Less than fifty meters after leaving the Japanese restaurant, I had sensed someone tailing us—an inconspicuous black car that had pursued us with relentless persistence the entire way. Not knowing the way was a lie, but deliberately driving in circles was the truth—everything was done to minimize Christian’s suspicion of me.

Chapter 52: Testing Loyalty

It was just that I hadn't expected Julian's drunkenness to be a deliberate act—he had sensed someone was tailing us. Or rather, he had noticed them even before Christian sent people to follow us, which was why he feigned being drunk.

I recalled the joke Christian had made with me at the very beginning of the dinner party that night.

"Julian has been watching you all night. Why don't you go pour him a glass of wine?"

The words had gone in one ear and out the other. I had laughed it off and refused at the time, completely oblivious to anything unusual. Only now did I realize that perhaps this dinner party where I crossed paths with Julian had been orchestrated by Christian in advance.

It sent a chill down my spine.

"What are you daydreaming about?" Christian put down his newspaper, pulled me up, and kissed my eyes. His soft lips carried a hint of moisture, his voice dropping low: "You worked hard. Shall I properly reward you tonight?"

Christian wasn't in a rush to head to work the next morning. When I climbed out of bed, he was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, talking on the phone. Entering the bathroom, I turned on the faucet to wash my face. The sound of water rushed loudly, yet Christian's voice could still be heard clearly.

"Land development in the western suburbs?" Once he returned to work, the man regained his usual calm and shrewd composure. "There are several parties competing for this project right now..."

Christian rarely discussed work at home; on the rare occasions he received calls and had official business to handle, I generally chose to step away. He received endless calls and had constant social engagements. I wasn't clear on exactly how much power a Land Bureau director possessed, but all the power-for-money deals linked to authority and profit were things I could never covet.

Christian talked about the land development project without the slightest hesitation. Intermittently, I heard him mention the names of several companies set to participate in the public bidding next week, along with other terms I recognized: "Mr. Wang," "the Julian Group," "everyone is competing"...

I even heard Christian mention Mr. Wang's private quote. I walked into the living room, headed into the kitchen to pour some water, and Christian glanced back at me, his eyebrows arched with a smile: "Up?" I murmured an "Mm," and he nodded, continuing the previous topic: "...Confidentiality must be maintained; Mr. Wang's quote must not be leaked."

He hung up the phone, still clutching a towel in one hand. His hair was already half-dry, and he walked over while rubbing it, sitting on the arm of the sofa to look at me: "Get dressed, let's head downstairs for some breakfast."

After changing clothes and stepping out, I linked my arm through Christian's in the elevator. I rubbed my head against his chin and looked up at him, my face full of craftiness: "You're so trusting of me?"

"Hmm?"

I said: "The public bidding." I had never interfered with Christian's official duties before. He froze, his complexion shifting; clearly, he hadn't expected me to proactively bring up this topic. I stared into his eyes without blinking. "Aren't you afraid I'll leak Mr. Wang's private quote?"

"I am afraid."

Christian's finger scratched against my palm. I laughed, shaking my shoulders, and Christian pulled me tightly into his arms, clutching me firmly to his chest: "But that depends on whether you have the guts for it." The man's chest was scorching and broad, but there wasn't a trace of warmth in his voice.

Of course, I didn't have that kind of guts.

I just hadn't expected Christian to go to such lengths to test me.

Both Mr. Wang and the Julian Group were interested in that plot of land in the western suburbs. Once the Julian Group knew Mr. Wang's quote, they would definitely be well-prepared, adjust their price, and then be able to secure their target at the bidding conference as they wished. So, Christian was using this method to test my loyalty?

Chapter 53: Fate Cannot Be Avoided

My heart felt heavy and complex.

I comforted myself that regardless of anything else, the reason Christian did this was because he cared about me, right?

I met up with Sera in the afternoon. Sera had recently gotten her driver's license and was showing off like crazy, insisting on taking me for a spin in her dad's little Mercedes.

Fortunately, the traffic wasn't heavy at this hour. I clutched the roof of the car in sheer terror, directing Sera. Sera was quite cautious as well; after nearly rear-ending a few cars, she learned her lesson, keeping the car speed near zero. It was a pity for the engine her dad had newly installed in his beloved car—it crawled along like an ox the entire way.

Sera was quite cheerful: "Is my speed safe enough?"

I swallowed hard, not daring to gamble with my life, and could only nod.

Every two or three sentences out of Sera's mouth were about William: "His company is collaborating with our school, did you know? My brother William added another title last week."

"What title?"

Sera revealed star-struck eyes: "He became a visiting professor at our school. I ran into him at school a few days ago; it turns out he's our advisor's student."

"Your brother William is quite a polymath," I said, hugging my arms with a laugh, "Entertainment, education, business—developing in three fields, a total polymath."

"Right, right, don't you think he's amazing?"

Being in love makes one's IQ hit zero. The girl hadn't even caught him yet, and her IQ had already dropped into the negative. I sighed: "These days, any entrepreneur can manage to become a visiting professor."

Sera acted as if she hadn't heard, her expression blissful as she drove and said: "That's still pretty amazing."

As she was speaking, suddenly there was a "bang" sound as a car rear-ended us.

The car stalled instantly, smoke pouring out. Sera hadn't been on the road many times and didn't understand what was happening, left completely stunned by fear.

It wasn't until the driver behind us climbed out and knocked on the window that Sera snapped back to reality, opened the door, and stepped out. Concerned, I followed to assess the situation. Before my feet even touched the ground, I saw the face of the woman standing outside: Crystal.

The early summer air was beginning to turn sultry. A sprinkler truck drove by, splashing water vapor across our faces like rain. Crystal's hair was disheveled by the wind, with a few beads of water clinging to her bangs, yet she didn't appear flustered in the slightest. Beside her stood another young woman.

I subconsciously retracted my foot, intending to dive back into the car.

That damn Sera yanked me out: "Chloe, come out and help me see what's going on."

"Miss Li, it's you." Crystal brushed back her bangs, tucking them behind her ear. Seeing me, her eyes curved into a smile.

Sera stood there, slightly bewildered: "You two know each other?"

The woman beside Crystal walked over to examine the car, her mouth agape. She cast a fearful glance at Crystal first before turning back to apologize to us with a look of constraint: "I'm so sorry, I was distracted just now. I didn't expect the collision to be this serious."

Crystal leaned over, bending to inspect the rear of the car, frowning: "It is quite serious." She explained to us: "My assistant, the girl doesn't have much driving experience. We will cover all damages, I am truly sorry."

I said it was fine. Both women were sincere; we took photos and contacted the insurance company. Crystal began to laugh: "This fate, it really is something you cannot avoid."

With Sera's car being towed, Crystal offered: "Where are you going? Shall we give you a ride?"

After all, she was Mrs. Christian; best to avoid her if I could. I refused Crystal's enthusiastic invitation with a look of regret. Once they left, Sera asked in confusion: "Why didn't you let them drive us back?"

Chapter 54: Encountering Trouble

I sat down on the side of the road, tugging at my jacket and fanning myself: "Ride back in the first lady's car? Do I have a death wish?"

Sera let out an "ah" and asked: "Is this that Mrs. Christian? Why did we run into her again?" Her eyes widened. "But she looks quite nice, though."

I nodded; indeed. Judging by Crystal's behavior and speech during our few meetings, she likely wasn't aware of my identity, nor had she displayed any malice toward me. However, we had crossed paths zero times in the past several years, so why were we running into each other repeatedly now?