After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

Jiang Yichen looked at the message on his phone, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

It's past 10 p.m., what kind of business is it to come to this godforsaken place in the western suburbs?

Only a silly girl could come up with such a lame excuse.

Jiang Yichen put his phone in his pocket and pushed open the glass door of the studio.

The early autumn night breeze carried a hint of coolness.

A black Maybach was parked on the side of the road with its hazard lights on.

The car window rolled down, and Xu Zhiyou poked her fluffy little head out, waving frantically at him.

"Jiang Yichen! Over here!"

Jiang Yichen walked over, opened the car door, and sat in the passenger seat.

"So, what are you doing in the western suburbs so late at night?" he asked, while buckling his seatbelt.

Xu Zhiyou's eyes darted around, looking at the sky and the ground guiltily, but avoiding his gaze.

"Just...check out the growth of the green belt in the western suburbs!"

Why the hell would they inspect a greenbelt? Nobody would believe that reason.

Jiang Yichen was too lazy to expose her.

Xu Zhiyou stepped on the gas, and the Maybach roared and shot off in an instant.

....

Ten minutes later.

The car was parked at the entrance of an old street in the old city of Shanghai.

The street is full of potholes, and both sides are lined with low, dilapidated self-built houses.

Xu Zhiyou unbuckled her seatbelt and excitedly opened the car door: "Let's go! Let's go get something delicious!"

Jiang Yichen followed her into the narrow alley.

Deep in the alley, a tiny, unassuming restaurant without even a sign was lit by a dim, yellow light. Several large iron pots stood at the entrance, steaming hot.

"Boss! Two bowls of sweet rice porridge, chugging along!"

Xu Zhiyou found a plastic stool with a missing leg and sat down. She pulled out two cheap napkins and vigorously wiped the oily tabletop.

Jiang Yichen looked around.

The walls were blackened by cooking fumes, and the ceiling fan overhead made a creaking noise, as if it might fall down at any moment.

"A young lady like you, eating in a place like this?"

"You just don't understand!" Xu Zhiyou rested her chin on her hands, looking mysterious. "This place makes the most authentic sweet rice porridge in all of Shanghai! You can't find this taste anywhere else!"

Soon, the owner came over carrying two bowls of steaming hot sweet porridge.

The red beans are cooked until soft and mushy, and the glutinous rice balls are crystal clear. They are also sprinkled with a layer of golden osmanthus flowers, and the aroma instantly fills the nostrils.

Xu Zhiyou picked up a spoon, scooped up a large spoonful, and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Ugh... Ah... It's so hot!"

She was breathing heavily from the heat, but still managed to urge him, albeit indistinctly, "Try it quickly! It won't taste good when it gets cold!"

Jiang Yichen picked up a spoon and took a bite.

It's sweet but not cloying, soft, chewy, and fragrant—truly an excellent taste.

Xu Zhiyou ate without any regard for her image, and a drop of red syrup accidentally splashed onto the tip of her small nose. She was completely unaware of it and continued to eat with her head down.

Jiang Yichen tore off a napkin and handed it over.

"Wipe it off."

Xu Zhiyou looked up, her face full of confusion: "Huh? Where to wipe?"

Following Jiang Yichen's gaze, she belatedly realized what was happening, but both her hands were occupied.

She gritted her teeth and brought her face right up to Jiang Yichen's.

"Can you wipe it for me?"

The distance closed instantly, and Jiang Yichen could smell her faint fragrance in his nostrils. He could even see the fine downy hairs on her face.

His hand holding the tissue paused in mid-air.

Xu Zhiyou blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering like two small brushes.

Jiang Yichen reached out and gently wiped the tip of her nose with a tissue.

"How old are you? You're acting like a child." He said with disdain, but his movements were incredibly gentle.

Xu Zhiyou wrinkled her nose, snorted softly, and sat back down to continue her struggle with the sweet porridge in her bowl.

Just then, a commotion arose at the entrance of the alley.

A group of junior high school students who had just finished their evening self-study session ran over with their schoolbags on their backs.

"Boss! Five bowls of sweet rice porridge, please!"

Several children sat down at the nearby table, chattering away.

One of the little girls, with sharp eyes, spotted the two of them immediately and tugged at the sleeve of the boy next to her.

"Hey! Look over there, those two are so good-looking! Even better looking than the celebrities on TV!"

One of the chubby boys was the bravest; he shouted directly in their direction.

"Brother and sister! Are you two a couple?!"

"You two are such a perfect match!"

Wishing you a long and happy marriage and many children!

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

Xu Zhiyou almost spat out her mouthful of sweet porridge, choking and coughing violently.

Her pretty face instantly turned bright red, and she was practically ripe, the redness spreading all the way to the roots of her neck.

She frantically grabbed a tissue to wipe her mouth, stammering, "Don't...don't talk nonsense! We're just friends!"

The chubby boy made a "I understand" face.

"Those who know, know! When my uncle was pursuing my aunt, he also said they were just friends!"

The little girl next to her chimed in, "Sister, you're blushing! Did we guess right?!"

"Big brother, confess your feelings already! That's how it's portrayed in idol dramas!"

A group of children burst into laughter.

Xu Zhiyou covered her burning face with both hands, not daring to look at Jiang Yichen opposite her.

Jiang Yichen shook his head helplessly.

It seems this year's junior high students have too little homework.

He stood up, walked over to the owner, scanned the QR code to pay, and also settled the bill for the children. Luckily, the porridge was cheap, and he could afford it.

"Eat quickly, then go home and do your homework."

Jiang Yichen left a sentence behind, turned around and waved to Xu Zhiyou, who was still smoking in the same spot.

"I'm gone."

Xu Zhiyou lowered her head and followed behind him with her shoulders hunched like a little quail.

The two walked out of the alley side by side, their shadows stretched long by the streetlights.

And it was in the shadows across the alley.

A man wearing a baseball cap is looking at a photo on a camera screen and chuckling.

"Finally got some juicy footage of this kid! Boss Chen will definitely be satisfied with this!"

In the photo, one person leans in close to the other, while the other gently wipes their face. They're completely oblivious to everyone else, and their sweetness is off the charts!

He quickly exported the photos, packaged them, and sent them to an encrypted email address.

……

A high-end villa in Shanghai.

The study was dimly lit by only one desk lamp.

Chen Yu sat in front of the computer, holding a glass of red wine in his hand, gently swirling it.

On the computer screen, a newly received email lay quietly.

He opened the email; the attachment contained more than a dozen high-resolution photos.

The background of the photo is an old alleyway, where Jiang Yichen and a young girl are sitting in front of a stall, chatting and laughing.

Chen Yu zoomed in on the photo, and when he saw the girl's face clearly, his fingers tightened suddenly as he gripped the wine glass.

Xu Zhiyou!

It was actually the young lady from the Xu family!

Why is Jiang Yichen so lucky, surrounded by such stunning beauties?

But then, as if he had thought of something, he suddenly laughed.

The laughter was chilling, echoing in the empty study.

Everyone in Shanghai knows that Bai Yanqiu, the young master of the Bai family, cherishes Xu Zhiyou dearly.

Chen Yu pulled out a few tissues and slowly wiped his fingers, as if he were wiping dust off a work of art.

He looked at Jiang Yichen's face in the photo, and the curve of his lips became increasingly sinister.

"Dare to touch the woman Bai Yanqiu has his eye on."

"Jiang Yichen, Jiang Yichen, you have a path to heaven but you choose not to take it, and you insist on barging into the gates of hell when there are none."