The Password to Yun Huaizhu's Home

Lin Meng didn't know how much time had passed before she woke up.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. She was lying on a wide, soft bed. The bedroom was spacious, and the gray curtains had been drawn across the floor-to-ceiling windows, leaving the room rather dim.

Lin Meng's head still felt a little dizzy. She carefully tried to recall what had happened before she passed out—

Earlier, Su Yutang had finally agreed to let her go home, so she had rushed back as if freed from a cage. Who would have thought that the moment she stepped through her door, she would see a ghost-like figure sitting on her sofa.

At that moment, she felt her breath catch, her heart clench as if caught in a giant fist. That person's profile looked so much like Yun Huaizhu's... It wasn't until she opened the light with trembling hands that she realized the person sitting on the sofa was indeed Yun Huaizhu.

Deep, stubborn dark circles shadowed Yun Huaizhu's eyes, and her face was impossibly pale and haggard. She had been sitting there without a sound; anyone who didn't know her and suddenly barged in would have thought a female ghost was sitting there.

Lin Meng rubbed her eyes and looked again. When she opened them once more, Yun Huaizhu turned her head toward her with a stiff motion.

For some reason, she suddenly gave a very eerie smile: “Mengmeng-jie, you're finally back.”

Her voice was somewhat hoarse. Lin Meng was startled by her appearance. After a mental struggle, Lin Meng walked slowly forward. “Zhuzhu, when did you come to my home? Have you been waiting here long?”

While she asked, Yun Huaizhu did not stand up from the sofa. Her gaze stayed fixed on Lin Meng. “Actually, I came to your home half a month ago, but no one was here. After that I came several more times, but the result was always the same. I thought that even though I don't come all the time, if I waited here for a while every few days, you would eventually come back. But it didn't turn out that way. I waited here for you, and you still didn't come back.”

Yun Huaizhu's tone was full of resentment; she seemed deeply wronged as she choked out the words in her hoarse voice.

Seeing her so heartbroken, Lin Meng hurried to her side. “I'm sorry, Zhuzhu. But if you had something important to come see me about, you should have told me first. I didn't know you were coming. If I had known you came so many times, I never would have ignored you.”

Seeing Lin Meng squat down in front of her, not even daring to sit, Yun Huaizhu smiled and reached out with cold fingers to cup Lin Meng's face. Her bloodshot eyes stared unblinkingly at Lin Meng. “I know you had things to do, but I don't know what could keep you from coming home for half a month. You sent me messages every day, but you never shared anything with me. Where exactly did you go? Why?”

Lin Meng didn't know why, but her whole body began to tremble. “Zhuzhu, I...”

That was right—she had never told Yun Huaizhu that she had gone abroad skiing with Huo Yi, or that she had spent four days outside with Su Yutang.

Ever since Yun Huaizhu first expressed her desire to be with Lin Meng, she had begun to infiltrate Lin Meng's life, intentionally or not—from clothing, food, housing, and transportation to interpersonal relationships. She had to know what Lin Meng was doing at all times.

But recently, Lin Meng had gradually slipped out of her control, as if she were about to be lured away by someone else, or as if she herself wanted to leave.

If Lin Meng had gone traveling with someone for a long time without telling her, perhaps she would have chased after her long ago. But why hadn't she done that this time?

Because it no longer mattered. She had already made up her mind to imprison Lin Meng. At such a critical time, of course it was safest to keep the person by her side. So she wouldn't fuss over whom Lin Meng had been with or gone out with during this time.

Because in the future, she would have no chance to go out.

When Lin Meng saw those bloodshot eyes, her heart gave a violent lurch. Every cell in her body was screaming at her to run. But she was rooted to the spot, her body gradually turning into a puppet—no matter how she tried, she couldn't move.

