Chapter 11: The Night Before the Engagement Banquet

The engagement banquet between the Fu family and the Qiao family stirred all of Haijing City. Yet, unexpectedly, the Qiao family insisted on holding the event at a modest eco-hotel located beyond the city's fifth ring road.

To show sincerity and respect, the Fu family agreed to host the banquet at this eco-hotel.

When Sheng Mengxia heard the news, she immediately recalled someone mentioning in the live chat about a hotel with a secret room—and according to the chat, she was destined to die in that very room.

Her heart instantly tightened with anxiety; her mind went blank, and a dull ache began to throb in her stomach.

“Xia Xia, come here. Xia Xia?” Snapping back to reality, she realized Fu Yancheng was calling her.

“Oh, I’m coming.” Mengxia followed Fu Yancheng to his study, her thoughts heavy. “Xia Xia, tomorrow is your sister’s segment. Here’s the plan; take a look first.”

Distracted, Mengxia flipped through the papers, then exclaimed in surprise, “Sheng Mengqing, Vice President of the Chinese Medicine Association?”

“Yes, your sister is just as outstanding as you are!” Fu Yancheng said, pulling a Chanel gift bag from beneath his desk and handing it to her. “This dress is specially prepared for you. Wear it tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” Mengxia’s distant demeanor seemed to surprise Fu Yancheng.

He suddenly pulled her close, leaning in to whisper in a low, husky voice, “Try it on. Inside is the jewelry I gave you.”

Flustered, Mengxia turned away, covering her face with her hands. “Um… I’ll go change in my room.”

“No need to trouble yourself. Change here,” he said, then turned and closed the door.

A moment later, a shy voice came from inside: “Um, could you help me zip this up?”

Fu Yancheng re-entered to find her wearing a red-and-white Chanel spring dress, the latest design. The hem floated like a dream, as light as clouds.

The dress was exquisitely tailored, hugging her figure and accentuating her perfect curves.

Dressed like this, she radiated grace and beauty, her eyes shimmering with confidence and vitality.

After a few awkward seconds of eye contact, Mengxia turned quickly, asking Fu Yancheng to help with the zipper. She stumbled and fell right into his arms.

His broad, sturdy shoulders and embrace brought an inexplicable sense of security. Blushing, Mengxia broke free and faced away, waiting for him to finish.

“We deserve someone better than Huai Ting. He’s not worthy of you,” Fu Yancheng murmured to himself as he slowly zipped her dress.

Although she was breathtakingly beautiful, his face betrayed a deep melancholy upon seeing her. “It’s late. Get some rest,” he said, then left without another word, leaving Mengxia bewildered.

She thought, “Does he think the one he loves is Ye Huai Ting? Was that distant politeness because Ye Huai Ting is getting engaged? What a foolish, self-deluded man.”

But now, none of that mattered. The most important thing was to protect her own life.

Seeing no one around, she tried to contact the live chat. “Hey, chat, are you there? Please come out.”

After calling out repeatedly with no response, she had no choice but to take the initiative. She couldn’t just wait to be trapped.

She decided to sneak into the hotel early to gather information and figure out how to respond tomorrow.

With the driver waiting outside, she used her petite frame to slip quietly through the fence surrounding the hotel garden.

She felt utterly reckless—fully aware of the danger and terrified, yet still daring to venture inside, comforted only by the driver keeping her company via video call.

As she crossed the garden behind the hotel, she noticed some stone slabs on the ground were loose.

Her heart pounding, she carefully lifted a slab when she discovered a hidden underground passage.

Taking a deep breath, she cautiously descended the passageway. At the end was a closed door, behind which she faintly heard voices.

Leaning in, she overheard a conspiracy to frame her during the engagement banquet—a plan to kill two birds with one stone: eliminate her and entangle the Fu family.

Cold sweat broke out over her as she spun to leave—only to accidentally knock over a nearby vase, which shattered with a sharp noise.

Inside, someone shouted, demanding to know who was there. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she ran blindly.

She bolted through the dark tunnel as footsteps chased after her, the sound growing closer with every step.

Suddenly, she reached a fork and, without time to think, chose the left path. After running a short distance, she found a small room and hid inside.

Soon, the voices outside faded. Relieved, she began to consider how to escape—but then someone entered.

Quickly, she concealed herself behind the curtains.

Peering through a slit, her eyes locked on a face she would never forget—the man who had abducted and murdered her in her previous life.