Shen Tingyu carefully retrieved his phone from him. Fortunately, the ringing had not ceased. Fan Cheng took the call.
"Zhixiu, are you busy..."
Before the person on the other end could finish speaking, Fan Cheng interrupted, "Young Madam, where are you? I'll bring President Ji to find you; he's not doing well right now."
Shen Tingyu's heart pounded, and her mind raced. This must be Fan Cheng. What did he mean by "not doing well"? What had happened? Regardless, the most urgent thing now was to see this man.
She quickly formed a plan and vaguely replied, "Send him to Sijichun first. I have a private suite there. Room number is 5208, I'll be there shortly."
Fan Cheng nodded. "Alright, I'll take him there first."
After hanging up, Shen Tingyu's heart was still racing. At this moment, she was incredibly clear-headed. For some reason, Fan Cheng had mistaken her for someone else. He must have been looking for Jiang Mian.
She hadn't expected him to address her as "Young Madam." Had they really reached that point?
Regret and anger warred within her. She took a deep breath and said to her assistant, "Cancel all afternoon activities. If Luo Fei contacts you, tell him it's my decision."
"But Sister Yu, you're supposed to go to the film set this afternoon..."
All that remained for the young assistant was Shen Tingyu's receding back.
Shen Tingyu hailed a taxi and rushed to Sijichun.
Sijichun was the largest five-star hotel in Kyoto, where she had a room booked year-round.
She calculated the time, estimating that Fan Cheng should have already brought the man there.
Upon reaching the front desk, she asked, "Could you please check if anyone has checked into room 5208 recently?"
The receptionist tapped on the computer for a moment and then smiled. "Yes, someone checked in ten minutes ago."
Shen Tingyu's heart settled. She nodded. "Thank you."
She avoided the elevator, fearing she might run into Fan Cheng. Taking the stairs took a considerable amount of time. When she finally reached the door of the room, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Tingyu opened the door.
On the oversized bed, the man lay with his eyes closed, groaning as if in great pain. His eyes were deeply flushed with desire. Despite the cold weather, a few beads of sweat had formed on his temples. His shirt collar was open, and his thin lips beneath his high nose were emitting sounds that made one's ears hot and heart race.
Fan Cheng had delivered the man and left, considering his task complete.
Shen Tingyu's face flushed. She immediately knew that Ji Zhixiu had been drugged.
"A heaven-sent opportunity," she murmured to herself. She walked over in two steps and boldly placed her palm on the man's cheek. His skin was burning hot. This intimate touch was like water in a desert to him, more effective than any drug.
Shen Tingyu's breathing grew rapid. The man was clearly disoriented and instinctively grabbed her hand. The person she longed for was right in front of her, and she made a bold decision.
Reluctantly, she withdrew her hand from Ji Zhixiu's grasp. Her expression was gentle, and her voice was soft. "Wait for me. I'll take a shower first, then I'll come back, okay?"
Ji Zhixiu's eyes remained closed, and he offered no response.
...
"How is it? Will young master be back later?" Aunt Song asked.
Jiang Mian shook her head. "It's busy. It might be busy right now, as it's still on the call."
Jiang Mian didn't pay it much mind and finished the meal Aunt Song had brought. She took a bag of cat treats to feed Xiaoyugan. As soon as she tore it open, Jiang Mian's hand accidentally trembled, and the cat treats fell to the floor. Xiaoyugan immediately jumped down from her and gobbled up the treats.
Then, it wagged its tail and stared at Jiang Mian with innocent eyes, shamelessly acting cute.
Jiang Mian couldn't help but smile, and then she tore open another one for it.
Aunt Song came out after tidying the kitchen. "Young Madam, would you like to call young master again?"
She wanted the young couple to spend more time together. All this busyness was affecting their relationship.
"No need. If he sees it, he'll call me back." Jiang Mian didn't want to disturb him when he was busy.
"It doesn't hurt to ask. Young Madam, the young master would surely be happy if you called," Aunt Song encouraged.
Jiang Mian reluctantly gave in to Aunt Song's repeated nudging and took out her phone. "Alright, I'll call again then."
This time, Jiang Mian frowned. Seeing her expression change, Aunt Song asked, "What's wrong?"
"No one is answering."
This situation had never happened before. Jiang Mian instinctively sensed something was amiss. She asked, "Aunt Song, do you have Fan Cheng's number?"
Aunt Song didn't have contact with Fan Cheng and shook her head.
But then she quickly added, "I don't, but Sun Shu definitely does. I'll have him find it for you."
Jiang Mian nodded. "Okay."
Aunt Song immediately used the intercom to call Sun Shu. A few minutes later, Sun Shu ran over. "What is it, Young Madam?"
"Sun Shu, do you have Fan Cheng's number? Please find it for me."
"Yes," Fan Cheng pulled up the phone book from his iPad. "Young Madam, here it is."
Jiang Mian glanced at it and jotted down the number. "Okay, I have it. You can go back now. Thank you."
After dropping off Ji Zhixiu, Fan Cheng returned to the company. Just as he arrived at the entrance, he received a call from an unknown number.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Fan Cheng, it's Jiang Mian. Is Ji Zhixiu with you?"
Hearing this question, Fan Cheng's heart pounded. If this number belonged to the real Young Madam, then who was the woman who had called President Ji earlier?