A gentle smile surfaced on Yun Huaizhu's face as she watched. She tried to comfort the frightened Lin Meng. “Mengmeng-jie, don't be afraid. I know you went traveling with Huo Yi, and I also know you've been staying with Su Yutang these past few days. But I won't hold these against you. As long as you tell me you don't like them, I'll forgive you, and we'll be as we were before.”

Lin Meng opened her mouth. She felt that Yun Huaizhu's state was truly abnormal. She breathed, wanting to make a sound, but no matter what, she couldn't produce any noise—as if a pair of invisible hands were gripping her throat.

Seeing that she wanted to speak but couldn't, Yun Huaizhu let out a helpless laugh. “I know Mengmeng-jie is a soft-hearted person. Asking you to say you don't like those people is too cruel. But it's all right—I don't care about that anymore either. As long as we're together from now on, as long as you obediently stay by my side in the future, I'll forgive you too.” With that, Yun Huaizhu embraced Lin Meng, whose arms had broken out in goosebumps, and pulled her deeply into her arms.

After that, Lin Meng suddenly felt a ticklish itch at her neck, like a mosquito bite, and then she lost consciousness.

...

Only now did Lin Meng realize that Yun Huaizhu had brought her to this place.

When this thought struck her, she hurriedly got off the bed and ran barefoot to the window. When she pulled the curtains open, a burst of harsh light stung her eyes, and then an unfamiliar scene came into view. It was quiet all around; not a single other household was in sight.

Lin Meng tried to open the window, only to find that it had been locked. Without a key, it couldn't be opened.

Seeing this, Lin Meng panicked and ran to the other windows in the bedroom to try opening them, but every window in the room was the same. She leaned against the door as if depleted of strength...

Did this mean she had been locked up by Yun Huaizhu?

A heavy unease surged in Lin Meng's heart. She walked to the bed, then lifted the quilt and pillows as if searching for something. After searching the entire bed, she had to accept the fact that even her phone had been taken away by Yun Huaizhu.

Why?

Why would Yun Huaizhu lock her up in this place?

She didn't even know how many days had passed since that day. She hadn't yet submitted her resignation letter to the company. If Huo Yi and Su Yutang knew she had gone missing, would they come looking for her?

At this thought, Lin Meng stood up and paced barefoot on the cold floor of the bedroom. Perhaps the chill stimulated her nerves. As a last-ditch effort, she looked toward the bedroom door.

She walked to the door and took a deep breath.

With a click, the door handle turned easily under her light touch, and the door opened.

Lin Meng stood frozen for a moment, then stepped out of the bedroom.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw the crystal chandelier hanging in the living room, and judging by the height, she was probably on the third floor.

Afraid that Yun Huaizhu might silently appear and startle her again, Lin Meng called out as she descended the stairs while holding the railing. “Zhuzhu, are you here? Don't joke with me—this joke isn't funny at all. I know I went out without telling you before. I just thought you were so busy with work that I didn't want to bother you. Oh right... didn't you say you wanted to go to a fireworks festival? As long as you let me out, I promise I'll go with you, okay?”

“Zhuzhu—”

Lin Meng called Yun Huaizhu's name all the way down, listing the things Yun Huaizhu had previously wanted to do with her. But even after she reached the bottom of the stairs, Yun Huaizhu still didn't appear before her.

The vast living room was empty, without even the slightest sound.

It seemed Yun Huaizhu wasn't here. After Lin Meng toured the living room barefoot, she found guest slippers in the shoe cabinet by the entrance. She randomly picked a pair and put them on, and the chill that shot straight to her brain finally disappeared.

Actually, the entire villa had underfloor heating. When Lin Meng's bare feet stepped on the floor, it wasn't very cold. It was just that being alone in such a large, empty environment made her feel somewhat creepy.

While touring the entire living room, she also discovered some food on the dining table. The food was all warm. On the steel cover over the black chicken soup, there was even a note stuck—Mengmeng-jie, I had something to do and went out for a bit. The dishes on the table are all freshly made today. If they get cold, please reheat them.

