Rose Hotel 12

Li Xing checked into the hotel, occupying the room right next to Su Man’s. He no longer made any mention of being Su Yuye’s romantic partner. Su Man was unsure of his intentions; while the way things were unfolding differed slightly from her plans, the overall deviation remained minimal.

She now understood that Lin Hui and Bei Jia were acquainted, and that they might have even sworn a deadly oath regarding Kang Fu. She suspected that this oath was the crux of the entire matter.

In the middle of the night, she heard faint noises coming from the room next door. When she strained to listen, however, the sounds vanished. She reasoned that since Li Xing was the one staying there, it likely posed no threat to her; after all, Li Xing’s current target was surely Lin Hui.

Nothing happened throughout the night. The next morning, upon going downstairs, she once again witnessed the gentle and harmonious dynamic between Lin Hui and her mother-in-law. Su Man did not engage them, choosing to eat her breakfast in silence.

Li Xing eventually came downstairs, sitting beside her with a furtive air, his head bowed as he poked at his rice, clearly distracted. Seeing him like this, Su Man knew he was up to no good and wanted nothing to do with him. Just as she picked up her bowl to leave, Li Xing suddenly called out in a low voice:

"Do you believe in the Hexagram?"

"What?" Su Man had already heard the legend of the Hexagram from Su Yuye. Her surprise now stemmed purely from the fact that it was Li Xing asking; was the legend of the Hexagram truly so famous in this scenario?

"Legend has it that the Hexagram can grant any wish," Li Xing said, his voice dropping as if he were a thief.

Su Man looked at him, confused. "So?"

"So, tell me, if I use the Hexagram, can I bring Yuye back?"

Su Man had initially thought he was joking, but the sincerity in his eyes was so profound that it seemed he truly wanted an answer from her. Her mind flashed back to what had transpired between Su Yuye and the mother-in-law that night. She thought that the Hexagram likely could fulfill his wish.

She answered him honestly, offering her analysis: "Perhaps it would work. But if such a thing is effective, the price to be paid would surely be great. It might even be your life."

"My life?" Li Xing paused, but then he smiled. "That doesn't matter. Even if it costs my life, it doesn't matter. If it can keep Yuye safe, then I am willing."

He seemed to have only wanted an answer, or perhaps someone to give him the courage to proceed. He finished his meal in a flurry, muttered a hasty word of thanks, and rushed back upstairs without looking back. Su Man watched his retreating figure, lost in thought. Just how far was he willing to go for Su Yuye?

Lin Hui’s current act of feigned madness was not particularly advantageous to Su Man—at the very least, it made a direct confrontation impossible. However, if she could use Li Xing’s hand to expose Lin Hui’s true identity, it would be a turn for the better. She just didn't know what Li Xing planned to do, or if it would impact Lin Hui.

Since Li Xing had rushed upstairs, Su Man had not seen him descend again. She only heard strange sounds emanating from his room—sometimes the cry of a rooster, other times a painful, guttural roar. Su Man did not sneak a peek; as long as these things did not affect her, they were none of her concern. More importantly, she had no time to interfere in Li Xing’s affairs, as the trouble surrounding Kang Fu was constant. As his employee, she could not remain detached.

This time, it wasn't Kang Fu who was in major trouble, but Bei Jia. Bei Jia had attempted suicide.

When Su Man arrived at the hospital, Bei Jia was still in emergency surgery. Because of her status, the hospital was surrounded by reporters. Su Man spotted a familiar face in the crowd, but as she was in a hurry to find Kang Fu, she put off the idea of catching up.

"Ms. Su, you're finally here. Please, take a look at Bei Jia. Has she been possessed by some evil entity?"

"I don't know why Bei Jia would do this. She is such a strong person. She suffered a severe illness before, but she always fought it with such tenacity."

Though only a night had passed, Kang Fu looked significantly more haggard—even more so than when he had been pestered by Lin Hui. Su Man sat on a chair, listening to him for a moment before reflecting for two seconds and asking, "After we left your house, did you manage to get in touch with Bei Jia?"

"No. Bei Jia wouldn't take my calls yesterday. It wasn't until her manager told me that I found out something had happened."

"Did she ask her manager to retract the cancellation of the wedding?"

"No." Kang Fu’s expression grew even more desolate, his shoulders slumping. Bei Jia had told him nothing.

Su Man asked again, "Then have you cancelled the wedding? Have you notified your relatives? The wedding is only a few days away. If you don't cancel it now, it will be too late."

"I am not cancelling the wedding!" Kang Fu’s tone grew agitated at these words. "I will only ever marry Bei Jia in this life. You have no idea what she means to me."

"Then, for her, are you willing to die?"

Kang Fu stared at her in shock.

The encounter ended in a heated argument, with Su Man storming off and Bei Jia’s manager and the hospital staff having to step in to intervene. As Su Man was being ushered away, Kang Fu continued to berate her: "You madwoman! Su Man, you're a lunatic! You want me dead? Keep dreaming!"

Su Man did not back down: "If I ever run into you again, I will kill you! You actually dared to swallow my money! You will cough up every cent you took, or you are a dead man!"

The reporters surrounding them, having failed to get the scoop on Bei Jia, were thrilled to stumble upon this drama involving her fiancé. Cameras clicked frantically. Unsurprisingly, Su Man would make the headlines the next day. The reporters had even prepared the titles: "Fiancée Hospitalized, Kang Fu Finds New Love" and "Romance Fails, Mistress Fails to Ascend."

Su Man, however, did not care. Before she could leave the hospital grounds, a hand reached out from the shadows and grabbed her. "Come with me."

Su Man found herself in a café. She sipped her coffee leisurely while Rong Rong sat across from her, looking frantic and distraught.

"Did you really say those things? Did you really fight with Kang Fu?"

"What is your mission this time? Are you trying to kill Kang Fu?"

"Are you really going to kill him? Tell me!"

It was Rong Rong who had pulled her away. Rong Rong had been just as surprised to see Su Man, never expecting to meet again under such circumstances. Su Man set down her cup and thought for two seconds. "The argument was real, but it wasn't what you heard. The truth is that Kang Fu asked me to kill him, and I refused."

Su Man seemed to have said everything, yet she had revealed nothing. Rong Rong waited for her to continue, but there was no more.