“Is everything settled now?”
Simon Min’s voice came low through the phone. He had been buried in work for days, but still managed to steal a few minutes to call Vivian Wen.
Vivian’s hands moved quickly over her keyboard as she played, her phone tucked between shoulder and ear.
“I was just about to tell you,” she said, half breathless from excitement. “Arthur Yao and Bianca Fang have both been expelled! The school reinstated my national scholarship and even gave me compensation. I’m sure they’ll be fair in the graduation awards from now on!”
Her tone sparkled with joy and relief, and without realizing it, Simon’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“That’s good,” he said softly.
“All thanks to you.”
Vivian’s sweet, playful voice brushed against his ears like a breeze, stirring something deep inside him.
He leaned back into the leather seat, a warmth spreading through his chest that even the day’s exhaustion couldn’t dull.
He opened his mouth to say something more—
and then, from the other end of the line, came a man’s voice.
“Yaya! Focus, it’s crunch time—stop getting distracted!”
The voice came through Vivian’s computer headset.
Mike Lu, her gaming partner, was urging her on during a heated match.
Vivian’s fingers froze mid-click.
Caught between the game and the call, she panicked.
“Oh—Mr. Min, I’ve got to run. Emergency! We’ll talk later!”
The line went dead before Simon could reply.
The only sound left was the dull beep-beep-beep of disconnection.
His expression darkened instantly.
There’s another man… by her side?
‘Focus, don’t get distracted’—what were they doing, exactly?
Irritation coiled like smoke in his chest.
His mind spun with unwanted images—her laughter, another man’s voice close by.
The more he imagined, the colder his face grew.
So that’s it.
Maybe that pure, shy façade of hers… was nothing but an act.
He thought of the woman from that hotel night—
and the one who smiled innocently in daylight—
two completely different people.
Simon’s obsidian eyes turned glacial.
Just how many faces does this woman have?

That Friday afternoon, Vivian returned home early.
But the moment she opened the door, she froze.
Ryan Lu was sitting comfortably on the sofa, chatting warmly with her father, George Wen.
Her brows knit tightly.
What is he doing here?
“Vivian!” Ryan stood up quickly, his eyes gleaming with self-satisfaction.
“Why didn’t you tell me your father already agreed to our engagement?”
Vivian walked into the living room and sat beside her father.
“I didn’t tell you,” she said mildly, “so how did you know?”
“Uh… Zhao Auntie just mentioned it,” Ryan stammered, scratching his head.
“Oh?” Vivian’s tone was light, but her eyes glittered like glass.
“You and Aunt Zhao seem… quite close, huh?”
At the dining table, Helen Zhao’s hand trembled slightly as she set down a dish. The glass beside her nearly tipped over.
Ryan forced a laugh, stumbling over his words.
“N-no, nothing like that! I—I just ran into her by chance yesterday, that’s all. She told me then.”
Of course, it wasn’t chance at all.
Helen had phoned him herself, giving him detailed instructions—
including her warning that they should avoid meeting until the engagement, to prevent any unexpected slip-ups.
“Oh—what a coincidence,” Vivian said sweetly, glancing at her father with a look full of hidden meaning.
“Quite the coincidence.”
“Exactly!” Ryan grabbed the teapot and hurried to pour George another cup of tea.
“It just shows how destined we are, doesn’t it?”
George smiled, clearly pleased with the flattery.
“Vivian, you should’ve told him earlier instead of keeping him in suspense.”
Vivian pouted slightly, her voice soft and aggrieved.
“I just wanted to surprise him, that’s all. I was planning to tell him this weekend and invite him over for dinner, but Aunt Zhao got there first.”
Her tone carried just enough girlish innocence to be convincing—
and both Ryan and Helen Zhao secretly exhaled in relief.
So she hadn’t found out anything.
A false alarm.
Helen quickly composed herself, smoothing her apron and forcing a warm, maternal smile.
“Dinner’s ready,” she said gently. “Let’s eat.”

They sat around the table, the clink of chopsticks breaking the heavy quiet.
“Since Ryan’s here,” George began, “let’s finalize the engagement details.”
Helen smiled, her tone sweet but sharp as a blade wrapped in silk.
“Vivian, your father and I have decided—the engagement will be next weekend.
Don’t worry, we’ll make it grand. We’ve already sent out the invitations.
All the most important people in Haishi will be there to celebrate with you.”
Vivian stirred her rice, her lashes lowering just enough to hide the glint in her eyes.
So that’s her plan—use the crowd to put on a show.
Fine.
The more people there are, the louder the slap will sound.
She smiled faintly.
“All right. I have no objections.”
Her calm acceptance startled both Ryan and Helen.
Ryan finally relaxed. For days, he’d been on edge, convinced she was avoiding him.
Now, it seemed, everything was back under control.
After dinner, Vivian suddenly slipped her arm through Ryan’s, her tone light.
“Ryan, let’s go take a walk.”