I'll come back tonight to keep you company. Love you ♡.

Lin Meng still didn't know how many days she had been here, but it shouldn't have been too long. Because despite all the food laid out on the table, she had no appetite, and her stomach didn't growl at the aromas.

Lin Meng didn't touch the food on the table. At that moment, she had only one thought—she couldn't be locked up here.

The villa's front door used a two-way password lock; even someone inside had to enter a password to get out. She tried entering Yun Huaizhu's birthdate, but the password display quickly indicated an input error.

The password lock only allowed three wrong attempts per day. Once all three were wrong, it would take twenty-four hours to unlock. Otherwise, one could only wait for the villa's owner to return and open it personally with a key.

Of course... someone as cautious and clever as Yun Huaizhu wouldn't be stupid enough to set her villa's password to her own birthday, would she?

If she did, anyone who investigated and knew her well could enter her house.

But other than that, Lin Meng couldn't think of what numbers Yun Huaizhu would use as her villa password.

Lin Meng paced anxiously around the vast living room. By the time she had made a second round and was exhausted, she suddenly found the TV remote in the villa. Bored out of her mind, she pressed the power button. The silent villa made her feel panicked; if there was TV sound, she might feel a little better.

But just as she turned on the TV, the financial channel was broadcasting today's news.

“Jing City Yun Family Entertainment and Film Co., Ltd., after ten years of great ups and downs, the company's chairwoman, Ms. Yun Huaizhu, announced its bankruptcy today.”

After the host finished reading this news, the financial guest beside her seemed surprised. “Is that the star who once caused a sensation?”

“That's right. A film company that persisted so long in the hands of the young Ms. Yun—Ms. Yun is truly remarkable. Recently, the film and television industry's overall market has continued to decline, while emerging AI, new energy, and new chips have occupied more than half of Jing City's GDP. Miss Li, what are your views on the future development of Jing City's industries?”

When Lin Meng heard the keywords “Yun Huaizhu's company bankruptcy,” she no longer had the heart to listen to the rest of the news.

How could this be?

Wasn't everything about Yun Huaizhu heading in a good direction?

How had her company still gone bankrupt?

Could it be that this major plot point in the novel had to happen no matter what?

It was only bankruptcy... after the company's assets were liquidated, Yun Huaizhu wouldn't be left with nothing. She was still young; she still had a chance to start over. As long as she lived well and didn't go begging to Su Yutang and those people, everything would get better.

Lin Meng sat on the sofa, anxiously biting her fingers. Though she comforted herself inwardly, she bit her fingers until the skin broke and bled.

And as if she couldn't feel the pain, she kept biting, her mind beginning to replay the plot from the very beginning to the present.

Clearly, the plot had started to collapse the moment she met Yun Huaizhu. It was precisely because the plot had collapsed, Su Yutang posed no threat to Yun Huaizhu, and she didn't want to damage the friendship between Su Yutang and Huo Yi that she had planned to pack up and return to her hometown.

But now the plot seemed to be showing signs of reviving from the dead. She couldn't just sit and wait for doom; she had to find Yun Huaizhu quickly. Otherwise, if Yun Huaizhu really went to beg Su Yutang like in the novel's plot, what then?

At this thought, Lin Meng walked to the front door again. She stared at the door for a long time, so long that the stinging pain of her bleeding fingers pulled her thoughts back.

Since she had known Yun Huaizhu, Yun Huaizhu had always been very good to her. But beyond that, Lin Meng could also feel that Yun Huaizhu had a terrifying, suffocating desire for control over her. She had experienced this feeling of being controlled at every moment before.

She didn't want to live such a controlled life again. So when she learned she had transmigrated into the novel's world and could never return, besides a bit of sadness, she actually felt a trace of relief.

She couldn't bear to see her mother, who had raised her through hardship, crying in front of her under the banner of wanting what was best for her. No matter how excessive the things her mother had done to her, as long as that person lowered her head and apologized, as long as she cried, Lin Meng would, for the sake of kinship and those days of mutual dependence, forgive her again and again.

