Chapter 68: Is It Fun To Drug Me?

The spring night was shrouded in a hazy moonlight, with a gentle breeze blowing.

A dazzling blue supercar sped along the highway, its half-open windows occasionally letting out snippets of fast-paced heavy metal rock, resonating through the cool night air of the western suburbs.

The car pulled up to a retro, palace-style building. Amid the blazing lights, the tires let out a defiant screech, and the car doors opened like wings.

Several young girls dressed in traditional palace-style Hanfu stood respectfully outside the car, softly calling out, “President Zhu.”

Zhu Mingli, stepping out of the driver’s seat in sky-high heels, let out a casual “Mhm” and strode into the club’s lobby.

The club manager followed closely behind her. “Your exclusive hot spring pool is ready. Would you like to bathe first or have a massage?”

Zhu Mingli handed her platinum handbag to the manager. “Bathe first. For the next while, I’m not taking any calls except from President Fu and Yin Lin.”

Her voice carried its usual arrogance, something the manager was long accustomed to. He bowed slightly and took the bag from her.

Her exclusive hot spring room had a poetic name—Jade Glaze.

The club always played elegant, traditional music, a tone set by Zhu Mingli’s late mother, though Zhu Mingli herself never liked it. Once inside the hot spring room, she had the external music turned off and switched on the room’s built-in sound system.

A high-energy rendition of *Believer* looped through the misty air.

Emerging from the bathroom, she shed her bathrobe and stepped barefoot into the hot spring, closing her eyes to savor the rose-scented warm water, occasionally humming along to the music.

During a brief pause between the song’s end and its restart, a calm, pleasant voice broke through unhurriedly.

“Seems you really like this song. *Believer*? Who’s your believer, and who’s your god?”

Zhu Mingli’s eyes snapped open, locking onto the girl standing by the pool, unnoticed until now.

“How did you get in?” Her face darkened. “You’re not a member here. Who let you in?”

Jiang Se, looking down at her, smiled faintly. “Didn’t you make a big show of sisterly affection with Cen Yu recently? You personally gave Cen Yu the supreme membership card for this place. I just flashed the card at the front desk, and they let me in without a second thought.”

“After all, I was the Cen family’s eldest daughter for twenty-three years. No wonder they didn’t suspect anything. Your people, just like you, don’t have the best judgment.” She took two slow steps forward. “As for this pool, everyone knows you, Zhu Mingli, love your ‘jade pool.’ It’s obvious this Jade Glaze room is your exclusive spot. I specifically picked the room next door.”

Her words were laced with subtle jabs, sharp yet veiled.

Zhu Mingli let out a cold laugh. “Sneaking into a club with someone else’s VIP card? You’re living pretty pathetically for a knockoff. I’m calling security!”

She moved to stand and reach for the bathrobe on the lounge chair.

The poolside floor was slick. Jiang Se lightly pressed a foot on her shoulder, effortlessly throwing her off balance. With a loud *splash*, Zhu Mingli fell back into the water, sending up a spray of droplets.

Rose-petal-infused water flooded her nose and mouth. Zhu Mingli stood up, bedraggled, her glare slicing into Jiang Se as she laughed in fury. “Are you trying to get yourself a night at the police station?”

“Go ahead and play,” Jiang Se said, unfazed. “Might as well let all of Beicheng see how much you love drugging people.”

Zhu Mingli’s expression froze, her eyes narrowing. “What nonsense are you spouting?”

Jiang Se, uninterested in her act, gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Zhu Mingli, was it fun drugging me? Triazolam. Someone else used that drug on me before too. Quite the coincidence, isn’t it?”

Zhu Mingli studied her for a moment. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you have evidence, go to the police. If not, get your head checked and stop raving like a lunatic!”

“No evidence? The housekeeper Yu and the shop manager who bought your rock sugar are both witnesses,” Jiang Se said, hands in her trench coat pockets, giving her a dismissive once-over. “Also, how do you know I’m crazy? Yelling at someone with a mental illness—aren’t you afraid for your life?”

Hearing her casually mention Housekeeper Yu and the shop manager who’d run errands for her, Zhu Mingli’s eyelids twitched, her composure nearly cracking.

Jiang Se observed her expression, her own smile fading.

“The Fu and Cen families’ joint project is in Australia. Your good-for-nothing brother went to study there two years ago, arranged by Fu Yun, right? I hear he’s interning on that project now.”

Zhu Mingli fought to suppress the anger rising in her chest.

But Jiang Se’s next words shattered her calm in an instant.

