Chapter 19

Shi Zhi had no intention of spending the night in the suburbs.
She didn't like following other people's rhythm. She had already calculated it: if she could run into both Shen Jia and that Yaoyao at the banquet and settle everything in one go, this matter would be over.
With Shen Jia.
And with her deal with Fu Xiling, too.
The heat was exhausting, and the exams had left her tired. Fu Xiling drove steadily; the AC breeze was just enough to dispel the high temperature, and the music was soft and slow. Shi Zhi couldn't fight the drowsiness and slept for a while.
It wasn't a peaceful sleep. She dreamed of the past:
A woman who had never had an easy life, haggard, hair scattered like tumbleweeds.
The woman was already so thin she wasn't even forty kilograms, yet she burst with astonishing strength, gripping Shi Zhi's shoulders tightly. "You can't bow your head. A woman can't bow her head in this life. If you bow your head, everything is over..."
Shi Zhi frowned and opened her eyes.
The car was in a tunnel, the light dim. The music from earlier had been turned off.
Fu Xiling noticed the moment she moved. "Awake?"
"Mm."
"Want water? There's mineral water in the door pocket."
Shi Zhi took out a bottle, twisted it open, and drank two sips.
When the car exited the tunnel, the sunlight outside was no longer so harsh. Shi Zhi asked, "How much longer?"
"Almost there. Ten-plus minutes."
Only after arriving did Shi Zhi realize she'd imagined this resort project as far too simple—
At the entrance, cars formed a queue.
Six or seven men in security uniforms blocked the parking lot entrance, strictly checking each car's invitation, verifying and registering the number of attendees.
Shi Zhi had limited patience. Arms crossed, she waited irritably until it was finally their turn.
Fu Xiling lowered the window and handed over the invitation.
The security guard verified it, raised the walkie-talkie to his mouth: "Let them through." The barrier lifted, and Fu Xiling drove into the parking lot.
The parking lot was filled with luxury cars. Near a few large business vans stood staff carrying recording equipment; others held microphones and were adjusting them.
Shi Zhi asked, "Reporters?"
"Don't worry about them. The organizers invited them for promotion."
Fu Xiling parked in a space, unlocked the doors, and tilted his head. "Let's go."
They registered at the front desk.
When Shi Zhi handed her ID to Fu Xiling, she couldn't tell if she was being oversensitive, but she felt he looked at it a bit longer as he took it.
Shi Zhi shot him a sidelong look, wanting to ask what he was looking at.
But the hotel staff was faster, asking warmly, "Mr. Fu, did you bring luggage? We can help deliver it to your room."
"There are two gift boxes in the back seat. Please send them over, thank you."
Fu Xiling registered the license plate at the front desk, left the car keys, and took Shi Zhi in a sightseeing cart up the slope.
The villas were built on a gentle hillside.
Some guests had already checked in; their silhouettes appeared on open balconies and behind floor-to-ceiling windows.
The invitation said you could bring family. Shi Zhi looked over and saw several scenes of warm family gatherings.
Often, Shi Zhi felt the world was too unfair.
Those people had beautiful faces and smart brains, harmonious families and thriving businesses—heaven's favorites.
And someone like that sat right beside her now, talking on the phone.
Only Shi Zhi and Fu Xiling sat in the cart. Shi Zhi heard the person on the phone mention Yaoyao.
After hanging up, Fu Xiling said, "Yaoyao's car got scraped on the highway. She's arguing with the other driver. She'll probably be late."
Shi Zhi nodded.
Fu Xiling continued, "The villas below are bigger and closer to the banquet restaurant. They're basically arranged for the investors with the largest shares and the senior veterans in the industry. Kids like us stay at the very top..."
Shi Zhi didn't care about the social niceties in business. It went in one ear and out the other; she wasn't listening at all.
"So Shen Jia—"
Shi Zhi's perfunctory nod hadn't escaped Fu Xiling's eyes. He deliberately paused a few seconds. Only when Shi Zhi finally looked at him did he curl his lips. "—Shen Jia is staying right next door to us."
Shi Zhi quickly reacted. "You did that?"
"Had someone do me a small favor."
Fu Xiling smiled and casually pointed out the distance between two villas. "About that close. His is a bit higher up."
Even so, after they checked in, they didn't see Shen Jia.
When the attendant delivered the gift boxes from Fu Xiling's car, Shi Zhi happened to be downstairs. She opened the door and took them, then looked outside. The villa Fu Xiling said Shen Jia would stay in was still dark.
Fu Xiling had changed into a black suit. Leaning on the upstairs railing, fastening his cuffs, he asked, "Aren't you going to open it and see the battle gear I picked so carefully for you?"
Fu Xiling's usual style was too flashy; Shi Zhi didn't have much expectation for his so-called "battle gear."
As she unwrapped the gift, she even thought: if he got her some pink princess dress, she'd rather go to the banquet in a T-shirt and jeans.
"If it doesn't suit me, I won't wear it."
Fu Xiling only said, "Look first."
The ribbon fell to the floor. Shi Zhi lifted the lid.
Inside lay a simple black slip dress and a pair of high heels. She lifted the dress, looked it over twice, said nothing more, and turned into the bathroom.
After changing, Shi Zhi came out and looked upstairs.
Fu Xiling rested both elbows on the second-floor railing, eyes lowered as he watched her.
In Fu Xiling's eyes, Shi Zhi when she was with Shen Jia was tense—pretending to smile, pretending to be happy.