When Tan Yen saw the caller ID, his brow furrowed into a tight knot. He cast a quick glance in my direction before grabbing his phone and stepping into his room, shutting the door behind him—clearly trying to keep me from overhearing a single word.

With nobody left to distract me, my mood to film completely evaporated right along with that phone ring. I sank onto the sofa, my chest heaving with sheer frustration. Tan Yen, do you only use your mouth to breathe? Would it actually kill you to just explain things to me? Do you have any idea that if it weren’t for this crazy system, my role in this life would’ve been written off days ago?!

I felt like an idiot, honestly. I’d set out to torment him a little, only to end up being the one seething with rage. No way—I needed answers, and I needed them right now.

I was just about to march over and knock on his door when Tan Yen stepped out first. Car keys in hand, he said hurriedly, “Du Yen, something urgent came up at the precinct. I have to go handle it right away. Take care of yourself while I’m gone.”

Before I could even open my mouth to protest, the front door burst open. A figure swooped in like a tornado, throwing her arms around Tan Yen while sobbing hysterically: “Tan Yen, you have to save me! Please, save me…”

Both Tan Yen and I froze like statues. Tran Chi Chi clung to him tightly, tears streaming down her face: “Tan Yen, you’ll help my husband, right? You have to! I really have no one else to turn to. Can’t you just bend the rules a little and pull some strings for him?”

Before I could even digest this massive bombshell, my eyebrows knitted tightly together. Tan Yen was a man of absolute, unshakeable principle—he only ever served the law, never personal favors. Heck, back when Uncle Tan tried to drive home after drinking, Tan Yen couldn’t stop him, so he literally called the traffic police to pull his own father over, leaving Uncle Tan holding a grudge for a solid week.

Would he really break his own code for an ex?

Tan Yen didn’t give an immediate answer. He gently pushed Tran Chi Chi back to create some distance, then looked at me with an imperative gaze: “Let’s head to the precinct first so I can get a full picture of what’s going on.” Turning back to me, he added, “Du Yen, stay home and wait for me. Don’t go running around. I’ll explain everything to you properly when I get back.”

It was only then that Tran Chi Chi realized I was standing there. She froze for a moment, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

Tan Yen led Tran Chi Chi away, leaving me alone in the vast, empty apartment as a wave of bitter heartache washed over me.

I couldn’t find a single excuse to fool myself into believing they were just “normal friends” anymore. Du Yen, you’re a hopeless, pathetic fool, diving headfirst into the fire time after time. You were ready to cut ties, but the moment you heard those sweet-talking inner thoughts, your heart went completely soft again.

Wiping away my tears, I felt thoroughly defeated and wronged. Refusing to stay in this apartment for another second, I immediately dialed my best friend, Ly Suong: “Suong, come hit the bars with me. I need a drink.”

Ly Suong had been my bestie since high school. Right after graduation, she’d gotten married and jumped straight into the chaotic world of motherhood and financial stress; even though she desperately wanted to take me in, her hands were tied. Inside the noisy, thumping bar, as she listened to my rant (with the whole system and mind-reading stuff safely left out, of course), Ly Suong rolled her eyes in utter disbelief:

“Dien Dien, I am begging you, why do you keep running headfirst into a brick wall named Tan Yen? You’ve been gorgeous with top-tier vibes for four whole years—it’s not like you’re lacking hot young guys chasing after you!”

“If he makes you miserable, kick his ass to the curb and save yourself the headache. Tonight, we find you a fresh upgrade to replace old man Tan for good. You hear me?”

I let out a long sigh. God knows I want to. If it weren’t for this fragile little life of mine—and the inconvenient truth that I still couldn’t let him go—I would’ve moved on long ago. All I wanted was a valid reason from him so I could stop feeling so pathetic, but before I could get one, his old green-tea ex had already waltzed right back into the picture.

“Hey, gorgeous! What a coincidence bumping into you at a bar! Didn’t your ‘dark and brooding’ cop ban you from coming to places like this?”

Through the pulsing music, a familiar face popped up. Lam Nam Thu slid into the seat right next to me, flashing a bright, boyishly vibrant smile.

