Nightfall Bar
When Fu Huaixu entered the private room, he was greeted by the strong smell of smoke and alcohol. The lighting inside was dim, with only one empty seat remaining on the massive genuine leather sofa in the center—his exclusive spot.
“Well, well, our esteemed CEO Fu, we finally managed to get you to join us.”
The speaker was Qin Chao, seated on the right side of the sofa. He was Fu Huaixu’s childhood friend and a notorious playboy in their social circle.
He swirled a glass of wine in his hand, his face seemingly flushed with drunkenness, yet his eyes shone brighter than anyone else’s.
Fu Huaixu didn’t respond. He casually unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt and strode over to the sofa with his long legs, taking his seat.
“It’s been three months, CEO Fu. Are you planning to relocate the Fu Corporation headquarters to Country Y?”
Mu Yufeng leaned over, holding a freshly opened bottle of whiskey. He expertly filled the crystal glass in front of Fu Huaixu. “Come on, cousin, a toast to welcome you back. Bottoms up.”
Fu Huaixu picked up the glass, took a sip, and then lazily leaned back, sinking into the soft cushion of the sofa.
His long legs were spread wide apart, his posture casual yet exuding an undeniable air of authority.
Qin Chao clicked his tongue and scooted closer to him.
“Huaixu, I have to say, when are you going to change this temperament of yours? Ever since you returned from abroad five years ago, you’ve been living like an emotionless work machine.”
Fu Huaixu raised an eyebrow, his slender fingers idly tracing the rim of the glass. “So what? I like it this way.”
Qin Chao was momentarily speechless. “Rumors are going around lately that you and the eldest daughter of the Chu family are about to tie the knot?”
Fu Huaixu cut him off, his voice cold as ice shards. “You believe what they say?”
“People outside are saying…” Qin Chao teased with a hint of mischief, “that the young master of the Fu family has stayed away from women all these years because…”
He deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping over Fu Huaixu as if observing his reaction, before slowly uttering three words: “His sexual orientation.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Xie Xiuyuan chimed in from the side, “Our esteemed CEO Fu is simply preserving his purity for that legendary, unforgettable white moonlight of his.”
Among them, they only knew that Fu Huaixu had dated a girlfriend during his study abroad years.
During their relationship, whenever he chatted with them, Fu Huaixu would occasionally boast about how wonderful his girlfriend was.
The blurry yet discernible silhouette photos in his phone also made his childhood friends realize that he had truly fallen for her.
Once, when he was drunk, he even said with reddened eyes, “I loved her so much, why did she abandon me?”
Every year, he traveled back and forth between Country Y and Kyoto several times, just to look for her. Even though there was no trace of her, he never gave up over these five years.
Qin Chao turned to Mu Yufeng with a gossipy expression.
“Ah Yu, you were studying abroad with your cousin back then. What did his girlfriend actually look like? Was she really as beautiful as a fairy, like the rumors say?”
Mu Yufeng was fiddling with a lighter in his hand. At the question, his movements paused slightly. He looked up at Fu Huaixu, his eyes carrying a hint of inquiry.
“Hey, I’m saying…” Qin Chao, clearly oblivious to Xie Xiuyuan’s subtle warning glance, mustered the courage fueled by alcohol to ask, “That was so many years ago. Are you still unable to forget that ex-girlfriend who abandoned you abroad?”
“Enough. One more word and you’re out.” Fu Huaixu’s gaze turned sharp, sweeping coldly over Qin Chao.
Qin Chao immediately shut his mouth, wisely sensing the mood. He sheepishly rubbed his nose, picked up his glass, and took a big gulp, but still couldn’t help muttering under his breath, “But it’s true…”
They all knew that the rumored white moonlight in Fu Huaixu’s life was the softest spot in his heart, and also the most untouchable scar.
Five years ago, he entered the Fu Corporation, wresting power from his father’s hands. But ever since then, Fu Huaixu had become a different person—cold, ruthless, and merciless in his methods…
Mu Yufeng looked at his cousin’s current state, a flicker of pity flashing in his eyes as he said softly,
“Brother, she disappeared right after you woke up from the car accident. It’s been five years now. Maybe she’s already…” forgotten you.
Fu Huaixu’s fingers holding the glass tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white.
Mu Yufeng didn’t finish his sentence, because he saw Fu Huaixu’s gaze sharpen like a knife, as if it could flay a person alive.
“Mr. Fu, Mr. Fu?”
Fu Huaixu leaned back in the car seat, closing his eyes, his long fingers pressing against his temples.
His consciousness was roused by the noise, the darkness in his deep pupils growing even more profound. His cold, magnetic voice carried an impatient tone,
“Speak!”
“Uh… Are we heading to the old mansion or Yushui Bay now?”
The car had already been driving away from the bar for nearly half an hour, and Fu Huaixu still hadn’t given a specific destination.
“Back to Yushui Bay.”
Suddenly,
“Stop the car!”
Fu Huaixu’s voice, laced with a chill, sounded urgent.
Lin Jing said with a pained expression, “Mr. Fu, we can’t stop here.”
In the rearview mirror, Lin Jing saw Fu Huaixu’s expression as if he had rediscovered some long-lost treasure, eagerly looking toward the Park Hyatt Hotel under the Fu Corporation.
“Go to the Park Hyatt Hotel next door.”
Fu Huaixu’s eyes were rimmed with layers of red, and even his voice trembled as he gave the order.
That figure he had only glimpsed briefly just now—it really looked like her!
Could it be her?
Five years, a full five years of days and nights… He had fallen asleep each night with heart-wrenching longing, only to wake up startled from nightmares of her abandoning him and leaving.
If they truly were to meet again, he couldn’t guarantee whether he would strangle Shen Zhaoning with his own hands—that wicked woman, that heartless woman, how dare she leave without a word.
By the time the black Cullinan was about to stop, the figure had already disappeared.
The rear car door was pushed open abruptly, and a tall figure practically charged into the hotel lobby.
“Mr… Mr. Fu, how may I…?” help you?
Before she could finish, the front desk clerk was intimidated by the coldness and urgency in the man’s eyes.
“What’s the name of the female guest in the long dress who just came in?” Fu Huaixu’s voice was hoarse, carrying an undeniable command.
“Mr. Fu, we can’t just casually disclose guests’ privacy…” Fu Huaixu’s gaze sharpened like a knife as he stared at the front desk clerk.
The clerk paused for a moment, quickly checked the system, and recited a string of numbers.
Fu Huaixu turned and left, his long legs striding purposefully as he rushed toward the elevator bank.
At the same time, in the luxurious suite on the 28th floor.
Shen Zhaoning stood barefoot on the soft carpet, about to head to the bathroom to run a hot bath to ease her fatigue.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
Urgent knocking suddenly sounded, shattering the tranquility of the room.
Shen Zhaoning was taken aback for a moment, then walked over to the peephole to look outside. The hallway was empty, with only the motion-sensor light flickering on and off.
She hesitated, thinking that this was, after all, a well-known five-star hotel in Kyoto, so security should be reliable. Perhaps it was a hotel staff member delivering some kind of welcome gift.
She didn’t open the door fully, only leaving a narrow gap as she peered through it. “Who is it?”
As soon as the door cracked open, a slender yet strong hand pressed against the door panel, followed immediately by a powerful force pushing the door wide open.