She was still groggy from sleep, but the moment she saw who was standing in front of her, her mind cleared instantly.

Why had Fu Zhiyan come back at this hour?

"You're awake?"

His voice was cold. He looked at the small figure lying on the bed. After not seeing her for a week, Fu Zhiyan suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

"Mm."

Their eyes met, and a sharp pain clenched at Cecilia Ye's heart. She'd told herself she wouldn't feel sad anymore.

But for some reason, just seeing Fu Zhiyan again, her heart ached all over.

Even though she'd been angry and disappointed these past few days.

Six years. This was their sixth New Year together.

All her affection had been poured into the man before her.

Cutting those feelings off was truly heart-wrenching.

Cecilia Ye thought, if only there were a medicine—if she could just drink something and forget this man forever, how wonderful that would be.

Fu Zhiyan tried to reach out to help her sit up, but as his hand approached, Cecilia Ye snapped out of her thoughts at once.

She leaned back, pushing herself up from the bed on her own.

Fu Zhiyan's hand hung midair, unneeded. He frowned, then sat down at the edge of the bed, staring at Cecilia Ye.

"Cecilia, it was my fault that day..."

The words tumbled from his lips, tinged with hesitation and a barely detectable nervousness. Since when did the CEO of the Fu family find it so hard to speak?

"No need. You don't have to apologize to me."

Cecilia Ye cut him off, forcing a smile that never reached her eyes. "I told Grandpa Rivers that we'll be sleeping separately for a while. If you want this room tonight, I can take the guest room."

She lifted the covers, about to get out of bed. Her heart had already turned cold; no amount of sweetness from Fu Zhiyan could warm it again.

The distance in Cecilia Ye's demeanor felt like a bucket of icy water over Fu Zhiyan's head, a chill that froze him to the core.

He looked up at her, knowing the incident from that day still pierced her heart—she was still angry.

Seeing her gathering her clothes, ready to leave, Fu Zhiyan stiffly stood up and said, voice cold, "No need. I'll sleep next door."

He stood a moment longer, then gave her a deep, lingering look before leaving the room.

Cecilia Ye felt as though she could finally breathe again; the stiffness left her body.

She let her clothes fall back into the wardrobe, clutching them tightly while she closed her eyes for a moment.

Well done, Cecilia Ye. Just like this.

Keep rejecting him. Do it every time, from now on.

*

At the Bai residence, Vivian Belle had just finished her shower and stepped out. Her mother was on the sofa watching TV.

Their place was on the 16th floor of a luxury complex. Over the years Vivian Belle had lived abroad, and those debt collectors had been thrown back in jail again.

Fu Zhiyan had always been generous with Vivian Belle. Whenever she needed money, he would send some—while it was nothing to him, it was enough for any average person to live very comfortably, buying luxury brands and living in a fancy apartment, never thinking twice before spending.

"Zhi Zhi, tell me—what's Fu Zhiyan playing at? He already admitted he's going to marry you, so why isn't he contacting you these days?"

Seeing Vivian Belle come out, her mother set down her sunflower seeds and turned to ask her.

Vivian Belle was toweling her hair, frowning. "Isn't it almost New Year's? He's probably going home to get the family register from the old man to finalize things. After stirring up such a mess, he couldn't not marry me."

"Besides, there's no way that Cecilia Ye girl will ever last with Fu Zhiyan. Girls like her are naive and thin-skinned. As soon as she's talked about behind her back, she won't be able to stand it."

She perched cross-legged on the sofa. "Mom, can you bring me the hairdryer?"

Her plump mother heaved herself off the sofa, giggling as she walked off to fetch it.

"Ah, once our Zhi Zhi marries into the Fu family, we won't have to live in a place like this anymore. We'll have maids waiting on us, someone to dry your hair every day—hah!"

Vivian Belle massaged some hand cream into her hands, picturing the life ahead. Greed and smugness lit up her face.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

There was a violent pounding at the door. Scarface and a few of his lackeys stood outside, obviously impatient. The day before, they'd gone back to see Boss Jin.

