Volume One, Chapter Five: Setting the Trap

After he finished speaking, the office fell silent once more. As expected, Wen Yang nodded lightly.

Whether at home or in the company, he never regarded her as his daughter.

She was not Wen Zhe’s biological child. When she was young, she came to the Wen family with her mother. Later, her mother divorced and left, abandoning her to Wen Zhe.

He believed she had taken in these words and relaxed slightly, his gaze burning as he stared at her. "You should have an advantage handling the resort project. Men always find it hard to resist a beauty."

“I’ve told you before, there are many tactics one can use in business. If you can deliver results here, I’ll consider sending you abroad to live with your brother,” she added.

Wen Zhe’s tone was as indifferent as commenting on the weather, his expression devoid of feeling.

His ruthless pursuit of profit was on full display.

Wen Jiu was the son born later to Wen Yang’s mother and Wen Zhe. The siblings had been very close growing up, but Wen Zhe sent him abroad to study, severing their contact.

Between the lines, his meaning was clear: he hoped she would use every means to secure the resort project.

Wen Yang stood upright, silent.

He tapped the desk with his fingers again, hoping for a satisfactory reply.

But the usual empty promises and manipulation didn’t work on her.

Yesterday was just the beginning. Continuing to work for him would only lead to endless exploitation—yesterday it was Mr. Han, tomorrow it could be someone else.

Wen Zhe was not insisting she work here out of admiration for her talent.

Wen Yang’s expression was calm; the warm air from the air conditioner strangely made her feel a chill.

“Fine, then my work here ends now.”

She met his gaze one last time before turning away.

Wen Zhe called after her, but she ignored him.

Passing rows of desks, she returned to her own station without delay and began organizing her materials.

There weren’t many—just recent project papers and a company-issued laptop.

She opened the laptop, transferred the files to her USB drive, then deleted everything thoroughly.

Su Chiyu quietly moved over from her desk. “Yang Yang, what did Mr. Wen say?”

“I’m not doing this anymore,” Wen Yang said succinctly, gathering a stack of documents from the adjacent desk into her bag as she spoke.

***

Wang Shuo was on the phone with Han Ting in the reception room, his laptop left on the desk at the next workstation.

“Ah?” Su Chiyu, the only person at the company who knew Wen Zhe was Wen Yang’s adoptive father, exclaimed, “That Wen skinflint! It’s one thing not to back you up, but to kick you out?”

“I’m leaving on my own,” Wen Yang said casually. “It’s fine; I can use the time to revise my thesis back at school.”

“Wuwu, I only applied because you were interning here. If you leave, it won’t be fun for me anymore.”

Su Chiyu seemed about to say more but then saw Wen Yang swap her own laptop with Wang Shuo’s on his desk. She then deleted all the files on his computer and emptied the recycle bin.

Blinking in surprise, she said nothing.

No one else noticed.

As a longtime employee, Wang Shuo had chosen a desk in the far corner of the last row—a blind spot on the surveillance cameras, perfect for slacking off.

“I’m off,” Wen Yang silently mouthed to Su Chiyu, shaking her phone to indicate they should keep in touch.

Just like when she arrived, she left quietly.

Wen Yang glanced toward the reception room; Wang Shuo was still fawning over a client on the phone.

***

She took a taxi back to school. The empty dorm was quiet; everyone else was busy with internships.

After showering and changing, she comfortably lay down on her bed.

Closing her eyes and smelling the faint soap scent on the sheets, the events of last night felt like a dream.

She slept until evening, when her phone vibrated with messages in their group chat.

Only three people were in the group: herself, Su Chiyu, and Mu Ran.

Su Chiyu and Mu Ran were her high school friends; the three were very close.

Su Chiyu and she had gone to the same university and studied the same major, while Mu Ran had faltered in the college entrance exam and entered the entertainment industry, where she was now somewhat known.

Su Su: “Tonight we celebrate Yang Yang breaking free from Wen Skinflint’s control! Freedom at last!”

Mu Ran: “Huh? What happened? Spill the tea jpg.”

Wen Yang: “One of Su Su’s many reasons for wanting to hit the bar: to check out handsome guys.”

The three chatted and laughed in the group for a while before settling on meeting at the Dark Night bar at eight.

Wen Yang arrived at exactly eight o’clock.

***

The place was special—technically a bar, but once inside, it revealed another world.

There were three floors: the first floor had booths, each served by a dedicated bartender.

At the center was a stage with a resident singer performing fast and slow songs, the lighting changing with the music.

The upper two floors resembled a private club, with highly secluded rooms. The third floor’s rooms were especially expensive to book, rumored to offer all kinds of services.

Most of the booths on the first floor were occupied.

Su Chiyu, in a striking red dress, with her hair in a bun and heavy makeup, shed her workday demeanor, appearing playful and mischievous.

Her long legs swinging, she propped her chin on her hand, intently watching a handsome bartender mix drinks.

Wen Yang didn’t need to search—there she was.

Su Su came here nearly every week, not for the bar itself but to admire the handsome bartenders, switching her favorite every now and then.

This was her third crush at Dark Night.

The young man stood in front of her, skillfully mixing drinks and chatting effortlessly, making Su Chiyu beam.

As Wen Yang approached, Su Chiyu called out, “Yang Yang! Over here!”

Wen Yang sat down, and Su Chiyu pushed over the pizza and small cakes they had already ordered. “You probably didn’t eat dinner again. Have a little something first.”

The bartender smiled warmly upon seeing Wen Yang. “Good evening, Miss Wen. The usual? One Snow Country?”

Wen Yang nodded, scooping a bite of cake with a small spoon, sincerely believing desserts could soothe the soul.

The rim of the glass was moistened with lime, then dipped in sugar to form a crust. Vodka, Cointreau, and lime juice were poured into a shaker, mixed with ice, and the “Snow Country” cocktail was ready.

The young man was handsome and slender-handed, his movements smooth and fluid.

“If Miss Su and Miss Wen need anything, just ring the bell,” he said, respecting the bar’s rule to give patrons privacy, then bowed slightly and stepped away.

“So handsome. He’s apparently a freshman from our school working here part-time,” Su Chiyu gushed, eyes sparkling with affection. “That sweet puppy type—never get tired of him.”

Wen Yang ate her cake, half-distracted. “Last time you said the same thing about another bartender, and after ordering four drinks, you said you got bored.”

Su Chiyu laughed it off.

“Has Ran Ran arrived yet?” Wen Yang glanced toward the door.

“She just messaged us in the group—there’s a night shoot at her set, so she told us not to wait.”

Sure enough, Wen Yang checked her phone and saw Mu Ran’s message, accompanied by an embarrassed dog emoji.

“Never mind her, tell me what happened last night,” Su Chiyu said, barely containing her curiosity.

Wen Yang took a small sip of her drink. The sweet and sour taste of lime touched her lips, yet she detected a trace of bitterness beneath.