“Seven years ago, it was you who ruined my painting in the exhibition hall.” Jiang Se stepped onto the pool’s edge, letting the warm water lap at her feet. “When I was locked in that abandoned factory, were you here, happily soaking in a hot spring and listening to music?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know. How could you not?” Jiang Se descended another step. “When did you and Fu Yun get together? Seven years ago, you were only eighteen. Were you already in love with him then? No, probably earlier. With Fu Yun’s personality, if you weren’t completely devoted to him back then, he wouldn’t have let you be his accomplice.”

Her words pressed closer, each one a hammer striking Zhu Mingli’s heart, making it pound.

But she was certain Jiang Se had no evidence. All the kidnappers were dead, and neither she nor Fu Yun had ever set foot in that factory.

Even if they traced the ruined painting back to her, so what?

Who hasn’t accidentally damaged something?

As for Housekeeper Yu, he leaked so much of the Cen family’s information daily—how could he possibly connect them to the kidnapping?

And even if she suspected, so what? Did she have proof?

Fu Yun held his secrets tightly. Would he dare speak?

Zhu Mingli steadied herself. “You’re making things up! Keep spouting nonsense, and I’ll sue you for slander!”

“Go ahead and sue.” Jiang Se stepped closer, reaching out to touch Zhu Mingli’s wet, long black hair. “Why’d you change your hairstyle like this? Didn’t you always hate having the same long, straight black hair as me? And when did you switch to this rose-scented perfume?”

She leaned down, nudging the rose petals floating on the water with her foot. “What, thought Fu Yun liked rose scents, so you filled the whole pool with rose petals? Funny thing—when I had dinner with Fu Yun recently, I was wearing this exact perfume.”

She pulled a pink perfume bottle from her pocket, sprayed two pumps on Zhu Mingli, and said coolly, “Like it? It’s yours.”

With a *thunk*, she tossed the bottle into the pool, sending ripples across the petal-strewn surface.

Zhu Mingli’s eyes narrowed. “When did you have dinner with him?”

“The second or third day after I got back to Beicheng. March 11th, maybe? Double Moon Lake Hotel—ring a bell? That’s the place.” Jiang Se lifted her water-soaked skirt and sat by the pool’s edge, looking at her nonchalantly. “Next time I meet him, I’ll switch to a different perfume. Want me to give you a heads-up so you don’t waste your time filling a pool with useless rose petals?”

March 11th.

That was indeed the night Fu Yun had called her over and told her to wear the new perfume.

She knew the orange blossom-based scent was one Cen Se used to wear.

That night, she’d thought he was finally over that fragrance, and her heart had leapt with joy.

Jiang Se quietly studied her expression, shaking her head in disbelief. “We’ve been rivals since we were kids. How did you end up like this? Slaving away for a man who doesn’t even like you? What makes Fu Yun worthy of taming you like this?”

“What do you know?” Zhu Mingli snapped, her voice rising as if Jiang Se had hit a nerve. “We’re getting engaged this month. If he didn’t like me, why would he convince Old Master Fu to marry me?”

“To make it easier to kill you, obviously,” Jiang Se said with a mocking smile. “His own uncle and nephew died by his hand. You know so much about his deeds—how long do you think he’ll let you live?”

Zhu Mingli’s breath caught.

She had indeed been involved in the kidnapping seven years ago, and she suspected Fu Yun had a hand in Fu Jun’s death. But his uncle?

Having grown up together, Jiang Se instantly read the meaning behind Zhu Mingli’s expression.

“What, Fu Yun never told you about his uncle? The beer you get every month is sent by his aunt. Both owners of that brewery died by his hand. He’s harmed so many people, and almost everyone who’s been his executioner is dead—except you. You think he’s marrying you because he loves you? Or because he wants to kill you? And besides—”

Jiang Se paused deliberately, smiling at Zhu Mingli. “Fu Yun has said more than once that if I’m willing, he’d continue our engagement. What if I told him after your engagement that I want to marry him? You’ve always known the Cen family would never let me go. If I return to the Cen family and marry Fu Yun, the whole of Beicheng will see how this ‘knockoff’ tramples over the ‘real deal.’”

“Cen Se!”

Jiang Se pulled a recorder from her bag. “Want to hear Fu Yun’s exact words? Want to know what he said about you during our last dinner? The great Zhu family heiress is just an obedient little pet in his eyes.”

Zhu Mingli’s face paled, then flushed red, her gaze fixed on the recorder in Jiang Se’s hand.