His throat felt dry. The priority was to tell the truth and find President Ji. "Young Madam, the situation is a bit urgent. Listen to me. Tonight, at the wine reception, President Ji was drugged. Then, a woman coincidentally called. I thought it was you. She asked me to bring President Ji to Sijichun Hotel. I just got back."
Jiang Mian said coldly, "Room number."
"5208. Young Madam, shall I come with you?"
The Young Madam was calmer than he expected. Fan Cheng quickly asked, partly to atone for his mistake.
"No need. Remember this is my number. I'll call you if anything else comes up." She quickly finished speaking and called out to Xiang Long, "Go, drive me to Sijichun now!"
No matter who the woman was who had been mistaken for her due to a wrong number, Jiang Mian knew she had malicious intentions.
Heaven knows how terrified Jiang Mian was right now. Being drugged meant the person was not in their right mind. If Ji Zhixiu was touched by another woman, Jiang Mian wouldn't blame him, but... she wouldn't be able to get past it.
Her emotions were complicated. She had seen this kind of illicit drug a few times in their circle, and some people had even been driven mad by not being able to find release.
She didn't want either of these outcomes for Ji Zhixiu.
She kept urging Xiang Long along the way, "Drive faster, drive faster."
Although Xiang Long didn't know what had happened, he understood the urgency and nodded. "We'll be there in five minutes. Hold on tight, Madam."
As she got out of the car, Jiang Mian felt a wave of nausea. She regretted eating Aunt Song's cooking earlier...
This feeling of her stomach churning was unbearable. She found a trash can and induced vomiting.
After vomiting, she went straight to the Sijichun front desk. "I'm here to catch a cheating spouse. You don't want me to call the police, do you? Help me open room 5208. I'll take some evidence and file for divorce."
Jiang Mian wore a mask and sunglasses, her face unreadable. The man behind her was tall and expressionless, clearly not someone to be trifled with. At first glance, she really looked like someone catching a cheating spouse with a bodyguard.
Generally, in such places, there was an unwritten rule that if someone claimed to be catching a mistress, the front desk would let them go, as long as they didn't cause a scene or reveal private information that would implicate the front desk.
The receptionist was startled and moved her mouse to find room 5208. "Please provide the registered name."
Jiang Mian frowned. "I can't provide that. He used the mistress's name. I promise I'm telling the truth and won't hinder your work."
No one would morally condemn a mistress who broke up a marriage. The receptionist looked at her with sympathy and handed her a card. "Please go up and use this card. Bring it back to me after you're done."
"Thank you," Jiang Mian said, holding her hand and lowering her voice. "If I successfully get divorced and get my alimony, I'll treat you to a meal."
The young girl was stunned for a moment, then nodded and urged, "Then hurry up. I'll be waiting for your good news."
Just before Jiang Mian entered the elevator, she heard the girl faintly say, "What a pity..."
In the elevator, as the floor numbers climbed, an unspeakable tension filled Jiang Mian's heart. Xiang Long said in a low voice, "Young Madam, the CEO will be alright."
"He will definitely be alright."
...
Fearing that Ji Zhixiu couldn't wait any longer, Shen Tingyu didn't intend to take a long shower. However, as soon as she entered the bathroom, she decided she wanted to give the man an unforgettable experience.
She washed herself thoroughly, used a pleasant-smelling body wash, and even spritzed some perfume on herself.
The woman in the mirror had a charming face, with visible joy mixed with a hint of nervousness in her eyes.
She wrapped herself in a bathrobe and opened the bathroom door.
Outside room 5208, Jiang Mian said, "Open the door."
Xiang Long swiped the card, but there was no reaction. He realized, "Young Madam, this is an elevator card, not a room key."
The front desk wouldn't casually give out room keys. If they tried to force their way in, it could implicate the hotel. Jiang Mian understood. Her eyes darkened, and she said sternly, "I'll knock. Someone will open the door, then you do as I say, understand?"
"Understood!"
Jiang Mian knocked on the door with her knuckles.
"Who is it?" Shen Tingyu asked.
Who else could it be at this time? Could it be Fan Cheng returning?
"Miss, we are hotel room service. Is there anything you need?"
Shen Tingyu was displeased. At a time like this, it was best if no one disturbed her and Ji Zhixiu. She called out, "I don't need anything."
Jiang Mian frowned. The fact that there was a voice was good, meaning they hadn't reached that point yet. But it was unacceptable for her to refuse to open the door.
"Miss, I found a card outside the door. Could you come out and see if it's yours?"
The voice outside spoke again. This time, Shen Tingyu didn't refuse. She had come in a hurry, and it was possible she had lost something.
She reluctantly glanced at the man on the bed, then thought to herself that there was no rush for a minute.
Shen Tingyu walked over and opened the door, but not very wide. "Where is the card? Let me see?"
Jiang Mian saw her and was not surprised. If anyone had ulterior motives towards Ji Zhixiu, it could only be her.
"There is no card," she said with a faint smile.
Then, her tone immediately changed to a stern, cold command. "Now, Xiang Long, break it down!"
It was impossible to get Shen Tingyu to open the door nicely. Only by using such a method could they possibly get in.
Shen Tingyu finally saw it was her, shocked and angry. "It's you, Jiang Mian!"
As quick as lightning, she reacted. Although she didn't know how Jiang Mian had found her, her instinct was to immediately close the door.