Entangled with the Future Tycoon

Before she realized it, it was already past five. Ji Rou’s phone rang right on time. She said there was something extremely urgent that needed her immediate attention, but she promised she’d be back. Song Wanwan saw her off, putting her into a taxi.

The moment Song Wanwan returned, Xu Wei’s phone lit up with an incoming call from Gu Yuan. After taking the call, Xu Wei wore an apologetic look on her face. “Wanwan, I’m so sorry. Gu Yuan just told me his grandfather’s in Shanghai. The Old Man has quite a temper, and I need to go help out. I probably won’t be able to spend the evening with you all. Bye!”

Song Wanwan nodded regretfully. “I’ll walk you downstairs.”

Xu Wei shook her head. “No need, no need. You stay with Xuan. Gu Yuan’s already downstairs waiting to pick me up. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I’m off now.” She waved toward Bai Yuxuan, who was lying on the bed. “Xuan, I’m heading out!” As she moved out of Song Wanwan’s line of sight, she winked playfully at Bai Yuxuan.

Xu Wei took the elevator downstairs. Stepping out from the Holiday Inn, she saw Gu Yuan standing tall on the hotel’s front steps. His posture was elegant, his features warm and inviting under the soft sunlight. Xu Wei couldn’t help but feel her heart swell. She walked toward him, and because of the two steps of height difference between them, she tilted her head slightly downward. The late afternoon sun cast their long shadows onto the hotel’s steps.

Even their shadows felt unusually warm.

Xu Wei asked, “So, are you ready?”

Gu Yuan nodded confidently. “Of course.” He reached out with his hand toward her.

Xu Wei placed her hand in his palm, following his lead as they slowly left the Holiday Inn.

Gu Yuan drove while Xu Wei touched up her makeup using the rearview mirror. She had only changed her clothes in a rush before coming down, pretending to look hurried. After all, there was a big surprise planned later. She had to make a dazzling entrance, didn’t she?

Gu Yuan seemed hesitant to speak. The surprise had been prepared at her group’s request, but their plan was really just an enhancement to Shen Shang’s original intentions. Still, Gu Yuan felt the need to give Xu Wei a bit of a heads-up.

He stammered slightly as he explained everything about Shen Shang’s situation in detail. Xu Wei was momentarily stunned before her expression softened. As long as Shen Shang wasn’t cheating, then everything about the arrangement was just perfect.

Besides, their surprise had always been missing one key male lead. And as it turned out, Shen Shang fit the role perfectly!

At the Anonymous Café-an oddly fitting name chosen by Shen Shang and casually suggested by Song Wanwan in the past-Bai Yuxuan had also been brought here by Lin Feng. Now, all that was left was for the main heroine to arrive.

Ji Rou picked up her phone. Being a true professional in the industry, the moment she made the call, she was fully in character. Her acting was so convincing that it stunned the onlookers around her.

Hanging up, Ji Rou shot the crowd an “OK” hand gesture, and they enthusiastically responded with a thunderous round of applause.

Xu Wei looked around the café, noticing the red roses scattered everywhere, the flowing purple drapes hanging from the ceiling, and the rose petals strewn across the floor. At the center of it all stood a six-tiered birthday cake decorated with roses. She clung to Gu Yuan’s arm and teased, “If you ever want to give me a surprise birthday party, do me a favor and don’t follow Shen Shang’s example. Too many hints, too much suspense-it almost backfired. Playing with emotions like that can really be nerve-wracking.”

Bai Yuxuan, standing next to Lin Feng, stepped forward to stand beside Xu Wei and Gu Yuan, her eyes fixated on the cake. She cut straight to the point, beating Xu Wei to the punch. “Gu Yuan, if you’re planning Xu Wei’s birthday, make sure it’s even more unexpected and creative than this. Otherwise, her bad mood will radiate for miles, and you’ll be paying the price all year.”

Gu Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.

Xu Wei shot a glare at Bai Yuxuan, retorting, “As if anything could match your high standards for uniqueness. Look at all these roses-you’d probably still turn your nose up at them. Lin Feng, when Bai Yuxuan’s birthday rolls around, you’d better bring along a few dozen boxes of heart medication. Every extra breath you take will feel like borrowed time.”

Lin Feng nervously touched the cold sweat forming on his forehead.

Bai Yuxuan smirked, while Xu Wei maintained an air of nonchalance.

Lin Feng and Gu Yuan exchanged a quick look, the unspoken question hanging between them: Aren’t they supposed to be best friends?

Are they really best friends?

The tension in the air felt thick with invisible sparks.

Ji Rou, patting her stomach, stood between the two couples and commented wryly, “You see, there isn’t much difference between being neurotic and having OCD.” She gestured toward Bai Yuxuan and Xu Wei, who were once again caught up in their bickering. “Take their constant back-and-forth, for example. It’s like a classic case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sometimes they drag others into their arguments, and sometimes they join forces to torture single people with their sweetness. But let’s be clear-any similarities between their behavior and actual insanity are purely coincidental.”

Bai Yuxuan pursed her lips, deciding to ignore Ji Rou’s snide remark. She beckoned Xu Wei to follow her toward the cake. As they approached, the faint smell of cream wafted into their noses. “Do you think covering the edges with roses is too cliché?” Bai Yuxuan asked.

Standing beside her, Xu Wei replied, “I think Wanwan would probably prefer strawberries on the edges.”

The two shared a knowing high-five. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. But six tiers-are we supposed to eat one tier each?”

“I’m only eating the frosting,” Xu Wei quipped, calculating that seven people and a six-tier cake felt a bit extravagant.

“Well, I’m only here for the candlelit dinner,” Bai Yuxuan added with a sly grin.

“You’re not thinking of throwing a cake bath for Song Wanwan, are you? If you dump this much frosting all at once, your sea of flowers will turn into a sea of regret,” Xu Wei warned, her face showing clear disapproval. “This was supposed to be a happy beginning-why ruin it with such a messy ending?”

“Fine, fine. Forget it. It was just a fleeting thought anyway,” Bai Yuxuan relented, linking arms with Xu Wei.

Lin Feng and Gu Yuan squinted at the two women, momentarily dazed. Just a moment ago, the tension had been palpable. And now? Suddenly they were back to being as close as ever, like they were in their own little world. It was as if even their husbands were unnecessary extras.

Meanwhile, Song Wanwan was rushing toward the “dire emergency” location Ji Rou had described over the phone. The sky was growing darker, and the pale moonlight spilled coolly across the asphalt road and onto the small tiles lining the storefronts.

When she arrived, there was no one in sight. Worried, she called Ji Rou, but her call was declined. Her heart skipped a beat. Could something have happened? Ji Rou wouldn’t have gotten herself into trouble with petty criminals, would she? Images of Ji Rou being harassed by thugs or falling victim to robbery or even human trafficking flooded her mind. Just as she was about to call again, a text came through from Ji Rou: “I’m at the Anonymous Café. Waiting for you.”

Without stopping to analyze the situation, Song Wanwan immediately started searching for the Anonymous Café. Fortunately, the sign was easy to spot-or maybe she just had sharp eyes. Either way, she quickly located the café mentioned in Ji Rou’s message.

She walked slowly toward the café, stopping just outside the entrance. The lights inside were exceedingly dim, faint to the point of being almost imperceptible. The only source of brightness was the café’s sign, which stood out in stark contrast.

“Ji Rou? Ji Rou? Is anyone here?” Song Wanwan hesitated for a moment, noticing that the door wasn’t locked. She pushed it open slightly and peeked inside, calling out Ji Rou’s name. Receiving no response, she grew even more on guard.