“Didn’t you think he was behind your kidnapping?” Zhu Mingli’s voice was soft but venomous. “You’d marry someone who kidnapped you? I don’t believe it! Cen Se, you wouldn’t!”

Having grown up together, Zhu Mingli knew her well. She wouldn’t marry someone who’d harmed her.

“Don’t judge me by your standards. You wouldn’t understand,” Jiang Se said with a smile. “You’ve never been kidnapped. How could you? Didn’t you always call Cen Se a hypocritical bitch? Let me tell you, compared to Cen Se, Jiang Se isn’t just a bitch—she’s a lunatic.”

She tapped her temple. “She’s always been sick here.”

Her gaze was cold, her dark eyes like the barrel of a gun—icy, yet tinged with a hint of mania.

Like a madwoman.

Zhu Mingli stared at her.

Her burning humiliation and anger slowly dissipated. Standing naked in the pool, a chilly breeze made her shiver.

“You’re telling me all this, and it’s definitely not just to humiliate me,” Zhu Mingli said, sitting back in the pool, her arrogance returning. “Speak. What do you want from me?”

“Now you’re starting to look like the Zhu family heiress I used to know,” Jiang Se said, nudging the floating rose petals with her foot. “It’s simple. I’m here to give you a choice. You and your brother, or a murderer who could kill you both any moment. Pick one.”

Zhu Mingli’s lips curled into a sneer. “You think you’re still the Cen family’s princess? What gives you the right to make me choose? Those baseless accusations you just threw at me?”

“I don’t have the right, but I have my brother and the Cen family,” Jiang Se said. “My brother’s been guilty about me for so long, he’s dying to make it up to me. I don’t need him to go all-out against the Fu family or bring down the Zhu family. I just need him to prop up your second brother as the future head of the Zhu family, leaving you and Zhu Yinlin to live under someone else’s thumb for the rest of your lives. Didn’t Zhu Yinlin beat your second brother until he was spitting blood? Guess how your stepmother and second brother will treat you both in the future?”

After Zhu Mingli’s mother died, her father married her current stepmother, a woman with a kind face but a ruthless heart. Her son was only a year younger than Zhu Yinlin and had his own ambitions.

Zhu Yinlin was a reckless troublemaker, always starting fights.

Zhu Mingli had Fu Yun send Zhu Yinlin to Australia partly to keep him out of trouble domestically and partly to use the Fu and Cen families’ Australian project to give him some credentials, paving the way for him to inherit the Zhu family.

Zhu Mingli’s expression turned icy. “If you dare touch Yinlin—”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Jiang Se cut her off coldly, smiling. “Hold on. In a few days, your brother should be back in Beicheng to keep you company.”

Her brother was Zhu Mingli’s sore spot. She gritted her teeth. “What did you do to Yinlin?”

“Why so nervous? Just a little appetizer,” Jiang Se said leisurely. “You and your brother are so close. If he found out what Fu Yun did—and that Fu Yun might kill you—do you think he’d go after Fu Yun to protect his sister? Or, if Fu Yun learned that your brother knows what you both did, do you think he’d kill him to silence him?”

Seeing Zhu Mingli’s eyes practically bulging, Jiang Se laughed. “Why so mad? I didn’t say I’d definitely follow that script. Don’t you still have a second option to choose from?”

Zhu Mingli didn’t respond, silently glaring at Jiang Se.

“My target is only Fu Yun. If you help me, I won’t touch you or your brother. I might even help you.”

“Help me?” Zhu Mingli scoffed. “You’re that kind?”

“Don’t you love Fu Yun? Want him to only have eyes and heart for you? I have a way to make his entire life revolve around you—only you can talk to him, only you can be near him, only you are his everything.”

“As for your brother, making sure he smoothly takes over the Zhu family isn’t that hard,” Jiang Se said, stepping out of the pool and ascending the steps, glancing at Zhu Mingli. “You know my character best. I keep my word. Think it over for a few days. I came here today, so naturally, I have a backup plan. If you’re not afraid of risking your life and your brother’s, go ahead and tell Fu Yun about today. Trust me, if he knows about our conversation, he’ll want you dead more than anyone.”

—

When Zheng Huan heard Jiang Se was going to confront Zhu Mingli, she was surprised. “That woman is Fu Yun’s accomplice. Aren’t you afraid she’ll spill everything to him?”

Jiang Se and Zhu Mingli had been classmates from elementary school until high school, constantly crossing paths. As Guo Qian put it, they were fated rivals.

