I closed the live stream page.

In my ears, it felt as if her final scream was still echoing.

Vanessa, the game is over.

I picked up the internal phone.

"Tell the legal department to send out the lawyer's letter."

"Understood, Young Master Su."

I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.

In my mind, however, the image of Qin Yue wiping the sweat from my brow at the hospital bed surfaced uncontrollably.

That little demoness I always thought was willful and spoiled had given me the most silent tenderness at my most wretched time.

And I, because of a lie, had misunderstood her for two years... and ignored her for two years.

A tiny, strange flutter stirred in my heart.

I picked up my phone and, on a whim, tapped on Qin Yue’s WeChat profile picture.

It was a photo of her making a face at the camera—flamboyant and vibrant.

My finger lingered on the screen for a long time, and finally, I typed out a line.

[Are you free tonight? I’d like to treat you to dinner.]

After sending the message, I realized there was a thin layer of sweat on my palms.

Qin Yue replied quickly.

Just one word.

"Okay."

Chapter 6

"What do you want to eat?"

I looked at the word "Okay" that Qin Yue had sent, my mood a subtle mix of complexity, my fingertips tapping on the screen.

"The most expensive thing."

She replied in seconds, followed by a grinning emoji.

Still as direct as ever, not holding back at all.

I couldn't help but smile, replying, "You pick the place."

"Got it, wait for my message."

Putting down my phone, the smile at the corners of my mouth had not yet faded.

For over two years, all my emotions seemed to revolve around Vanessa—oppression, anger, calculations—but I had never felt as relaxed as I did at this moment.

So, this is what it feels like to climb out of the mud.

That evening, I followed the address Qin Yue sent and arrived at a private restaurant hidden deep in a hutong.

The courtyard was antique, the environment quiet and elegant.

I pushed open the private room door; Qin Yue had already arrived.

She was wearing a red off-the-shoulder dress today, which made her skin look snowy white. Her long hair was slightly curled, draped casually over her shoulders, making her look even more vibrant and moving than usual.

She was busy playing with her phone, but hearing the door open, she looked up at me.

As our eyes met, she was stunned for a moment, then curved her lips, arching an eyebrow at me.

"Yo, look at you, looking almost human for once."

I laughed, sitting down opposite her. "Likewise."

"So? How was it? Was it satisfying watching the live stream this afternoon?" She threw her phone on the table, leaned forward, and looked at me with bright, glittering eyes, full of gossipy excitement.

"It was alright."

"What do you mean 'alright'?" She pouted in dissatisfaction. "That was a one-of-a-kind video I copied from the hospital's monitoring room at the risk of my father breaking my legs! And all you have to say is 'it was alright'?"

"Then what else?" I looked at her, amused. "Do you want me to kowtow to you?"

"That won't be necessary." She waved her hand, then reached out toward me. "However, you can't just treat me to a casual meal for today."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to cook it yourself." Her eyes curved into crescents. "I heard that Young Master Su's culinary skills are comparable to a three-star Michelin chef. In order to chase that Vanessa, you mastered everything from French haute cuisine to Japanese dishes."

I was stunned.

Over the past two years, my cooking skills had indeed improved significantly.

Because Vanessa always said she liked the food I made myself.

But she didn't know that I learned every dish because, as a child, I had overheard Qin Yue telling her mother what she liked to eat.

Only later, those dishes all ended up in another woman's stomach.

And I, too, gradually forgot the original intention behind learning the craft.

Seeing me silent for a long time, Qin Yue retracted her hand uncomfortably, muttering, "If you don't want to, then forget it. Why that expression? It’s like I’m asking you to go through fire and water."

"I don't

not

want to." I came back to my senses, looking at her with a complicated expression. "It’s just... I haven't cooked in a long time."

"Then just make a comeback for me." She winked at me, with a hint of coquettishness. "Pretty please, Big Brother Aiden?"

She rarely called me that.

The sound of "Big Brother Aiden" made my heart tremble.

I looked at her mischievous, smiling face, my Adam's apple bobbing, and finally nodded.

"Okay."

"Yay!" She made a victory sign happily.

The dishes arrived soon; they were all the restaurant's signatures.

Qin Yue ate with a beaming smile, not forgetting to tease me while she ate.

"Hey, tell me, were you blind back then? How could you have fallen for a woman like Vanessa? She doesn't have a prettier face than me, a better figure than me, and she’s not even as smart as me."

As she spoke, she puffed out her chest, looking like she wanted to be complimented.

I was amused by her. "Yes, yes, you are the most beautiful, you are the smartest."

"Of course!" She tilted her chin proudly.

"However," I looked at her and asked seriously, "back then, why didn't you tell me?"

Qin Yue’s movement of picking up food paused.

She put down her chopsticks, picked up the juice in front of her, took a sip, and then spoke lightly.

"Tell you what? Tell you that the goddess you were obsessed with went on vacation with another man while you were at death's door? Or tell you that the person taking care of you was the 'little demoness' you hated the most?"

She laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Aiden, the look you had when you looked at her back then was like you were looking at the whole world. If I had said anything, not only would you not have believed me, but you probably would have thought I was intentionally sowing discord out of jealousy."

"I didn't want you to hate me."

The last sentence was very soft, like a feather gently brushing against my heart.

I looked at her, and for a moment, I didn't know what to say.

So, it wasn't that she didn't care.

It was just that she had hidden all her grievances and unwillingness under that willful and impetuous exterior.

"I'm sorry." I looked into her eyes and said solemnly.

"Why are you saying sorry again?" Qin Yue wrinkled her nose. "Being so serious. It's all in the past; besides, I didn't suffer for nothing."

She winked at me. "I’m holding a huge favor from you now; I can order you around whenever I want in the future. Just thinking about it makes me feel great."

Looking at her feigned lightness, I felt even worse inside.

"Qin Yue."

"Hmm?"

"From now on, don't call me Young Master Su."

"Then what should I call you?"

"Call me by my name." I looked at her, saying each word clearly. "Or, call me whatever you want."

Qin Yue was stunned.

She looked at me, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

Surprise, inquiry, and a hint of... joy she herself had not yet realized.

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat subtle.

Just then, my phone rang.

It was Julian.

I frowned and answered.

"Young Master Su!" Julian’s voice carried the excitement and sycophancy of someone who had survived a catastrophe. "Did you see? Vanessa is finished! Completely finished!"

"Hmm."

"Young Master Su, you are truly a genius! As you instructed, before her conference, I anonymously sold all the dirt I had to several of the biggest marketing accounts. Now, even if she grew eight mouths, she couldn't explain this away!"

"Well done." I praised him coolly.

"So... Young Master Su, the shares and the movie you promised me before..." Julian rubbed his hands and asked carefully.

"My lawyer will contact you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Young Master Su! Thank you, Young Master Su! You are my own brother from now on! If you need anything, just say the word!"

I didn't pay any more attention to his flattery and hung up directly.

"Julian?" Qin Yue asked.

"Hmm."

"That kid actually did his part to help you. Are you really giving him those shares?" Qin Yue pouted unhappily. "He got off easy."

"He didn't help me; he helped himself." I shook my head. "I just gave him a chance to choose. It was he himself who chose betrayal."

"True." Qin Yue nodded. "Vanessa’s fate today is half thanks to you, and the other half is because she was led to a dead end by these so-called 'friends' around her."