed his eyes and studied He Yan.

She remained calm, unmoved, focused solely on her hand. But he noticed the subtle excitement in her gaze. Glancing down at her tiles, his eyes widened slightly—it was a massive hand, just one tile away from completion.

Surprise turned to amusement. He chuckled. “With skills like this, why waste time being a teacher?”

She didn’t respond. Across the table, someone discarded the tile she needed. Even Fu Shenxing looked tempted. But He Yan didn’t call it—she stayed silent, drew her next tile, and slapped it down. “Mahjong.”

Gasps echoed around the table. But when they saw her hand, silence fell.

She’d won the game in grand fashion.

He Yan couldn’t help feeling a thrill—but it faded quickly. Rising from her seat under everyone’s stunned gaze, she looked at Fu Shenxing. “Mr. Fu, I have something to attend to. Excuse me.”

He didn’t speak, nor did he stop her. She walked quickly out of Zui Jin Zhao, got into her car, and only then realized her back was soaked in cold sweat.

Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe just fear.

Her heart pounded violently. She didn’t have the luxury to think—she only knew she had to leave.

She drove a long way, only relaxing slightly once she merged into the busy city traffic. She didn’t go home but checked into a small hotel instead, scrubbed herself clean, and changed back into her own clothes.

As she passed a street-side trash can, she tossed the club dress—worn only once—into it without hesitation.

The next day, she found an old phone and transferred her SIM card. Then she called Hua Jie to thank her for yesterday, apologize for leaving without notice, and finally asked her to relay a message to Yu Jia along with a bank account number.

“She’ll know what it’s for,” she said.

Hua Jie was confused. “What happened?”

He Yan didn’t intend to hide it—in fact, she needed Hua Jie to pass on the story of the broken phone to Fu Shenxing. “It’s nothing serious. I argued with Yu Jia yesterday, and she smashed my phone. She’s agreed to compensate me, so I gave her my account.”

Hua Jie promised to check and asked Yu Jia directly. Yu Jia admitted it readily. “Yeah, I did it. She took photos of me and threatened to send them to my family.”

Furious, Hua Jie nearly fainted. Staring at Yu Jia’s foolish, fearless face, she wanted to slap her senseless. On any other day, she probably would have. But this involved Fu Shenxing, and she had no intention of getting dragged in. She held her temper and snapped, “You stupid brat! Keep this up and you’ll dig your own grave!”

Yu Jia wasn’t afraid of He Yan, but she did fear Hua Jie. “Why are you so mad? She’s just a lousy college teacher. What can she do to me?”

“Think, you idiot! Why do you think Mr? Fu personally arranged your leave from school? For you? Who do you think you are?” Hua Jie scolded. Enraged by her stupidity, she called A-Jiang and reported everything in detail.

Since He Yan had started searching for Yu Jia, Fu Shenxing had eased his surveillance on her. A-Jiang only checked the monitors once in the morning and once at night.

So it wasn’t until late in the morning that Fu Shenxing realized her phone’s location had vanished.

Still, he had no time to investigate. His day was packed with important meetings and a business dinner in the evening. There wasn’t a single moment left to toy with a woman.

True, He Yan had surprised him at the mahjong table the night before—maybe even impressed him—but that was the extent of it. Nothing more.

After the banquet, tipsy from wine, she suddenly came to mind again. He told A-Jiang, “Call He Yan. Tell her to come.”

A-Jiang silently dialed the number and relayed the message. Whatever He Yan said on the other end made him pause. Then he turned and handed the phone to Fu Shenxing.

He took it, only to hear her low, furious voice, laced with helplessness: “Fu Shenxing, I beg you—just this once, have a shred of decency. Let me go tonight. It’s my birthday. I’m having dinner with my parents. How am I supposed to explain leaving? What excuse do I have to not come home?”

He hadn’t known it was her birthday. Startled, he gave a soft laugh.

“Well then,” he said, “since I know, I should at least give you a proper greeting." How about I come celebrate with you? At your place?”

“Fu Shenxing!”

Her voice dripped with venom. He could practically see her gritted teeth. He chuckled. “See you soon.”

Then he hung up.

Within moments, her call came through again—but he didn’t answer. Instead, he told A-Jiang, “To her parents’ place.”

He’d monitored her long enough to know exactly where they lived.

Soon, the car pulled up outside the residential complex. He dialed again.

“I’m outside. Since it’s your birthday, I’ll give you two choices: you come out yourself—or I come in to get you.”