After Qin Shujian finished speaking, she seemed to realize her abruptness and added, “I’m sorry if I disturbed you.” 

Someone responded, “It’s alright.” 

Then another person chimed in, “You’re Qin Shujian, right? Could I take a photo with you and get your autograph?” 

The room suddenly became noisy again, with most of the attention centered around Qin Shujian. 

Xia Wan’an acted as though nothing was amiss, closing her eyes again, though this time she didn’t fall asleep like before. 

After a short while, a strong fragrance wafted by Xia Wan’an’s side. She wrinkled her nose and glanced to the side, finding that Qin Shujian had somehow taken a seat next to her and was engrossed in conversation with Han Jingnian. 

Before she could react, Song Youman pinched her waist and said, “Wan’an, didn’t you promise to accompany me to the restroom? Let’s go…” 

Without waiting for Xia Wan’an’s response, Song Youman stood up, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out of the private room. 

Walking a little further ahead, Xia Wan’an realized that Song Youman wasn’t leading her to the restroom at all. “Aren’t we going to the restroom?” 

“What restroom! Are you genuinely clueless about my intentions, or are you pretending not to understand?” Song Youman scolded Xia Wan’an with frustration. 

Xia Wan’an chuckled sheepishly. 

Of course, she knew Song Youman was just making an excuse to rescue her from that awkward situation. However… 

With that in mind, Xia Wan’an asked Song Youman, who had dragged her into the elevator, “Where are you taking me?” 

“For late-night snacks!” Song Youman pressed the button for the underground parking level as she spoke. 

“Late-night snacks?” 

“What? Don’t feel like it? How about a spa then?” 

Spa – a place where she could sleep. Xia Wan’an nodded. “Sure.” 

The two of them went to their usual spa club, enjoyed a relaxing bath, and then gradually relaxed further under the skilled hands of the masseuses. 

Xia Wan’an fell asleep after a short while, but Song Youman couldn’t seem to doze off. She began calling Xia Wan’an’s name until, in frustration, she finally shook Xia Wan’an awake and said, “Xia Wan’an, with everything going on, how can you still sleep?” 

Xia Wan’an rubbed her eyes drowsily and mumbled discontentedly, “What’s going on?” 

“What do you mean?!” 

Xia Wan’an remained silent. 

Frustrated, Song Youman continued, “Don’t tell me that when you saw that woman today, you didn’t have any thoughts?” 

That woman… Xia Wan’an knew Song Youman was referring to Qin Shujian. She didn’t say anything but opened her eyes. 

“I’m asking you, how long has it been since you last saw him? Does he know he has a home and a wife? Wan’an, have you never thought about the future? Are you planning to live your whole life like this? And even if you are, what about him? What if he meets someone he likes and wants to divorce you? What will you do?” Song Youman went on for a while, noticing Xia Wan’an’s lack of response. She continued, “Wan’an? Wan’an? Xia Wan’an, are you even listening to me?” 

“I’m listening.” Xia Wan’an moved her lips. 

“Well, then, how do you feel about what I just said?” 

“Well…” Xia Wan’an contemplated for a moment before replying, “I just thought that you should keep tonight’s events to yourself. Don’t tell my parents or yours; they’ll worry.” 

“You still care about their worries. I really have no idea what’s constantly on your mind. You tell me, him not coming home would’ve been one thing, but him not coming home and fooling around outside – what’s that all about… And the marriage situation, don’t talk about it publicly either. Isn’t that blatantly denying you? If he denies you, then why did he even bother to touch you back then? The more I think about it, the angrier I get. If men are all like pigs, then he’s definitely a hairy pig’s foot.” 

… 

Not long after Xia Wan’an and Song Youman left the private room, Han Jingnian also got up and left. 

Coming out of “Jinbi Huichang,” his assistant was already waiting outside with the car. 

Han Jingnian bent down and got into the car. As the assistant drove the car away from the entrance of “Jinbi Huichang,” Han Jingnian spoke, “Regarding my visit here tonight, apart from you and me, who else knows?” 

The assistant pondered for a moment and replied, “Only Xiao Yang, who called us to ask where we were when we arrived at the entrance of Jinbi Huichang, and he came over to deliver an urgent document.” 

Han Jingnian opened his computer, entered his password while absentmindedly replying, “Tell him to leave tonight.” 

The assistant exclaimed, “Huh?” confusedly and turned to look at Han Jingnian. 

Han Jingnian stared at the computer screen, typing away on the keyboard without saying a word. 

After about half a minute, the assistant regained his senses and started analyzing like a master detective Sherlock Holmes, “Oh, I see now. Mr. Han, what you mean is that all this time, it was Xiao Yang who informed Miss Qin Shujian about your whereabouts? No, more accurately, Miss Qin Shujian bribed Xiao Yang and used that to stage coincidental encounters with you, creating those rumors? The previous whereabouts were all pre-planned, known by the staff at the secretary’s office, not specified to anyone. And today… the reason you temporarily agreed to come to the party with Zhijin and told me not to say anything to the outside was to draw out who had been leaking your whereabouts all along? Miss Qin Shujian is quite clever; she even managed to bribe someone. She can play this game well, but she still can’t outplay Mr. Han..” the cunning fox.

The last two words “cunning fox” were left unsaid as Han Jingnian, who had been looking at the computer, glanced at the assistant driving the car. 

The assistant was so startled that he nearly lost control of the steering wheel, and his tongue slipped along with it. “…Mr. Han, you, you, you’re truly a… a cunning strategist!” 

Han Jingnian ignored the assistant, but his fingers that had stopped resumed tapping on the keyboard. 

The assistant knew he had narrowly escaped death and let out a sigh of relief. He no longer dared to act recklessly, so he obediently asked, “Mr. Han, where are you going now? Back to the company or your apartment near the company?” 

Thinking that there was still work to be done, Han Jingnian instinctively wanted to say “company.” However, as the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered the question the short-haired girl in the “Jinbi Huichang” private room had asked Xia Wan’an: “Wan’an, do you know Han Zhijin’s uncle?” 

She replied, “I don’t know.” 

I don’t know… she replied succinctly, without hesitation. 

“Mr. Han?” The assistant waited for a while and, seeing that Han Jingnian remained silent, couldn’t help but ask again. 

Han Jingnian snapped back to reality, not in a hurry to answer the assistant’s question but continuing to type on the keyboard. 

After not even half a minute, he stopped. “I don’t know…”