She quickly slipped out of her loungewear and pulled the dress over herself.
The dress was made of satin, clinging smoothly to her body and outlining every curve.
Li Yang looked at herself in the mirror.
Her collarbones were distinct, her waist slender, and the two legs beneath the hemline were long and straight.
She turned around.
A large expanse of her back was exposed, fair and flawless.
It seemed… she looked quite beautiful.
She put on the pair of newly purchased strappy high-heeled sandals, then let down her hair and casually ran her fingers through it, allowing the curls to fall naturally over her shoulders.
After some thought, she took out an unopened lipstick from the drawer. It was one she had bought at the duty-free shop that afternoon, a shade nicknamed “man-slaying red.”
She applied it in front of the mirror and pressed her lips together.
Li Yang stared at her reflection for several seconds before suddenly smiling.
Whatever.
She picked up her phone and keys, threw on a trench coat, went downstairs, and informed Aunt Zhou that she was going out for a walk before heading out.
Aunt Zhou called after her to come back early. Li Yang gave a careless response, but by then she had already disappeared into the night.
…
By the time Xie Zongxu returned to the residence, it was nearly eleven o’clock.
As the car drove into the courtyard, he glanced up toward the second floor.
He got out, entered the house, and found that Aunt Zhou was still awake. Hearing the commotion, she came forward to greet him.
“Sir is back.”
Xie Zongxu nodded and handed her his overcoat.
“Mm.”
Aunt Zhou accepted the coat and hesitated briefly before speaking up.
“Sir, Madam said she was going out for a walk. She still hasn’t returned.”
The motion of Xie Zongxu unfastening his cufflinks paused.
“What time did she leave?”
“A little after eight, I think.” Aunt Zhou cautiously observed his expression. “Madam said she wanted to go out and look around. I couldn’t exactly stop her…”
Xie Zongxu said nothing.
He removed his cufflinks, placed them on the tray by the entrance, changed into slippers, and walked inside.
Following behind him, Aunt Zhou added,
“When Madam left, she wasn’t wearing much. Just a trench coat. It looked like she was heading in the direction of Orchard Road…”
Xie Zongxu’s steps slowed slightly.
“Got it.”
He entered the living room, sat down on the sofa, picked up the tablet on the coffee table, opened his emails, and began handling the work he had not had time to review during the day.
Aunt Zhou stood there waiting for a while. Seeing that he had no further instructions, she quietly withdrew.
The living room was silent except for the low hum of the air conditioner.
Xie Zongxu lowered his gaze, calmly reading through the documents on the screen line by line.
Aunt Zhou hid in the kitchen, occasionally peeking out toward the living room.
The man on the sofa maintained the same posture while several documents came and went on the screen.
Her heart was pounding.
Where had Madam gone?
Why hadn’t she come back yet?
She could not figure out what Sir was thinking.
The young head of Xie Corporation had not yet reached thirty years old, yet every gesture carried the composure of someone who had spent years navigating the business world.
As the youngest leader in the history of the century-old enterprise, Xie Zongxu never raised his voice. He always appeared calm and unhurried.
But only those who had faced him directly understood.
There was a blade hidden beneath that gentleness.
A born strategist who never allowed emotions to interfere with his judgment.
12:15 a.m.
Xie Zongxu set down the tablet, picked up his phone, and dialed a number.
The call was answered almost immediately.
“President Xie?”
It was Zhao Yan’s voice, carrying the hoarseness of someone who had just been awakened.
“Check Li Yang’s location.” Xie Zongxu’s tone was calm. “Her phone is on.”
Zhao Yan froze for a second, all traces of sleep vanishing instantly.
“Yes, President Xie. Please wait a moment.”
From the kitchen, Aunt Zhou heard everything clearly and could not help sighing inwardly.
Sir was obviously worried about Madam, yet he could not bring himself to call and ask directly, so he had his secretary check instead.
These two really acted as though they were in some kind of spy movie.
About two minutes later, Zhao Yan spoke again.
“President Xie, I’ve found her. Madam is at…”
He gave an address.
After hearing it, Xie Zongxu fell silent for two seconds.