It was an unsolvable equation.

Sometimes on rainy days, she would stand on a high building and look down; below, there seemed to be a mysterious vortex tempting her to fall.

Unfortunately, she was timid and afraid of death.

She could only live day after day in this pain.

She had clearly planned everything for her mother, yet she still couldn't let go of that bit of kinship. Even though she knew it was a slow poison that would gradually erode her organs, she was unwilling to draw a clear line.

Finally, under fate's arrangement, she had escaped, but now she was experiencing that suffocating feeling again.

Perhaps Yun Huaizhu truly liked her, loved her, but she didn't like Yun Huaizhu treating her this way. She didn't like Yun Huaizhu's controlling desire over her, just like her mother's, yet she was also afraid Yun Huaizhu would be hurt.

She wanted to escape this suffocating feeling, yet she couldn't bear to watch Yun Huaizhu fall into the abyss.

Loving, yet not loving cleanly; pulling away, yet not cutting off completely.

Thousands of tangled thoughts clogged her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Lin Meng looked at the glowing password lock and, as if possessed, entered her own birthday. In the second she waited for the lock to respond, she didn't even dare to breathe.

The next moment, the password lock emitted the error tone.

Hearing this tone, Lin Meng actually felt a sense of relief. She smiled and gently shook her head.

Yun Huaizhu only had such a strong desire for control over her because she lacked a sense of security. Actually, Yun Huaizhu was very good. If her mother were still alive, if she could have accompanied her as she grew up, she would have lived even happier than now.

Even if she encountered a little setback now, it didn't matter. As long as she got over this hurdle, the future would surely be bright.

She just wanted to go out and see whether Yun Huaizhu was following that plot. As long as that kind of plot didn't happen, she could leave with peace of mind. She would go home and mail Su Yutang's, Huo Yi's, and Yun Huaizhu's things to them separately.

Then she would owe those people nothing.

But... did she really owe them nothing?

Lin Meng was pulled back from the vortex of her thoughts by the pain in her fingers, bitten until they bled. She remembered her first encounter with Yun Huaizhu—she had used a clumsy and despicable method to try to save the person about to step into hell, yet in the end she had still stirred everything into a mess.

If only she hadn't intervened in someone else's life from the start.

Lin Meng recalled the day she first met Yun Huaizhu. As if possessed, she reached out again and entered a string of numbers—251121.

She hadn't held much hope, but the next moment, the password lock emitted a sound different from the error tone.

The door unlocked.

Lin Meng's eyes widened in disbelief.

November 21, '25—that was the day she attended Yun Huaizhu's last concert, the day she met Yun Huaizhu.

All the feelings she wanted to discard twisted and tangled in her heart, finally becoming a knotted mess. Some things in this world couldn't be discarded just because one wanted to... If she truly hadn't intervened in Yun Huaizhu's life on that day, Yun Huaizhu would have kept wandering in the darkness.

Whether she wept in pain or screamed in injury, no one would respond.

Lin Meng thought, perhaps her coming to this world was not meaningless after all.

...

Su Yutang hadn't been able to contact Lin Meng for a day and a night. She sent messages—Lin Meng didn't reply. She called—Lin Meng didn't answer.

She and Lin Meng had agreed that Lin Meng would come back as soon as she finished the leftovers in the fridge, but she also knew Lin Meng was never one to obey.

If she had known Lin Meng would go and never return, no matter how Lin Meng begged, she wouldn't have let her leave.

She shouldn't have been soft-hearted. She should have forcefully locked Lin Meng by her side, even if Lin Meng hated her for it.

Su Yutang walked down the corridor of Lin Meng's building. As she neared the spot where her car was parked, she suddenly sensed someone standing not far beside her.

That person was staring at her with a gaze that made her extremely uncomfortable.