Back when the Zhu family was still thriving, Zhu Mingli couldn’t stand Jiang Se always outshining her. Wherever Jiang Se competed, Zhu Mingli was sure to show up.

Sometimes, a lifelong rival knows you better than your closest kin.

Just as Zhu Mingli knew that if she ruined Jiang Se’s painting, Jiang Se would spend the weekend at the art studio repainting it, Jiang Se knew that bringing Zhu Yinlin into the equation would make Zhu Mingli hesitate.

She’d spent half a month digging into Zhu Yinlin’s affairs, and her efforts wouldn’t be wasted.

Moreover, Zhu Mingli’s reaction to the possibility of Fu Yun killing her was both shocked and not entirely surprised.

She couldn’t be unaware of the kind of person Fu Yun was.

She might not have considered it before, but once the seed of doubt was planted, Jiang Se was confident it would take root.

Sure enough, Zhu Mingli didn’t spread word of Jiang Se’s visit to the club.

Two days after their confrontation, she even had dinner with Fu Yun, accepting an engagement invitation he personally handed her, set at Beicheng’s revolving restaurant.

When Fu Yun passed her the invitation, he teased, “Don’t worry, I’ve talked to Mingli. If you come to our engagement party, she won’t give you any trouble.”

His tone was as warm as ever, but his words carried a new edge of authority.

With Old Master Fu gravely ill, Fu Yun now called the shots for the Fu family.

It was the confidence—and arrogance—that came with power.

The engagement party was set for ten days later, on April 12th.

Jiang Se glanced at the names on the invitation and said, “Not sure if I’ll be free that day. I’ll take the invitation for now and let you know in a few days.”

“Come if you like. If you can make it, great. If not, we’ll catch up privately,” Fu Yun said, leaning over to pour her a cup of red tea. “I heard when you went back to Tongcheng last week, someone stopped you on the plane?”

When Lu Huaiyan had stormed the cabin to confront her, plenty of people had seen, and some recognized him. It wasn’t surprising that rumors had spread.

Jiang Se picked up the teacup, saying casually, “You mean Young Master Lu? Yeah, we had a bit of a disagreement that day.”

Her tone was light, signaling she didn’t want to dwell on it.

Fu Yun knew her personality better than anyone. Even as a child, she’d stubbornly practiced two sets of dance moves, refusing to stop until she could perform *Black Swan* perfectly. No one could force her to do anything she didn’t want.

He dropped the subject, changing topics. “I visited Old Master Lu a couple of days ago. From his tone, it sounds like the Lu and Guan families might be announcing good news soon.”

Jiang Se nodded slightly, her tone still neutral. “I heard from my brother too. It’s good. The Guan and Lu families are well-matched, a strong alliance.”

Fu Yun’s gaze lingered on her lowered eyes for a moment before he looked away.

As the dinner neared its end, Zhu Mingli called.

Fu Yun was about to hang up when the woman across from him suddenly set down her teacup and said, “Is that Zhu Mingli? Mind if I say something to her?”

Caught off guard by her request to speak to Zhu Mingli directly, he hesitated for a second before pressing the answer button and handing over the phone.

Jiang Se took the call, her voice gentle and refined. “I just got the invitation from Fu Yun. I might not have time to attend your engagement party—my brother’s left me a ton of work from Australia. Too much to handle, so I’ll congratulate you early. Wishing you both a lifetime together. I’ll find a time to send you a gift.”

The line was silent for a few seconds before a flat “Thank you” came through.

Jiang Se smiled, handed the phone back to Fu Yun, and said, “I’ve got to go. You two take your time.”

Fu Yun paused. “I’ll walk you out.”

He held the phone to his ear, saying softly, “I’ll call you back,” before hanging up.

They walked downstairs together as the sun set, the sky painted with streaks of rosy clouds, the slanting sun like a peeled salted egg yolk, glowing red in the distance.

At the center of the lobby was a glass revolving door.

As Jiang Se approached it, she noticed a group climbing the steps outside.

The man in the lead, dressed in a suit, had a jacket draped over his arm and was listening to the man beside him.

As he stepped onto the final stair, as if sensing something, his gaze snapped toward the revolving door.

Their eyes met briefly.

Jiang Se gently looked away.

They stepped into the revolving door almost simultaneously—one heading in, the other out.

The twilight’s light danced within the turning glass, the air stirring into a breeze that lifted the hair by her cheek and rustled the jacket on his arm.

And so, with calm expressions and steady strides, they passed each other in the revolving door, neither sparing a glance.

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