By the time he returned to the hotel, it was already nine o’clock.

Meanwhile, it was barely dawn in Newbridge, just past five in the morning.

The heavy gray curtains were drawn tight. In the minimalist room, on a king-sized bed, the man was still fast asleep.

Fu Zhiyan had set his alarm for six. That way, over in Cecilia’s time zone, it would be nearly bedtime—just the perfect moment to talk before she slept.

But before his alarm could ring, his phone chimed with a text message.

Without his wife by his side, Fu Zhiyan's sleep was light. He cracked open his cold eyes, reached out his long arm, and grabbed the phone from the nightstand.

He sat up against the headboard and opened the message.

At just a glance, the attached photo banished all traces of sleep.

Cecilia and... Wait—was that Quentin Zane?

Since Cecilia had always admired this artist, Fu Zhiyan had looked up Quentin Zane before. In the photo, the two seemed to be at a cocktail party. Quentin Zane held a glass of wine and stood so that most of Cecilia was hidden behind him.

But it was obvious: Quentin Zane’s hand rested on Cecilia’s waist, their gazes locked, and a smile sparkled in Cecilia’s eyes.

A pang of jealousy hit, but Fu Zhiyan only let out a cold laugh.

Hah, so when they can't touch me in Newbridge, now they chase me all the way to Country Y?

If he was still naïve enough to fall for a photo like this, he would hardly be worthy of Cecilia’s forgiveness back then.

Clearly, someone was working in the shadows, trying to stir up trouble.

Frowning, Fu Zhiyan immediately called Old Third and gave a series of detailed instructions.

——

In the hotel room—

Cecilia emerged from the bathroom, feeling much better after a shower. The jet lag still wouldn’t budge, and now she just felt sleepy.

Realizing it was barely dawn in Newbridge, she decided to let Zhiyan sleep a little longer.

Beep-beep-beep. The phone rang. She glanced at the screen: it was Fu Zhiyan calling.

She sat on the bed, tapping the answer button with a happy grin. "Hello, hubby."

"Baby, you’re still up?"

His familiar voice flowed through the line, as soft as if he was whispering right in her ear. Cecilia nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see.

"No, I’m up. I just got out of the shower. Why are you up so early? Isn’t it not even six yet?"

Hearing her gentle, sweet voice, Fu Zhiyan’s chilly features unconsciously softened. "Yeah, I missed you so much. Without you beside me, I just can't sleep well."

"Really? Well, just how much do you miss me, then?" Cecilia playfully held up her fingers, showing a tiny gap. "This much? Or this much? Or maybe this, this, this much?"

Her antics made Fu Zhiyan laugh. "So much that I wish I could hold you right now. Let’s video chat—I want to see you."

"Okay!" She put the video call on. Cecilia, in her pajamas, sat cross-legged on the bed.

His face, suddenly magnified on screen, was strikingly handsome—and it made her blush. Married for so long, and yet just glimpsing her husband like this still made her heart race.

"Hubby," she called softly, her sweet tone hinting at affection.

Fu Zhiyan propped his phone up and gazed at the one person he ached for. "How was your day? Tired?"

"Not at all. I went to the art exhibition and finally saw so many works I’d dreamed of seeing. I’m so happy!"

"I also ran into Quentin Zane, and stuck around for the cocktail party a bit."

She didn’t mention being invited for drinks. After all, it was just a small, forgettable episode she didn’t even care about.

Seeing her radiant smile, Fu Zhiyan smiled too. "I wish I could be with you—at every place you go, I want to be right there with you."

His lingering voice sent a shiver of sweetness. Cecilia burrowed under her blanket, poking out her head. "Then stay with me forever! We can travel anywhere, everywhere together."

"Of course. Wherever you want to go, I’ll take you there."

Even without seeing, Fu Zhiyan could picture his girl all curled up under the covers, probably stretching her legs every which way—just like she always did when she slept, sometimes draping them across him, cute legs peeking from her pajamas.

The morning’s heat made his lips dry. "Baby, I really want to kiss you."

"Ah…" The words set Cecilia’s ears aflame. Every morning, when he said things like that, it was only ever a prelude:

A kiss, another kiss… and then things would only heat up from there until he’d finally let her go.

Even his voice through the phone now seemed huskier than usual. Cecilia nervously pressed her lips together, feeling her whole body start to tingle.

She stammered, "You can’t kiss me like this, though."

Fu Zhiyan broke into a wry, helpless grin. "I know… But not for long. I’ll be able to soon."

He’d already made up his mind: once Henry Hart arrived and handled the company’s affairs, he’d head straight for Country Y.

Not even with Old Third by Cecilia’s side could he truly be at ease.

As for Charles Chase, he’d just give him a heads-up.

The new project was already on track. Compared to Cecilia, everything else felt trivial.

"Alright, sweetheart. Get some sleep now."

Lost in the sweetness, the sleepy little girl had no idea what risks were swirling around her.

She nodded obediently. "I’ll go to sleep, then. Make sure you eat breakfast."

"Mm. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she said, reluctantly ending the call. Without Fu Zhiyan nearby, she just couldn’t get comfortable. She tossed and turned for ages before finally drifting off in exhaustion.

……

Fu Zhiyan got out of bed, washed up quickly, and left his room.

Before long, Henry Hart arrived at the company, pushed open the door, and was startled to see Fu Zhiyan already working.

"Sir, you’re here so early."

He’d known Fu Zhiyan would stay overnight at the office, but hadn’t expected him to be up this early.

Henry Hart set down breakfast from the eighth floor. "You’re meeting with Director Xu from MD this morning, and in the afternoon—"

"Hold on. Get me the earliest flight to Country Y today first."

Fu Zhiyan cut him off, taking a few bites of bread.

"Yes, sir."

Henry Hart hesitated a moment but agreed. Matters in Country Y must be related to Madam.

"I’ve gone through all the new project files, signed where needed, and you can handle the rest as you see fit," Fu Zhiyan said, swallowing his bite.

Sensing Fu Zhiyan’s urgency, Henry Hart immediately booked the flight. "The soonest is the 9:30 a.m. flight. Sir, did something happen?"

A cold smile flashed in Fu Zhiyan’s eyes. "The new project stepped on a few toes. Hah! Gather everything on those bumped-out companies—all their business dealings from recent years. Sort and prepare any evidence of illegal activity. I’ll deal with it when I return."

His tone made it clear he meant business. He put on his watch. "I’m leaving."

With that, he strode out of the office.

Henry Hart got right to work, sending people to dig up the evidence.

Each company Fu Zhiyan named was a well-known, heavyweight player in Newbridge's business circles.

By taking them on, it was clear: a major shake-up was about to hit the city’s commercial world.

……