Su Yutang gradually lifted her head toward the left. Under the streetlamp's glow, that person's expression seemed particularly gloomy and frightening. But Su Yutang still recognized her through her disgust for that person.

Su Yutang stood and looked at the person for a while. Seeing that the person showed no intention of approaching, she prepared to drive away first. The most important thing now was to find Lin Meng.

Just as she opened the car door, the person came to her side. “Eldest Miss Su has been really busy lately. My assistant delivered so many invitations to you, yet you never responded.”

Seeing this person pressing down on her car door, a look of displeasure appeared on Su Yutang's face. She simply slammed the door shut heavily, then looked up at the person standing before her with a sarcastic tone. “What status do I have, and what status do you have? You can barely protect yourself now, yet you have time to send me invitations. Do you think you're worthy of having me personally attend your banquet?”

Hearing this, Yun Huaizhu revealed a sinister smile. “Of course, I'm not worthy. So you can let me into your door and apologize to you in person—I don't know what I did wrong to be targeted by you like this?”

Seeing her still playing dumb, Su Yutang stepped forward and poked her with a finger. “You know very well.”

Yun Huaizhu really didn't want to make a move here—after all, this was where Lin Meng lived, and she didn't want to pollute this place. “Perhaps we can talk somewhere nearby. What do you think—if Mengmeng-jie knew you targeted me like this, even spending over a billion to set up a scheme to bankrupt me, would she still like you?”

Only after hearing this did Su Yutang change her disgusted posture. Although she already had thoughts of locking Lin Meng by her side, at this moment she still didn't want Lin Meng to hate her.

Actually, she had never understood what Lin Meng liked about Yun Huaizhu. She and Yun Huaizhu had fallen out to this extent; it was already good enough that the two of them didn't stab each other to death on sight.

For Lin Meng's sake, Su Yutang followed Yun Huaizhu to a coffee shop near the neighborhood that was still open. Though the two had no interest in harmoniously drinking coffee face to face, since they were occupying the shop's space, they each ordered a coffee.

Su Yutang ordered a Mandheling pour-over, while Yun Huaizhu ordered a caramel vanilla.

Yun Huaizhu picked up her coffee and took a sip. “Actually, I didn't used to like drinking this kind of thing, but Mengmeng-jie loves it, so every time I went out with her, I would order this. Since Eldest Miss Su likes Mengmeng-jie, you should know what Mengmeng-jie likes to drink and eat, right? Otherwise, what right do you have to say you like her?”

Su Yutang hadn't even drunk her coffee before being disgusted by the person across from her. Her expression gradually turned sinister. “Even if I don't know now, that doesn't mean I won't know in the future. If I hadn't left Jing City for half a year, perhaps by now I would already be married to Lin Meng.”

Hearing this, Yun Huaizhu couldn't help but cover a laugh. “If I remember correctly, your marriage partner should be that Miss Cen Jingshu, right? You already have a partner, yet you still want to hook up with others. A despicable person like you—Mengmeng-jie would never like you.”

Su Yutang clenched her fists tightly, suppressing the urge to throw her coffee in Yun Huaizhu's face. “You deliberately stopped me and brought me here—you're not going to beg for mercy, are you?”

Hearing this, the smile on Yun Huaizhu's face turned strange. She narrowed her eyes as if hiding her murderous intent. “If I beg you, will you spare me? Just like if I now told you to give up pursuing Mengmeng-jie, would you give up?”

Su Yutang leaned back and looked at her provocatively. “Since childhood, whatever Su Yutang wanted, she has never failed to get.”

Yun Huaizhu's smile gradually faded. “What a pity—Mengmeng-jie isn't a 'thing.' She's a living, breathing person. Someone as arrogant as you, who always treats people like playthings and orders them around—why would you ever receive anyone's sincere affection?”

