Chapter 26

Nan Song wasn't lying when she said she was busy—she genuinely had no time to spare. 

Since returning to Nancheng, invitations to dinners and events had poured in endlessly. She had declined all personal engagements, insisting on prioritizing work—earning her nothing but icy disapproval from her brothers. 

Tonight, yet another business dinner awaited her. 

As night fell, Nancheng came alive with its usual vibrant energy. The pedestrian streets were crowded with giggling groups of girlfriends and couples lost in each other's lips, their youthful romance breathing fresh life into the ancient city. 

Nan Song leaned back in her seat, lowering the car window to gaze quietly at the world outside. 

A couple stood by the roadside, sharing skewers of freshly grilled meat. The girl fed a bite to her boyfriend, who kissed her cheek in return. She beamed up at him, and hand in hand, they moved on to the next food stall—such simple, everyday happiness. 

That was all she had ever wanted. 

Tomorrow was the day he would marry another. The real reason she refused to see him was simple—she didn't know what to say. 

As his ex-wife, as someone who had loved him for so long, perhaps the most graceful thing would be to offer her sincere blessings. But she was petty. She couldn't bear to watch him stand hand in hand with someone else. 

"Play a song," she murmured. 

Her assistant, Gu Heng, turned on the car stereo. A classic melody flowed softly from the speakers: 

*"If those two words hadn't trembled, I wouldn't have realized how much it hurts. Left unspoken, it's still just a breakup..."* 

She closed her eyes as the song swelled into its chorus: 

*"Ten years ago, I didn't know you, you didn't belong to me. We were just the same, walking familiar streets beside strangers. Ten years later, we're just friends..."* 

Memories of Yu Jinwen from the past decade flashed through her mind—his pride, his triumphs, his pain, the way he looked in sleep—all etched permanently into her heart. 

But the one thing she never wanted to know was how he looked when he was with the woman he loved. 

She had seen it. And it had shattered her. 

Tomorrow, her love, her youth—all of it would officially come to an end. 

--- 

The dinner was set at Lakeside Club, a venue housed in a former French Concession building from the Republican era. Antique gramophones, oil paintings, and rickshaws adorned the space, with waitstaff gliding by in qipaos. 

Nan Song strode straight to the private room on the third floor. Tonight's meeting was with Yang Ke, general manager of Nanhua Real Estate, to discuss a potential partnership for a plot of land in the northern suburbs. 

Yet when she entered, the figure by the window wasn't Yang Ke. 

It was— 

"Fu Yu." Nan Song narrowed her eyes, naming him. 

The young master of the Fu family had been lounging lazily against the windowsill. The ledge was high, but his long legs stretched effortlessly to the floor—an impossible length of limb. 

At her arrival, Fu Yu rose smoothly, assuming the demeanor of a perfect host. "Miss Nan, what an honor." 

"Did I walk into the wrong room?" Nan Song asked coolly. 

"Not at all." 

Fu Yu chuckled, circling the table to pull out a chair for her with exaggerated gallantry. "Please, have a seat." 

Nan Song didn't move. 

Gu Heng had already reached for his phone when Fu Yu said, "No need to confirm. It's me. I wanted this meeting with you, so I had Yang Ke bow out." 

The sheer audacity of the statement hung in the air. 

"President Nan..." Gu Heng stepped forward, ready to summon security and escort Nan Song out at her signal. 

But Nan Song studied Fu Yu's relaxed, confident posture and decided to stay. She wanted to see what game this peacock was playing.