“When I woke from the dream, I realized I still prefer men!”
“Uncle Shao, I truly admire Sixth Miss—otherwise I would never have agreed to this marriage in the first place. But when I think of the long years ahead, with her left alone in an empty room, I cannot bear it. Since that’s the case, perhaps it’s best to cancel the engagement.”
“Sixth Miss is such a wonderful person. She deserves the very best this world has to offer. Don’t you agree?”
So… he likes men? Clearly, no one had expected *that* to be the outcome.
Madam Shao, after a brief moment of shock, let her expression darken and then ease into a sardonic calm. “No wonder the capital’s circles call him a reckless scoundrel. Turns out they weren’t wrong at all.”
Shao Xingzhou muttered with a constipated look, “At least the brat knows his place!”
Shao Wanying stared blankly into the mirror, dazed. Inside, she let out a long breath of relief. No wonder!
She had known Lou Ye for years, but true close contact only began after the two families arranged the marriage six months ago. In that half year, he had accompanied her to sit at the gambling tables, flown with her to Paris for fashion shows, and even gone abroad to help her pick out racehorses because she loved riding.
He knew how to play.
He had taste.
He held the immense wealth of the Lou Corporation in his hands.
Most importantly, Lou Ye’s face—wild, strikingly handsome. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that in just a few months, Shao Wanying had almost fallen for him. After so many outings together, and with the engagement sealed, to her it seemed only natural that something more should happen. But it never did. In public, he was gentle and considerate. In private, Lou Ye carried himself with all the polish of a perfect fiancé.
Even that night at the bar, when Shao Wanying leaned against him under the haze of wine, he had only pulled her gently aside with courtesy: “Sixth Miss, you’re drunk…”
Nothing happened. Through the thin silk of her dress and the fabric of his tailored trousers, she hadn’t felt the slightest change in him.
Shao Wanying knew she was beautiful—her looks and figure were exceptional by any standard. Yet Lou Ye showed not a flicker of desire for her. At first, the rejection had been crushing. She thought she simply held no allure for him. Now, knowing he preferred men, she exhaled in relief.
So—it wasn’t her fault. It was simply that he couldn’t.
Marriage to him had always been about alliance, about mutual leverage. Now that the wedding was off, she still held two percent of Lou Corporation’s shares—and a secret that gave her enormous power over Lou Ye. By any calculation, she had come out ahead. Her heart instantly lightened.
Knock, knock! The sound of the door echoed, mingling with the whir of helicopter blades overhead.
Shao Xingzhou opened it.
Outside stood Lou Ye, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on Shao Wanying. “Sixth Miss, the helicopter is here. I’ll take you.”
What a pity… Looking at his face, Shao Wanying rose gracefully. “Thank you, Young Master Lou.” In the past, when they were engaged, every time she held his arm, her heart had raced like a startled rabbit, crashing about in panic. Now, as she took his arm again, there was no nervousness, no flutter of affection. Her eyes lingered on that face—so perfectly aligned with her sense of beauty—and she felt a pang of regret. “Ah Ye, really, we don’t have to break off the engagement, do we?”
In wealthy families, it was common for couples to present one face in public and live separate lives in private. If others could do it, why couldn’t she and Lou Ye?
Catching her meaning, Lou Ye’s lips curved into a wicked smile. “I’m a bit of a chauvinist, you know…”
Shao Wanying looked up.
He chuckled. “Only officials may set fires; commoners may not light lamps. If we marry, I’ll play as I please—but you, you must remain pure, guarding yourself for me.”
Her expression shifted, and inwardly she cursed him as a lunatic.
“I heard that!” Lou Ye stopped in his tracks, looked at Shao Wanying, and said, “You cursed me, your brother gave me a punch—so let’s call it even!”
He helped Shao Wanying into the cabin, then bent down to lift the hem of her lavish gown and tuck it inside. He even smoothed out the wrinkles in the fabric.
Lou Ye’s smile was effortlessly charming. “Sixth Miss, I wish you happiness!”
The young man’s handsome features were lit by the glow of the setting sun, his smile framed by the fiery clouds behind him. In the depths of his eyes lingered a shadow, like a dark emissary walking out from the underworld—half righteous, half wicked, dangerously captivating.
Shao Wanying froze. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to throw caution aside, leap from the helicopter, and rush into Lou Ye’s arms, declaring she would marry no one but him—even if he preferred men. The thought flickered, then she caught herself. Curling her finger, she beckoned him closer.
Leaning in, her words at his ear carried sly mischief: “Young Master Lou, you said that when you woke from the dream, you realized you liked men more. So tell me—do you like men more, or do you only like men?”
Lou Ye faltered.
Shao Wanying straightened, waved lightly. “Young Master Lou, goodbye!”
The cabin door shut. With the roar of the rotors, the helicopter slowly lifted off.
On the rooftop, Lou Ye exhaled, hands in his pockets.
The aircraft shrank from a black speck to a red dot, then vanished.
Night fell completely.
He gazed into the distance for a long while, then pulled out his phone and dialed. “Has my package arrived?”
…
Meanwhile, in the faculty dormitory at Imperial University, Sang Wan was undergoing “interrogation by torture.”
“Yiyi… Yiyi…” Laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe, Sang Wan cried out in pain before Xu Yiyi finally stopped tickling her.
But when Xu Yiyi caught sight of the scars on Sang Wan’s back—marks left from surgery—her eyes reddened instantly. “Serves you right for being such a love‑fool!”
Ever since Sang Wan had started dating Lu Jinnian in her freshman year, Xu Yiyi had scolded her for being blinded by love.
After so many years, Sang Wan had grown used to it. But this time, she admitted defeat. “You’re right. I deserved it.”
In the past, she would argue back, driving Xu Yiyi into a furious tirade.
Now that she conceded, Xu Yiyi was left speechless.
Sang Wan poked at Xu Yiyi’s puffed‑up “squirrel cheeks” in a coaxing way. “Yiyi, I’ve already lost everything. If even you don’t want me, I’ll really end up wandering the streets… You wouldn’t have the heart to let that happen, would you?”
Xu Yiyi stayed silent.
Sang Wan pressed on, feigning pitifulness. “Kind‑hearted, beautiful, a model teacher—Teacher Xu, I beg you, take me in, won’t you?”
“I absolutely will not take you in!” Xu Yiyi huffed, but the moment the words left her mouth, her eyes lit up. “You could go to Lou Ye! He even broke off his engagement for you!”
“Xu Yiyi!!!” Sang Wan was speechless. “You can joke about food, but not about things like that!”
“How is it nonsense?” Xu Yiyi argued fiercely. “Yesterday the media was still trumpeting that grand society engagement banquet—there wasn’t the slightest hint of a breakup. Then early this morning, you just happened to run into Lou Ye. You say you’ve divorced, and right after that he cancels his engagement. How is that not suspiciously convenient?”
Sang Wan dismissed it. “That’s exactly why it’s called a coincidence.”
Xu Yiyi: …
Seeing her friend’s face full of *there must be something fishy here*, Sang Wan gave a bitter smile. “Even if I hadn’t divorced, even if we went back to before I married Lu Jinnian… Tell me, what part of me could possibly match Lou Ye? Just one thing—say it, and I’ll believe you.”
Xu Yiyi opened her mouth and fell silent.