Yu Qingyu exited the bar, carefully helping the heavily intoxicated and unsteady Ling Li into her white Mercedes.
Several designated drivers had already been waiting outside the bar entrance. As the two women emerged, a man wearing a blue driver’s vest immediately approached, asking respectfully:
“Miss, do you need a designated driver?”
“Yes,” Yu Qingyu replied, looking up at him. Her voice was calm but carried a hint of barely noticeable caution.
Upon hearing this, the man quickly took out his driver’s license and ID card, handing them to her with both hands.
Yu Qingyu carefully checked the information on the documents. As a precaution, she took out her phone, quickly snapped photos of them, and casually sent them to Lou Minghe before handing the car keys over to the driver.
The driver took the keys, skillfully opened the car’s trunk, and placed his foldable scooter inside.
This scene happened to be witnessed by Huo Zhili, who had just stepped out of the bar. His gaze darkened as he watched Yu Qingyu open the rear door, followed by the driver taking his seat in the driver’s compartment.
Moments later, the white Mercedes started smoothly and drove away from the bar entrance.
Without the slightest hesitation, Huo Zhili turned and sat in the back seat of his Rolls-Royce, his voice cold as he instructed the driver in front: “Follow her car.”
“Yes, Mr. Huo,” the driver responded, quickly starting the car and following the white Mercedes at a steady, moderate distance.
Inside the Mercedes, Ling Li leaned back in her seat, the alcohol taking effect as her pent-up grievances and anger finally erupted. She cursed angrily into the air: “Huo Zhili is a scoundrel, a complete and utter jerk…”
Yu Qingyu shook her head helplessly, took out a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her, saying softly:
“Have some water first, take it easy.”
Ling Li took the water but didn’t drink it, continuing to ramble on with her complaints. Her voice gradually softened, carrying a tipsy, earnest tone as she murmured:
“Princess Qingyu, don’t worry, I’ll always stay by your side, never leaving.”
A gentle smile curled at the corner of Yu Qingyu’s lips as she softly replied, “Okay.”
Just then, the driver in the front seat cautiously spoke up to remind them:
“Miss, there’s a Cullinan behind us. It’s been following us for a while now.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingyu slowly rolled down the car window and glanced sideways, immediately recognizing the familiar license plate. Her eyes showed no trace of emotion as she calmly instructed:
“Ignore it, keep driving.”
“Alright,” the driver replied. Seeing her composed demeanor and considering the destination on the navigation, he understood that this young lady was undoubtedly someone of significant status. He said nothing more and focused on driving.
By now, Ling Li’s drunkenness had fully taken over, making her unusually excited. She kicked off her shoes, grabbed them in her hands, and began swaying them around. Closing her eyes, she started singing at the top of her lungs:
“Blue skies, clear waters, oh yeah, green grasslands, this is my home, oh yeah…”
Already heavily intoxicated, her voice trembled, and the melody was wildly off-key, not a single note hitting the right pitch. The jarring singing instantly filled the entire car.
Yu Qingyu took a deep breath, gently took the shoes from her hands, and soothingly coaxed:
“Ling Li, be good, sing when we get home, okay?”
“No, I haven’t sung enough yet!” Ling Li squinted her bleary, drunken eyes and grumbled discontentedly.
“Stop singing. If you keep going, you’ll scare the driver,” Yu Qingyu pleaded helplessly.
The designated driver glanced in the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but smile, chiming in:
“Miss, your friend must have had quite the time—she’s thoroughly drunk.”
Yu Qingyu had spent the entire journey coaxing her, and several dozen minutes later, the white Mercedes slowly pulled through the gates of an upscale residential complex.
Inside the Rolls-Royce, the driver looked toward Huo Zhili, who was resting with his eyes closed in the back seat, and softly inquired:
“Young Master Huo, their car has entered the complex. Should we follow them in?”
Huo Zhili slowly opened his eyes, his gaze deep and profound as he stared in the direction of the complex gates. After a moment of silence, he uttered two words flatly: “Go back.”
“Yes, sir,” the driver replied, turning the car around and quietly driving away.
Time passed swiftly, and before long, a month had gone by.