Although Su Yutang hated Yun Huaizhu's self-righteous air, after hearing what the person across from her said, a trace of panic did surface in her heart. “That's none of your concern. After all, you're destined to be an outsider. Someone who can't even keep what's hers—how could she protect anyone else? So letting go is the best choice for you. Otherwise, one day I'll make you lose everything and roll out of here in disgrace!”

Hearing her threat, Yun Huaizhu suddenly gave a soft laugh. “Indeed, who in all of Jing City doesn't know Eldest Miss Su's methods? I'm really scared.”

Though she said this, there wasn't a trace of fear on her face.

Yun Huaizhu leaned close to Su Yutang and whispered, “Madam Su really wants you to marry Miss Cen. Speaking of coincidences—thanks to you, I traveled all over the country last month and happened to find someone who looks exactly like Miss Cen. If I tell Madam Su this news, you'll probably become a married person very soon. And a married person committing adultery—at that point, Mengmeng-jie won't just be afraid of you; she'll utterly despise you.”

Hearing this, Su Yutang's eyes flew wide open. Almost beside herself with rage, she slammed the table. “You dare!”

Yun Huaizhu's smile vanished abruptly. As if throwing down a challenge, she said, “What wouldn't I dare?”

“You mad dog!” Su Yutang cursed.

Yun Huaizhu smiled gloomily. “If you dare target me like this again, I'll show you just how mad I can be. I know that in wealth and family background, I'm no match for you. But I have love—I have Mengmeng-jie's love.”

Su Yutang of course knew that whenever she and Yun Huaizhu were in the same room, Lin Meng always favored Yun Huaizhu more. That was exactly why she loathed Yun Huaizhu so much and wanted to kick her out of the game as soon as possible. Even Huo Yi, with all her cleverness, could see that Yun Huaizhu was the biggest threat to the two of them.

But so what? Yun Huaizhu was ultimately defeated by power and family background.

When the two of them were pushed to the brink, they could use their power to crush people, while Yun Huaizhu could only rage impotently here.

Seeing Su Yutang's expression, gradually cracking yet forced to hold back, Yun Huaizhu revealed a comfortable smile. She then touched the olive-tree earring gleaming on her earlobe. “Do you know who gave me this pair of earrings?”

Su Yutang wouldn't care what jewelry her love rival wore. Only when Yun Huaizhu mentioned the earrings did she notice the cheap olive-tree earrings on Yun Huaizhu's ears. For such low-priced jewelry, she couldn't even be bothered to glance. “You've only gone bankrupt, not completely penniless. Trying to play pitiful and beg with something like this in front of me is useless.”

Yun Huaizhu knew she was talking to someone who couldn't understand human speech. She caressed the emerald olivine earring on her left earlobe with full affection. “Mengmeng-jie gave it to me. That day you made me announce my retirement at the concert—this was the farewell gift Mengmeng-jie gave me. Before that, she and I had never met. So in a way, my fate with Mengmeng-jie was entirely orchestrated by you. Oh, right—she hasn't given you a gift, has she?”

Hearing this, Su Yutang's chest heaved violently with anger.

A second ago, Su Yutang had been sneering at Yun Huaizhu for the cheap earrings, but now she stared at the earrings on Yun Huaizhu's ears with utter envy.

That's right—Lin Meng had gone on a romantic ski trip with Huo Yi and given Yun Huaizhu gemstone earrings, yet she had given Su Yutang nothing.

She knew Lin Meng's salary was at most ten thousand plus a month. This pair of cheap olivine earrings, which she looked down on, was indeed the best gift Lin Meng could afford within her means.

Lin Meng truly treated Yun Huaizhu better than her.

Su Yutang used to always brainwash herself that Lin Meng had her in her heart, that it didn't matter if Lin Meng didn't understand feelings. As long as the two of them spent enough time together, or had sex every day, sooner or later they would understand each other's feelings and be sweet as honey.

But now, thinking carefully, apart from that completely cold sandwich Lin Meng had given her before she left, she actually had nothing.