I blinked, trying to focus my hazy vision before leaning closer to him. I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol playing tricks on my mind, but the kid looked uncannily like Tan Yen tonight.

Wearing a simple t-shirt paired with black athletic pants, looking at him felt like being transported straight back to my high school days—reencountering that brilliant, energetic teenager from years ago. I let out a soft, appreciative hum:

“Hey kid, City A is huge, yet we keep running into each other like this. Don’t you think the odds are a little suspiciously high?”

Lam Nam Thu shrugged, raising his glass toward me. The clink of our glasses rang out crisp and clear: “Just call it fate, babe. How about a drink?”

Without a word, I ignored the glass in his hand, gesturing to the bartender to mix me a fresh one instead before taking a sip. Seeing how guarded I was, Lam Nam Thu lowered his gaze with a faint smirk:

“We did spend a pretty wild night together, you know. Acting this distant is a little hurtful, don’t you think?”

Sitting beside me, Ly Suong caught the suggestive, flirtatious tone and her eyes practically bugged out. She covertly threw me a massive thumb-up. Knowing my bestie’s brain had instantly wandered into the gutter, I shot Lam Nam Thu a thoroughly exasperated look:

“Sorry, force of habit. My job as a blogger leaves me pretty vulnerable to anti-fans. A girl can’t be too careful.”

When we first met at the hotel, I was the one who ordered the “escorts”; him being attentive back then just felt like a guy trying to earn his paycheck, so I hadn’t paid it much mind. But after hearing Tan Yen mention his insanely wealthy background today—that he wasn’t some male escort at all—and then “coincidentally” running into him in a random bar like this, I couldn’t help but put my guard up.

Lam Nam Thu took a sip of his drink. “Don’t be so tense, I don’t mean any harm. I’m just a little bummed out… do you seriously not remember who I am?”

His words made me frown. Looking closely at his handsome face again, he did look somewhat familiar. Because of my dad’s line of work, I’d been dragged to a few high-society networking dinners in the past. Maybe our paths had crossed somewhere back then, but I certainly didn’t have any lasting impression of him.

“Cut the mystery and lay it out straight. I’m too lazy to play guessing games,” I said, taking another gulp of my drink as my surroundings began to blur at the edges.

Lam Nam Thu curled his lips into a smile. “Still as fiery as ever, I see. Have you completely forgotten? Just two nights ago, your dad and stepmother dragged you to a hotel for a dinner party.”

My sluggish, booze-addled brain suddenly snapped wide awake. I stared dead at Lam Nam Thu, finally matching his face with a memory locked deep in my head: “You… you were the guy my dad tried to set me up with on that blind date?!”

Two nights ago, right before my birthday, my dad had suddenly placed me under house arrest, commanding me to attend a high-stakes dinner and instructing me to dress to the nines. When I arrived, there were only five people in the VIP private room: my dad, my stepmother, and a pair of strangers—a father and son.

My stepmother, usually so high-and-mighty, was practically groveling that night, pouring tea and serving food to the father and son with nauseating enthusiasm. Before our seats were even warm, she cut straight to the chase: “Our Dien Dien is just at the right age, and I think she’s a perfect match for your Nam Thu. It would be wonderful if the two young people got to know each other.”

The moment the words left her mouth, I slammed my chopsticks down onto the table, my expression going stone-cold: “Dad dragged me here to network, but I doubt my stepmother is kind enough to suddenly care about my love life. Who are these two? What kind of kickback are you getting for selling me off?”

Having her dirty motives called out in the open, my stepmother turned pale, frantically pulling on my dad’s sleeve for help. My dad slammed his hand onto the table in a rage: “Du Yen! What kind of stunt are you pulling now?! Where on earth are your manners?!”

Truth be told, I was terrified of my dad. His overwhelming authority always made my heart tremble. But this time, I refused to back down. That woman had zero right to use me as leverage for her own gain.

My dad was so furious he nearly shattered his glass. If strangers hadn’t been present, he probably would have slapped me across the face right then and there. Amidst the suffocating tension, a voice suddenly piped up from across the table, sounding like someone thoroughly enjoying a live show: