Leave it up to fate

The event hall was large and spacious, and when she got to the other side, the man she saw had disappeared completely. Ying Yue's brows were knit together as she peered around and realized that there was a connecting area that led outdoors.

She bit her lip, hesitating. She was supposed to be here to accompany Fei Huangjin, and he asked her to stay there. But could she really ignore things if Song Yinan was here? Her eyes darted back to the middle of the event hall where Fei Huangjin was. He looked busy, talking to several higher-ups of Cheng Entertainment like he was expected to do.

She decided to leave things up to fate. Come on, Huangjin, if you look my way right now, I won't leave the party and look for that man.

She waited. And then waited a few seconds more.

Damn it, here goes nothing.

Ying Yue's heels clacked along the hallway that led outdoors, her hair flowing behind her as if it was trying to tell her to stay inside instead. She could already feel the night breeze blowing through the corridor, and when she stepped out of it, the cool night air hit her like a slap on the face. Goosebumps trailed down her arms and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Where was that guy?

And as if heaven was playing tricks on her, she spotted a figure going through the garden. She rushed after him in a hurry. "HEY-"

A hand clamped down on her mouth and pulled her behind a column. Whoever it was had a firm grip on her. Ying Yue's instincts kicked in immediately, and she dug her stiletto heel to the man's foot as hard as she could while shaking him off with a twist of the arm. "Urrggh." He groaned quietly.

She was about to yell for help when the man's hand shot out to cover her mouth again. And when her eyes met his, the nearby lamp in the garden cast a pale yellow glow on his face, and the scar that ran across his cheek stood out to her.

She gasped.

And the man lowered his hand from her mouth.

"Guan Ting?"

He pressed a finger to his lips, silently telling her to shut up, as he flinched at the pain on his foot. The madame was really scary sometimes. "The master asked me to follow you. It's not safe outside, young madame."

Huangjin did? She gulped. Even so, she didn't have time for this right now. Ying Yue moved to side-step him, but he pulled her back.

"Madame," he pleaded.

Ying Yue surveyed the garden and clenched her jaw when she saw that the man had disappeared. "Did you see him? The man I was following? He was—he was in a black suit."

Guan Ting frowned. "No, young madame. You were alone."

She gazed at him with a complicated expression. She was sure there was a man who looked like Song Yinan. But how could she have seen it but not Guan Ting? She swallowed the lump in her throat and decided to leave it for now. "Let's go inside." The cold air was beginning to sting her nose and fingers.

The red dress she was wearing billowed against the wind as she turned to head back inside. Guan Ting took one last look at the garden before following her.

Meanwhile, behind a tree, in the dark corner of the garden, a man stood there with his hands fisted. There was a sad, but angry, look in his eyes.