"I won't be eating. I have something to do. Let's meet up aime."

  Su Yumian had a good retionship with g Zhou, so even wheing him, she did so with a warm smile, not wanting to embarrass him. g Zhou noticed the -designed jewelry box in her hand. It seemed she truly had something to attend to and wasn’t just making an excuse.

  He aowledged her words and was about to say something else when Su Yumian walked right past Jiang Yihuai without sparing him a single gnce.

  She didn't even look at him!

  The atmosphere around them suddenly turned cold. g Zhou sneaked a g Jiang Yihuai’s fad tried to smooth things over awkwardly. "Uh… Jiang-ge, maybe Sister Yumian just didn’t see you. Don’t take it to heart…"

  It would’ve beeer if he had stayed quiet—Jiang Yihuai’s expression turned even darker. g Zhou coughed dryly and wisely shut up. But inwardly, he thought…

  Damn, Sister Yumian is really standing her ground this time!

  "Sir, are you still buying this?"

  Jiang Yihuai lifted his gaze coldly. "Buying? Of course, I’m buying! Get me the most expensive one!"

  She might not care, but someone else would!

  —

  The gathering was at a private vil on Yunxi Road. By the time Su Yumian arrived, quite a few people were already there.

  As soon as somenized her, their gazes turned subtle.

  Before, she had always apanied Jiang Yihuai to such events, making her a familiar fa these circles. They never knew her name—only that she was Jiang Yihuai’s girlfriend.

  A sparrow that had flown up to a high branch.

  But retly, rumors had spread that the two had broken up. And now, seeing Su Yumian arrive alone firmed it. So, their expressions grew even more intrigued.

  A sparrow that was about to bee a phoenix… suddenly forced back to its inal form?

  Six years of devotio she ended up with nothing—a discarded woman.

  Wasn’t that dramatiough?

  Su Yumian ignored all the stares and walked straight to Shao Yuwei, personally handihe jewelry.

  "Yumian, why don’t you stay and have fun? The food’s great tonight."

  "No, thanks. Drink less, and be careful on your way home."

  "Alright." Shao Yuwei didn’t push further. She kly what those people were thinking. If Yumian stayed, she’d only be humiliated. "Got it, you little nag! I’ll have Assistant Liu take you home."

  "Mm." Su Yumian turo leave.

  Around her—

  "Did you see that? She actually dared to show up. So shameless!"

  "She was with Jiang Yihuai for six years. There’s at least some e, right?"

  "What a joke. Did you see what she’s wearing? Even my housekeeper dresses better."

  "Everyone knows she was basically his maid—washing his clothes, cooking for him. No different from a servant—"

  "Miss Su…" Assistant Liu g Su Yumian’s face.

  Even as a man, he found those words unbearable. Yet she remained as calm as if she hadn’t heard them at all.

  "Let’s go."

  She had long expected this kind of rea. When she decided to leave Jiang Yihuai, she had already prepared for a day like today.

  Assistant Liu: "Miss Su, please wait. I’ll bring the car around."

  "Okay." Su Yumian stood outside the ba hall, looking up at the sky. The sun was setting, and the wind was gentle.

  Just then—

  "Su Yumian?" A deep, slightly drunken voice called out.

  She turned around, log eyes with him. "What a ce."

  Lin Muzhou swirled the wine in his gss, a restrained yet unmistakable joy in his dark eyes. "Long time no see. I didn’t expect to run into you here."

  "Let me think… The st time we met was at your uy graduatiht? Pity—I got kicked out by Jiang Yihuai before I could even give you flowers."

  Su Yumia a little awkward.

  Back then, both Lin Muzhou and Jiang Yihuai had pursued her at almost the same time. Both were wealthy and attractive—yet one was more intehaher.

  "I have something to do. I should go—"

  But Lin Muzhou wasn’t willing to let her leave so easily.

  "All these years, Jiang Yihuai treated you like his personal possession, keeping you locked away. It was impossible to even see you."

  Su Yumian’s gaze cooled. "What exactly are y to say?"

  Lin Muzhou smirked. "Back then, you rejected both me and Jiang Yihuai. But in the end, you chose him—simply because he was more persistent, more gy. But did you ever sider… The only reason he held on longer was because, in this petitioween men, he wao win?"

  For a moment, Su Yumia like her heart had been ripped open again, a fresh wound bleeding out. What she ohought was deep affe… was nothing more than male pride and petitiveness? Lin Muzhou saw her pale fad felt a twinge of pain.

  He reached out, trying to touch her cheek—but before he could, Su Yumian stepped back, widening the distance.

  "Mr. Lin, please respect yourself."

  Lin Muzhou stepped closer. "Don’t pretend. I know you and Jiang Yihuai have broken up."

  "So what?" Su Yumian smiled coldly.

  "Yumiah me. I will cherish you more than Jiang Yihuai ever did. Whatever you want, I will do my best to give you—as long as you’re willing to be with me."

  Whether it was six years ago or now, whenever he saw her, Lin Muzhou’s heart would race. He had ruly let go.

  Su Yumian chuckled. "So, should I jump from one fire pit into another? Mr. Lin, it was nice seeing you today. But from now o’s go our separate ways."

  With that, she turned and walked away.

  her Jiang Yihuai nor Lin Muzhou—she wanted nothing to do with either of them. And they better not e looking for her.

  Lin Muzhou watched her delicate figure disappear, his eyes darkening. A soft sigh slipped from his lips, followed by a quiet chuckle. "Yumian, the tree wants to be still, but the wind won’t stop blowing… Do you really think you escape?"

  Unbeknownst to them, someone had been watg from a distahe eime. Gu Yizhou looked at the photos he had just taken and smirked in satisfa. Shen Shiyan, who had stepped out for some air, happeo see Gu Yizhou grinning at his phone like a scheming fox.

  "What the hell are you looking at, smiling like that?"

  Gu Yizhou didn’t mind his sharp words and proudly waved his phone.

  Shen Shiyan took a quid immediately reized the person in the photo. "Su Yumian?"

  "Yep~" Gu Yizhou tilted his smugly. "And Lin Muzhou. Already sent it to Jiang Yihuai."

  They had withe rivalry between those two men firsthand. Back then, Jiang Yihuai had been utterly insane.

  Shen Shiyan’s gaze darkened. "They just broke up, and Lin Muzhou already jumped in. Judging from Su Yumian’s attitude…"

  He paused for a moment, then smirked knowingly. "Looks like this time, she’s serious about leaving."

  "No, no, no." Gu Yizhou wagged a finger. "Su Yumian thinks she leave. Just wait—there’s no way she and Jiang Yihuai are truly over."

  "Then why did you send the photos?"

  Gu Yizhou shrugged. "For fun, of course! Drama is always eaining."

  Shen Shiyan raised an eyebrow. "Careful you don’t go too far and lose a friend."

  "It’s just a few photos." Gu Yizhou smirked, gng at Su Yumian’s profile in the picture. "She’s just an ex. It’s perfectly normal for other men to pursue her now, isn’t it?"