Yun Huaizhu saw the faint glimmer of humiliated, wounded tears in her eyes. The next moment, she smelled a scent of alpha pheromones that made her want to vomit yet continuously attracted her. She knew Su Yutang's pheromones had leaked out due to excessive emotional fluctuation.

Although Yun Huaizhu would involuntarily be attracted by alpha pheromones, she was an exceptionally tolerant person; she wouldn't show any ugliness in public.

Yun Huaizhu walked up to Su Yutang, looking down on her. “I know you're currently at odds with Madam Su, and you don't want Cen Jingshu to be found and dragged off to get married, right? So from now on, stop all your actions against me. Otherwise, I really don't know what I might do. Of course, this isn't a negotiation—it's cooperation. I hope we can understand each other.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yun Huaizhu extended her hand to Su Yutang.

Su Yutang bit her lip hard. She stared at Yun Huaizhu with eyes full of hatred, and finally, unwillingly, reached out and shook Yun Huaizhu's hand, reaching cooperation.

...

Outside the coffee shop's display window, Lin Meng watched somewhat dazedly as Su Yutang and Yun Huaizhu shook hands peacefully.

She felt like she was hallucinating. Otherwise, how could she be seeing Su Yutang looking at Yun Huaizhu so amicably?

And Yun Huaizhu had even taken the initiative to extend her hand to shake Su Yutang's.

She had only been away from these two for a few days—how had their relationship undergone such an earth-shaking change?

Lin Meng didn't know why, but seeing the two of them getting along better, she actually no longer felt the joy of shipping a couple that she once had. She used to so look forward to Su Yutang and Yun Huaizhu removing all those angst-ridden, heart-wrenching scenes from the novel and sweetly being together.

Just like now.

But why couldn't she be happy seeing this scene?

So she was still living in the world constructed by the novel. No matter how the plot collapsed, in the end it would always be pulled back in ways she never expected. Thinking this, Lin Meng smiled bitterly. She left the display window in a daze and walked back to her own home.

She had originally wanted to tidy up the things at home and pack up everything that needed packing, but after returning home, she collapsed onto the sofa as if all her strength had left her.

Forget it. She'd pack tomorrow.

Just as she relaxed and prepared to sleep, she suddenly felt something being pulled away inside her. That place felt empty and a little cold.

Perhaps she had used too much energy escaping Yun Huaizhu's villa. The villa where Yun Huaizhu had locked her up was very remote, almost in a forest on the outskirts. Even if she opened the villa's door, she couldn't leave.

She was unfamiliar with the environment there; if she rashly went out, she would easily get lost.

At this thought, she walked back. But when she reached the second floor, she suddenly noticed a landline phone at the corner of the second-floor landing. Seeing the phone, a flash of inspiration struck, and she walked over.

When she pressed the phone's buttons, she found that it was connected to a phone line and still usable. So she dialed her own cell phone number, and finally, following the faint ringtone, she found the phone Yun Huaizhu had hidden in a drawer in a guest room on the second floor.

She used the phone to navigate a route. She walked for over two hours on a desolate road before she saw city vehicles passing by. Then she hailed a taxi and returned home.

Who would have thought that the moment she got home, she would see Su Yutang and Yun Huaizhu affectionately shaking hands at the coffee shop near her neighborhood.

Having experienced so much in one day, she was indeed a little tired.

Just as she was about to close her eyes and sleep, the next moment she suddenly opened them wide. Her thoughts, stuck by a gear, began to turn—right, wasn't this coffee shop heart-to-heart scene exactly the plot from the original novel where Yun Huaizhu begs Su Yutang not to target her family?

Lin Meng had seen the news of Yun Huaizhu's family bankruptcy on TV earlier that day.

She remembered the next plot was that Yun Huaizhu suspected Su Yutang of cheating, so she went to follow Su Yutang. But unfortunately, Yun Huaizhu forgot to bring her pheromone suppressant. Her heat came suddenly midway, and she ended up at Su Yutang's residence.

