An Xin stumbled out of the wedding venue, her steps unsteady and swaying as if she might collapse at any moment.

She had drunk far too much. While the other guests at her table chatted and picked at their dishes, she alone kept raising her glass, pouring herself drink after drink. White liquor, beer, red wine—anything within reach vanished down her throat. Even as the crowd thinned and dispersed, she showed no signs of stopping.

Had the bride, Lin Ke, not forcibly snatched the glass from her hand, An Xin might have kept drinking from dusk till dawn. Immersed in her own bridal bliss, Lin Ke had little attention to spare for her friend's mood. But An Xin wanted nothing more than to drown herself in alcohol, to lose herself in drunken oblivion.

Perhaps drowning sorrows in liquor was the only way—at least for now, she could think of no better remedy for the pain gnawing at her heart.

Night had fallen, and the streetlights flickered to life as An Xin stepped out of the hotel. Too intoxicated to notice the steps beneath her, she lurched forward, nearly tumbling face-first onto the pavement.

A security guard at the entrance swiftly caught her slender arm to steady her.

Dressed in a simple white dress, An Xin stood around 1.65 meters tall, her figure perfectly proportioned without an ounce of excess weight. Her narrow, supple waist—so delicate it could be encircled with one hand—gave the otherwise shapeless dress an alluring drape. Her skin was flawless, so pale and smooth it seemed almost translucent.

How could an ordinary security guard resist such a woman? The man swallowed hard several times before finally finding his voice.

"Miss... are you alright?"

He spoke cautiously, as if afraid his words might somehow taint her ears.

An Xin's fair cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, her large, bewitching eyes glazed yet mesmerizing. Her lips—neither too thin nor too full—were a natural, translucent pink, irresistibly kissable. Anyone who dared press their lips to hers would surely lose themselves in their softness.

A woman as beautiful as a siren.

The security guard stared at the breathtakingly beautiful woman before him, puzzled. With such striking looks, how could she be alone, drinking herself into a stupor without a single male companion in sight?

"Heh... You men—not a single decent one among you. None of you can be trusted..." An Xin murmured, shaking her head slightly.

She lifted her fox-like, alluring eyes, casting a half-lazy, half-teasing glance at the guard, her delicate charm impossible to ignore. As her crimson lips parted, a strong whiff of alcohol escaped—yet strangely, even her drunken breath carried a faint, intoxicating sweetness.

Pushing past the guard, she staggered forward until she reached the flagpoles in front of the hotel. There, she froze, her body stiffening.

"Right... here," she muttered to herself.

The scene from just hours ago flashed through her mind, reopening fresh wounds.

Her childhood friend Lin Ke’s wedding. An Xin had been invited, but just as she was about to enter the hotel, she spotted her boyfriend, Zhao Yuan, stepping out arm-in-arm with her colleague, Xu Linlin.

The two had been shamelessly affectionate, completely unbothered by prying eyes. The sight had struck An Xin like a knife to the heart.

Right there—under these very flagpoles—Xu Linlin had leaned in for a kiss, and An Xin had watched, helpless, as Zhao Yuan pulled her close, whispering and teasing like they were the ones in love.

They had looked like a couple deeply entangled in passion, while An Xin, standing frozen in the distance, had felt like nothing more than a fool, a pitiful clown with nowhere to hide.

Yet in the end, she had been the one to flee—as if she were the guilty party, the one who had done something wrong. For a moment, she had wanted to storm over and demand answers, but in the end, her courage had failed her.

What was she supposed to do now? It almost felt like Lin Ke’s wedding had been arranged just for her—giving her the perfect excuse to drown herself in alcohol.

The man she loved. The friend she had trusted. There was no doubt about it—she had been betrayed.

The bitter taste of betrayal was all too familiar to An Xin. How she wished what she was seeing was just a figment of her imagination.

Leaning against the flagpole, she took a deep breath and let out a bitter chuckle, the weight of her troubles pressing down on her until her entire body ached with exhaustion.

The alcohol was hitting her again, blurring her vision. The streetlights and car headlights melted into a hazy glow, the world around her dissolving into an indistinguishable swirl.

Just as An Xin was swaying unsteadily, a sleek black luxury car pulled up in front of her. Not that it mattered—right now, even the sky and the ground seemed the same to her. What difference did a car make?

"Oh! The ride Lin Ke called for me is here."

Squinting, she pressed her forehead against the window, trying to make out the driver inside. But all she could see was her own flushed reflection bouncing back at her, the interior completely obscured.

"Just a taxi, and they have to tint the windows this dark? What shady business are they hiding in there?"

She pursed her lips, clicked her tongue disapprovingly, and shook her head.

Inside the car, Ye Yichen sat in the backseat, watching the woman outside with detached amusement as she fumbled around.

A melodious piano tune broke the silence—Ye Yichen's phone ringing. Feng Kai handed it to him.

"Young Master, it's President Gong."

Ye Yichen glanced at the phone, his expression unreadable, before taking the call.

"Speak."

His voice was flat, devoid of warmth or interest. This was a call he couldn't be bothered to answer.

"Young Master Ye! Did you see the beauty I sent your way? Since I couldn't properly entertain you at tonight's banquet, consider her my apology gift! Knowing your tastes, I went all out for this one! May you both have a delightful evening!"

A greasy voice oozed through the phone—none other than Gong Cheng, the CEO of Gong Corporation.

Hanging up, Ye Chenyi turned his gaze back to the car window.

Feng Kaiyi also spotted the woman in the white dress through the glass, her behavior oddly erratic.

"That sly old fox Gong Cheng actually thinks he can fool you with some drunken woman? Pathetic."

Feng Kai snorted, smugly convinced he'd voiced his master's thoughts.

Seconds ticked by without a response. Sneaking a glance at the young master, Feng Kai noticed Ye Chenyi's eyes remained fixed on the woman outside, not budging an inch.

By now, An Xin had pressed her entire face against the window, her features distorted against the glass. Her plush pink lips left a faint imprint on the pane.

To an outsider, it might have seemed unremarkable, but Ye Chenyi could feel something stirring inside him, a restless energy he couldn't ignore.

Like Feng Kai, he had mistaken An Xin for one of Gong Cheng's "gifts."

Of course, Ye Chenyi knew exactly what that old schemer was after—using women to pry out his business secrets. Ever since rumors of his... *appetites* spread, the parade of beauties sent his way had been endless.

He never let them succeed, but if a tempting morsel landed in his lap, why not indulge?

And this woman? Far more tantalizing than the usual fare. To ignore her would be a waste.

A faint smirk flickered across Ye Chenyi's lips before vanishing just as quickly.