Yu Qingyu had long since left for the United States—a fact known only to her immediate family and Xu Borui.
In a private club’s VIP room on the outskirts of the city, the lights cast a hazy glow.
A small gathering had been arranged, but Lou Minghe was absent.
Even the usually carefree Ye Shenhuai had made it, plopping down casually next to Huo Zhili. He twirled a crystal wine glass in his fingers, the amber liquid swirling gently against the sides. Raising an eyebrow, he teased:
“What’s going on? Is Brother He skipping gatherings now too?”
Beside him, Huo Zhili held a cigar between his fingers, his expression indifferent. He took a slow drag, then parted his thin lips to exhale a faint ring of smoke. His voice betrayed no emotion:
“He doesn’t want to see me.”
“Why? Could it be because you’re with Sister Qingyu, and he’s upset about it? But you two have been dating for a while now, haven’t you?”
Ye Shenhuai pressed immediately, his face full of curiosity.
Nearby, Xu Borui also looked up at Huo Zhili, his eyes holding a hint of scrutiny. He, too, wanted to know the reason.
In the quiet room, only the faint clinking of glasses could be heard. Huo Zhili’s voice remained calm and steady, yet it struck the others like a sudden stone dropped into still water:
“We broke up.”
The words “broke up” exploded in their minds.
Li Junyao, who had been lounging lazily on the sofa, abruptly sat up straight, his tone certain: “You ended it?”
He knew all too well how deeply Yu Qingyu cared for Huo Zhili—how she had given him her whole heart. There was no way she would have initiated the breakup herself.
Huo Zhili took another drag from his cigar, the swirling smoke blurring his deep-set eyes, making the emotions within even more inscrutable. He spoke softly:
“She did.”
As the words fell, Xu Borui suddenly understood—all his questions now had answers. Why Yu Qingyu had suddenly agreed to study abroad, and the resolute “I don’t need it anymore” she had uttered back then—the root of it all lay here.
“So, she chose to study abroad only after you two broke up?”
Xu Borui’s words pierced Huo Zhili’s heart like a fine needle.
The fingers holding the cigar trembled slightly, his knuckles turning pale. A heavy, indescribable emptiness washed over him—a panic, as if he were about to lose something precious forever. It came too quickly to grasp, yet it stabbed at his heart with undeniable clarity.
When Huo Zhili didn’t respond, Xu Borui sighed softly: “Lou Minghe just doesn’t want to see you. We were all looking forward to toasting at your wedding.”
After a moment of silence, Huo Zhili abruptly crushed the half-smoked cigar into the ashtray, his movements betraying a hint of barely concealed irritation. His tone turned cold and sharp: “I won’t get married, even if you do.”
As soon as the words fell, he stood up directly, grabbing the coat draped over the sofa armrest. The air around him was so oppressive it was frightening. “Something came up. I’m leaving first.”
“Seriously, Brother Li? You’re leaving already without even having a drink?”
Ye Shenhuai watched his aloof back and couldn’t help but speak up to stop him.
Li Junyao stared at the closed door of the private room, his brow slightly furrowed as he said in a low voice, “Judging by his reaction, it’s very likely he had no idea Qingyu left.”
Meanwhile, Huo Zhili walked out of the club. The evening wind, carrying a chill, brushed against his face but failed to disperse the restlessness in his heart.
He took out his phone. The screen was clean—not a single message from Yu Qingyu. His fingertip hovered over that all-too-familiar number, hesitating again and again, but in the end, he stuffed the phone back into his pocket.
The driver was already waiting by the car. Seeing him come out, he quickly stepped forward to open the rear door and respectfully called out, “Young Master Huo.”
Huo Zhili got into the car, his voice carrying a trace of barely noticeable urgency. “To Crown Apartments.”
“Understood.” The driver responded, starting the car while inwardly understanding—the young master was going to find Miss Yu.
The car interior fell into silence. Huo Zhili stared at the dark phone screen, the certainty and confidence he once had slowly crumbling away.
Unable to hold back any longer, he raised his hand and sent a message to Jiang Zhou:
[Find out where Yu Qingyu went for her further studies.]