In the novel, it was another pheromone-driven antagonistic hate-sex scene.

Could this plot connect too?!

Since Lin Meng had known Yun Huaizhu, Yun Huaizhu always carried suppressants on her. But she didn't dare gamble on whether Yun Huaizhu had brought them.

If the plot hadn't yet completely collapsed due to her intervention, then Yun Huaizhu would be in danger tonight. Although she was relieved the plot was returning to its tracks, she didn't want to see Yun Huaizhu get hurt again.

Yun Huaizhu was clearly such a proud, unyielding person. If not for the company's bankruptcy, she wouldn't have had to experience so many painful things.

Lin Meng knew she couldn't sink any further. She comforted herself over and over in her heart: one last time, this is the last time she helps Yun Huaizhu! As long as she saw Yun Huaizhu was fine this time, she would pack her bags and leave Jing City tomorrow.

With this thought, Lin Meng pulled open a drawer, grabbed the omega-specific suppressant inside, and ran outside. She forgot it was late October, and deep night was actually very cold. She was still wearing the thin clothes she had worn when she walked out of Yun Huaizhu's villa.

...

Sitting in her car, Su Yutang couldn't bear the emotional torment any longer. She opened the window and used the cigarette lighter to light a cigarette.

Since Yun Huaizhu knew Cen Jingshu's whereabouts, she could use her government contacts to find out where Yun Huaizhu had been traveling these days. Following that lead, she could probably find Cen Jingshu's whereabouts.

As long as she protected Cen Jingshu and sent her far away before Yun Huaizhu found her, it would be fine.

After finishing one cigarette, Su Yutang wanted to light another. As she pulled a cigarette from the pack, she suddenly remembered Lin Meng's adorable expression when she had told her she hoped Su Yutang would be healthy.

Lin Meng's most important person wasn't her anyway. Why should she listen to Lin Meng?

Although a wave of extremely unbalanced resentment rose in her heart, she still put the second cigarette back into the pack.

While driving, Su Yutang suddenly felt that a car behind her had been following her. She never told anyone her whereabouts except Si Bingxia and her trusted bodyguards. Was the person following her a business enemy, or someone sent by Su Yurong to drag her back to the Su family?

Thinking this, Su Yutang deliberately circled around the city. She called Si Bingxia. “Send people to meet me at my Longde apartment in the city center. I suspect my mother's people are following me.”

On the other end, Si Bingxia immediately replied after receiving the message. “Understood, Young Miss.”

Su Yutang drove around the city for nearly two more hours, finally driving into the underground garage of her city-center apartment. She still didn't dare get out of the car, afraid that as soon as she did, someone would rush out and harm her.

...

When Lin Meng ran out of her home, she happened to see Su Yutang's Porsche just starting up. She hailed a taxi and followed Su Yutang's car.

Unexpectedly, Lin Meng's taxi kept circling around the city. By the time she arrived at this apartment, her taxi fare had reached three hundred yuan.

Lin Meng hurriedly paid and got out of the car.

She thought Yun Huaizhu would definitely come here according to the plot, so she just needed to wait here with the suppressant.

She hadn't registered her identity, so she couldn't enter the apartment building. Only when she got out of the car did she understand what autumn wind rustling meant. She couldn't help but hug her arms to warm up. She only had a pair of slippers on her feet; her toes were about to freeze stiff.

In order to be more agile when injecting Yun Huaizhu with the suppressant the moment she appeared, Lin Meng jogged in place, trying to warm up that way.

Just then, a pair of ice-cold arms suddenly reached out from behind her, firmly locking around her neck.

Lin Meng instantly froze. Her body reacted a step faster than her thoughts; her whole body trembled from this familiar and horrifying embrace.

A cold, sinister voice sounded by her ear: “Mengmeng-jie, on such a cold day, why didn't you stay home properly? Instead you ran out. I was so worried about you...”