Boss Jin had told them that the one who pays is the boss, and the boss's orders are law. Besides, the girl inside owed Boss Jin money—if they couldn't collect, what face would they have left in the underworld?

Vivian Belle tugged at her clothes irritably and stood up. "Who the hell comes to visit at this hour?"

She yanked open the door, scowl on her face—only to see Scarface standing right there.

A chill shot through her. No way could she forget that scarred face—the very man who'd once held her by the hair and stabbed a knife into her.

A scream caught in her throat. She stumbled back several steps, trying to sound composed. "You... what are you doing here?"

Scarface grinned nastily and stepped into the apartment with one stride.

Hearing the commotion, Vivian Belle's mother emerged from the bathroom. Seeing these menacing figures, she shouted, "Who are you? How dare you just barge into someone else's home!"

Scarface shot her a sidelong glance and chuckled darkly. "Huh? Don't you remember us? We've met before, haven't we?"

His men filed in, slamming the door shut behind them.

Vivian Belle's mother racked her brains, and suddenly recognized these men. She started shaking, teeth chattering, and dragged Vivian Belle back with her.

"Aren't you supposed to be in prison? What are you doing here? You know my Zhi Zhi is about to marry into the Fu family—don't you dare try anything!"

Scarface snorted and put on an exaggerated display of fear. "Fu family? Oh, I'm just terrified."

Waving his hand impatiently, he barked, "Enough chit-chat—let's get this over with!"

Four of his lackeys immediately surged forward, grabbing hold of the two women with rough hands. Vivian Belle staggered, shocked by how quickly they turned violent.

She let out a shrill scream and struggled madly, her damp hair whipping around.

"You—you can't do this! This is breaking and entering! If you touch me, A'Nian will break your hands—get out, get lost!"

Still in her slippers, Vivian Belle stumbled and fell to the floor, where someone held her down hard.

Her mother, plump and unwieldy, squirmed next to Vivian Belle, kicking wildly to fight back.

"Let go! Let go! Keep your filthy hands off me!"

She screamed hysterically, but the two men holding her down grew annoyed and slapped her heavily across the face.

The blow stunned her—she was used to being the bully, not the bullied. For a second she was dazed, then tears and snot poured down her face.

"What do you want from us?!"

Seeing her mother struck, Vivian Belle was horrified. She trembled as she stammered, "You just want money, right? Fu Zhiyan is going to marry me—however much you want, I'll pay!"

Scarface lounged against the back of the sofa, finding their cluelessness amusing.

He stepped forward, muscled frame squatting as he grinned nastily at them. "Oh, we'll get our money back, don't worry. But you made us rot in prison all these years—how do we settle that account?"

Vivian Belle whipped her head back at him, glaring. "You deserved to be locked up after you stabbed me!"

"Oh? Who told your cheapskate dad to borrow money and not pay it back? He said we could do whatever we wanted with his daughter. How about this—you're not bad looking, and we've got plenty of customers. Entertain a few and pay off the debt that way?"

He leaned close, baring his yellow teeth and reeking breath, making Vivian Belle want to retch.

"I told you, I'll pay the money! Two million is nothing to the Fu family!"

"Tsk. Did you hit your head or something? Do you think we just somehow walked out of prison and magically found where you live?"

Scarface lost his patience and seized Vivian Belle by the hair. Sure, that debt was an excuse, but what people really wanted was just to torment her—the thought of coming back again and again to play this game amused him.

His crude words sent a jolt through Vivian Belle. Suddenly, the implications clicked. Why were they out of jail? Fu Zhiyan had said these men would never get out.

How did they know where she lived?

How were they so unfazed, even knowing that Fu Zhiyan was going to marry her?

A shudder ran through her body. Vivian Belle's face twisted in terror—she'd just thought of an unthinkable answer.