It was a bar.
One in the Clarke Quay area, the liveliest nightlife district in Singapore.
“Understood.”
He ended the call, placed the phone back on the coffee table, and continued reading his documents.
Aunt Zhou waited for a long time. Seeing no sign that he intended to leave, she could not help sticking her head out of the kitchen.
“Sir, should I ask the driver to pick Madam up?”
“No need.”
Without lifting his head, Xie Zongxu replied,
“Let her enjoy herself.”
…
At 12:23 a.m., Xie Zongxu rose from the sofa, casually set the tablet down on the coffee table, and headed for the entrance.
Hearing movement, Aunt Zhou poked her head out from the kitchen and saw that he had already changed into outdoor shoes and was taking down the overcoat that had only recently been hung up.
“Sir, are you going out?”
Xie Zongxu responded with a simple “Mm” and offered no further explanation.
Aunt Zhou opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed the words.
She had just asked whether he wanted to pick Madam up.
He had said no.
And now he was going himself.
Young people’s thoughts really were impossible to understand.
Xie Zongxu got into the car.
The driver had been dozing in the front seat. Hearing the car door open and close, he jolted awake.
“Pre-President Xie?”
“To Clarke Quay.”
The driver froze momentarily.
Sneaking a glance at the expression of the man in the rearview mirror, he did not dare ask questions and quickly started the car.
The vehicle left the courtyard and proceeded along the quiet streets of the late night.
Singapore’s nights were not as silent as those in Capital City.
The streetlights remained illuminated, and occasional taxis passed by, stirring gusts of wind.
Xie Zongxu leaned back in his seat.
The shifting lights outside reflected across his sharply defined profile, alternating between brightness and shadow.
12:41 a.m.
The Rolls-Royce stopped near Clarke Quay.
Xie Zongxu stepped out.
The driver leaned out of the window and asked,
“President Xie, should I wait here for you?”
“Mm.”
After answering, Xie Zongxu walked straight ahead.
The driver watched his figure disappear around the corner, completely baffled.
He had worked with Xie Zongxu for years and had never once seen him head to a bar district in the middle of the night.
Strange.
Truly strange.
Clarke Quay at night was far more lively than during the day.
Bars lined the riverside one after another. Neon lights dyed the water in every imaginable color, while music poured in from all directions, blending into a chaotic roar.
The streets were crowded.
Groups of young women dressed in revealing outfits walked by in twos and threes, their laughter mingling with the scent of alcohol in the night breeze.
Standing at the entrance of the street, Xie Zongxu slowly swept his gaze across the bar signs.
He had never come to a place like this before.
Not because he considered himself above it.
He simply found it noisy.
Business entertainment had taken him to countless private clubs, exclusive lounges, and luxury venues, but places like Clarke Quay had never been among his choices.
The deafening music.
The smell of alcohol everywhere.
The shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.
Every one of those things made him want to frown.
Yet he had come anyway.
Taking out his phone, he opened the location Zhao Yan had sent him and followed the indicated street.
After walking about fifty meters, he stopped.
The bar’s sign was small, tucked between rows of neon lights and easily overlooked.
Several young people stood outside smoking, laughing and chatting about something.
Xie Zongxu walked past them and pushed the door open.
The noise inside was even louder than outside.
Standing at the entrance, his eyes swept over the moving crowd.
He took several steps inside.
A line of people sat at the bar, while groups of lively young men and women occupied tables in the corners.
Frowning slightly, he was about to take out his phone and check the location again when a familiar figure suddenly entered the corner of his vision.
In the corner, at a small round table by the window, sat a young woman.
Her back was facing the entrance.
Xie Zongxu’s gaze stopped.
A black dress.
Two delicate shoulder straps rested on her shoulders. The neckline dipped low, and from behind, her back looked fair and slender, breathtakingly beautiful.
The skirt was very short.
A pink cocktail sat in front of her, with a slice of lemon perched on the rim.
She was looking down at her phone. The light from the screen reflected against her rosy-white face, making it impossible to tell whether she was drunk or not.
Xie Zongxu stood there and watched her for several seconds.
Then he walked over.