After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

Six fair and delicate hands, each with a different manicure, bumped into each other in the dimly lit basement.

The air was filled with the scents of tea, rose, sandalwood, and peach, mixed with the smell of gunpowder and formaldehyde.

Shen Tianxi was the fastest. She threw herself onto Zhu Xunchuan's lap without a care, her fair fingers desperately trying to pull at the rough hemp rope that had been soaked in water.

Her fingernail broke, leaving bloody marks on her fair fingertip. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, calling out "Brother Chuan."

Jiang Yao's black motorcycle leather jacket pressed against Zhu Xun Chuan's arm.

The metallic zipper brushed against his well-defined biceps, the deep, snow-white cleavage rising and falling violently with her rapid breathing. In her other hand, she gripped the butterfly knife upside down, the blade flipped.

"Don't move." Fu Xinghe's voice was icy cold.

She pushed Jiang Yao aside, the belt of her khaki trench coat cinching her waist in a breathtaking arc. In her hand she held the tactical dagger, the blade gliding past Zhu Xun Chuan's skin, precisely severing the knot.

The rope broke and fell to the ground.

Zhu Xunchuan's tense muscles were finally relieved.

Before he could even move his aching joints, Su Mucheng had already snuggled into his arms.

Beneath her black tracksuit, the top female star's body was unbelievably limp. She reached out, her fingers trembling, to touch the bloody mark on Zhu Xun Chuan's neck, a cut made by a scalpel, her eyes filled with terror.

Gu Qinghan knelt on one knee, carrying a tactical first-aid kit. The hem of her black trench coat flared out, revealing her shapely calves, encased in black stockings, pressed against Zhu Xunchuan's knee. Without a word, she unscrewed an iodine swab and gently but firmly pressed it onto the bloodstain.

Xia Wanying stood on the outermost circle, wearing twelve-centimeter red-soled high heels. She crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping over Zhu Xunchuan's bare upper body, her cold and beautiful face filled with undisguised ferocity.

"Let me go! You bunch of bastards!"

At the basement entrance, two female SWAT officers were escorting Lu Nianxi out. Lu Nianxi spat out the towel from her mouth, turned around and screamed with disheveled hair, her floral dress stained with mud and dried blood.

"You've all been fooled by him! He has so many women on the side! He's a scumbag who leaves a trail of broken hearts! He should be made into a specimen!"

The yandere's screams echoed in the empty corridor.

The atmosphere in the basement suddenly changed. Su Mucheng froze, and Gu Qinghan's hand holding the cotton swabs paused in mid-air. The six women's gazes met in a very brief and complex exchange.

Who are "those women outside"?

Shen Tianxi was the first to explode. Her fiery temper, nurtured in the Tianjin Military Region compound, ignited instantly. She stood up abruptly, the hem of her princess dress swung in a sharp arc.

"You wild brat, I'll teach you some manners today!"

Shen Tianxi rolled up her sleeves and strode towards the door, raising her hand to slap Lu Nianxi across the face. The special police officer recognized this young lady from the military region and was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to stop her or not.

"Sweet Hope".

A large, thick hand reached out from behind and precisely gripped Shen Tianxi's wrist.

Zhu Xun Chuan stood up. The effects of the drug that suppressed his muscle explosiveness had worn off by about 80%. With a slight effort, he pulled the furious young lady from the military region into his arms. Shen Tianxi bumped into his solid chest, and her temper instantly softened by half.

"Don't do anything." Zhu Xun Chuan sighed, and gently massaged Shen Tianxi's pert lower back a couple of times. "Nianxi and I were just playing around with the murder mystery game, we got too into it."

The entire room fell silent.

The SWAT officers were stunned. Lu Nianxi forgot to scream. The five women surrounding the iron table simultaneously looked up at him, staring at him as if he were crazy.

Gu Qinghan stood up, her high heels clicking loudly, her tone filled with undisguised sarcasm: "A murder mystery game? Zhu Xunchuan, we've got a knife to your artery, the entire city's SWAT team, military helicopters, gang members turning the streets upside down for you. And you're telling me this is a murder mystery game?"

Jiang Yao sneered, the butterfly knife twirling between her fingers in a flash of silver light: "Xun Chuan, you're protecting her? Believe me or not, I'll chop her and this entire wine cellar to pieces and feed them to the dogs today!"

The tension in the scene was escalating to the point of near explosion. Unless Zhu Xun Chuan could provide a reasonable explanation, these six powerful women could tear him to shreds on the spot.

Zhu Xun Chuan released Shen Tian hope, walked to the iron table, picked up the tattered shirt, and draped it over his shoulders.

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over Fu Xinghe, Xia Wanying, and Jiang Yao in turn, before finally settling on Gu Qinghan's face.

"She's the only daughter of Lu Zhenhai, the Party Secretary of Tianjin." Zhu Xunchuan's tone was calm, yet carried a powerful penetrating force. "If something were to happen to her in this basement, do you think half the sky would collapse over Beijing and Tianjin tomorrow?"

The moment the name was uttered, the air pressure in the basement plummeted.

Fu Xinghe's cold eyes narrowed sharply. Xia Wanying lowered her arms, which were crossed over her chest. Jiang Yao's butterfly knife stopped moving from her fingertips.

They were at the very top of the power structure, and they knew all too well the weight the name "Lu Zhenhai" carried. The Party Secretary of Tianjin, a true regional governor.

It turns out she's also entangled with Zhu Xunchuan!

"The Lu family had a tragedy back then, and this girl suffered a shock, so her mental state has been unstable ever since." Zhu Xun Chuan looked directly at Fu Xing He, his voice lowering. "It's true that I was drugged and brought here. But the effects of the drug have long worn off, and if I wanted to leave, that rope wouldn't have been able to hold me back. But I can't leave, and I can't touch her either."

Zhu Xun Chuan walked up to Fu Xing He, so close that he could smell the calm sandalwood scent emanating from her.

"Xinghe, your family is in charge of the government in Kyoto, right? If I cripple Lu Nianxi here, and Lu Zhenhai goes berserk and retaliates, the exchange of political resources between Beijing and Tianjin will immediately become a dead end. The Fu family will have a lot of headaches if they take on this problem."

He turned to look at Xia Wanying.

"Wan Ying, Dinghe Group is planning to acquire the infrastructure project of Tianjin Port in the second half of the year. If the Lu family holds Dinghe accountable for this, your 13 billion euros cash flow will be stuck indefinitely in the approval process."

Finally, he looked at Jiang Yao.

"Yaoyao. No matter how big Uncle Jiang's gang is, it can't be too exposed. If an enraged municipal party secretary wants to crack down on organized crime, what can Jiang's 100,000 followers do to stop the machinery of the state?"

Zhu Xunchuan turned around and shielded Shen Tianxi, Su Mucheng, and Gu Qinghan behind him.

"So what if I suffer a little grievance, get tied up for over ten hours, and bleed a bit? You can't expect your entire family to fight to the death with a madwoman. By playing along with her in this murder mystery game, I've saved face for the Lu family, and Lu Zhenhai will owe me a huge favor. From now on, Dinghe's business, the Jiang family's territory, and Uncle Fu's political achievements will all be smooth sailing in Tianjin."

Zhu Xun Chuan touched the bloodstain on his neck and gave a wry smile: "I just didn't expect you to cause such a commotion. You've come by land, sea, and air. Sisters, what have I, Zhu Xun Chuan, done to deserve this?"

P.S.: I've already drawn one lucky winner for the pass. The winners are my following list. I've been too busy out lately, so I'll send it as soon as I get home and then post a screenshot of the gift.