All the guests were dispersed, filing through the corridors from the four corner doors of the hall to collect their masks before entering the ballroom.
Shen Jingsong received a light golden butterfly mask, its delicate wings etched with graceful patterns.
She drifted along with the crowd, lifting the golden filigree butterfly to settle it across her nose bridge.
The corridor stretched long and narrow, its lights hazy and dim, awash in unfamiliar murmurs.
Rounding the corner, the view opened up dramatically. Music poured through the vast ballroom, colorful masks weaving among the guests, while several pairs of dancers already twirled gracefully at the center of the floor.
Shen Jingsong skirted the edge of the dance floor, scanning for Xia Zhuxi’s figure.
A server balancing champagne glasses brushed past her, and a guest with clumsy footwork backed up abruptly, nearly treading on her shoe.
A Miniature Yorkshire Terrier suddenly bolted from beneath a tablecloth, its fluffy fur grazing Shen Jingsong’s calf. She jumped in alarm, dodging away in a panic.
Her heart still racing, she found a rose thrust before her. Looking up, she met the gaze of a curly-haired foreign man behind a black mask. In halting Chinese, he invited her: “Beautiful lady, would you care to dance with me?”
Shen Jingsong frowned. She disliked such uninvited closeness.
Before she could refuse, the rose was snatched from his hand. They both turned to see a woman in a white mask approaching. She inserted herself between them, dropping the rose into a nearby champagne glass on a table.
In front of the man, the woman took Shen Jingsong’s hand, guiding it to her shoulder while lightly encircling her waist. To him, she said, “Wrong partner. She’s mine alone.”
The man let out a regretful sigh and melted back into the crowd to continue his pursuit.
Shen Jingsong touched the bow tie at the woman’s chest and allowed herself to be led. “Xiao Xi, I’m no good at ballroom dancing.”
Xia Zhuxi encircled her with one arm while lacing their fingers together with the other. “Neither am I. It’s fine—just go with the feeling and improvise. No one’s paying attention to us anyway.”
Shen Jingsong smiled softly. “Alright~”
She followed Xia Zhuxi’s rhythm, stepping forward or back, spinning lightly under the guidance of her palm before reclining into her arms, her slender waist arching into a perfect curve.
Contrary to Xia Zhuxi’s claim that no one was watching, as they merged into the dance floor with their intimate steps, the swirling spotlights caught them like snowflakes dancing in blazing sunlight—dreamy and mesmerizing. Dancing couples paused to watch, breaking into admiring applause.
Shen Jingsong gazed deeply at the lover guiding her through the dance. Beneath Xia Zhuxi’s white mask rose a straight nose bridge, her lips curved in a natural, perpetual smile.
Forever warm and gentle with her.
The ballroom plunged into darkness.
Every light winked out.
Gasps rippled through the crowd amid a stir of confusion.
Shen Jingsong’s eyes had yet to adjust to the sudden blindness when warm, soft lips claimed hers, drawing her in.
“Mm…” As her vision cleared in the gloom, she recognized the nearby white mask and the familiar shape of those eyes. Relieved, she closed her own and wrapped her arms around Xia Zhuxi, their lips and tongues entwining as she surrendered to the moment.
The bustle of guests and clamor of voices drowned out the soft sounds of their kiss.
She lost track of time, emerging breathless and tingling from her waist to her heels, melting limply into Xia Zhuxi’s embrace.
The lights flickered back on one by one. Shen Jingsong’s cheeks burned; without the golden butterfly to hide behind, her full blush would have been laid bare for Xia Zhuxi to see.
The music swelled anew, and the dance floor buzzed with energy once more.
Warm breath tickled Shen Jingsong’s ear as Xia Zhuxi murmured privately, “That blackout was deliberate by the organizers. They call it ‘Thief Time’ during the ball.”
Shen Jingsong’s steps faltered. “Hm?” Her cheek pressed to Xia Zhuxi’s chest, she listened to the rapid, heated thrum of her heartbeat.
Seizing the moment when no one was looking, Xia Zhuxi nipped at her earlobe. “Time to steal a kiss from you.”
Shen Jingsong tilted her face up, her gaze soft and alluring.
Is that so.
Tonight, back in the room, she’d catch the thief.
~~~
The next day, the Frankfurt Auto Show officially opened.
The first morning featured an opening performance followed by host interactions.
At two in the afternoon, guests entered for the auto show symposium, where Xia Zhuxi and a foreign race car driver had been invited.
Xia Zhuxi had secured a front-row seat for Shen Jingsong. Up on stage, as she bantered with the host, her eyes would flick toward Shen Jingsong in the audience, her smile turning especially radiant. The cameramen couldn’t get enough of those beaming expressions.
After covering the standard topics, the host steered toward the gossip that car enthusiasts craved. “We all know Courtney has two kids now and is a happy dad, but everyone’s dying to hear about Xia God’s relationship status.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Every camera zeroed in on Xia Zhuxi.
The host asked, “Xia Zhuxi, can you share a little information with your fans who support you?”
When Xia Zhuxi smiled, she revealed her pearly white tiger teeth. “Share what?”
The host pressed on. “For example, do you have someone you like?”
Xia Zhuxi was straightforward. “Yes.”
The audience erupted. “Aaaahhhh—”
The host was momentarily stunned before her face lit up with classic gossip-monger glee. “Um… would it be convenient to say if they’re a boy or a girl?”
Xia Zhuxi was generous. “A very gentle and beautiful girl.”
The fans in the seats below exploded. “Aaaahhhh!!!”
The CP shippers cried out, “Who is it? Tell us who!”
The solo stans felt their hearts shatter. “I want to go home and drown my sorrows… for three days and nights, right through the witching hour…”
Others just grinned like idiots, chuckling to themselves.
The host seized the moment. “Is it someone we all know? Someone in the industry, or outside it?”
Xia Zhuxi replied, “Outside the industry. I don’t know if you all know her.”
The host leaned in. “Does she know you have feelings for her? Have the two of you already secretly pledged your hearts to each other?”
Xia Zhuxi wasn’t about to fall into the host’s trap. “That’s not something I can share, haha~”
Suddenly, a bold girl among the fans leaped to her feet, clambering onto her chair as she bellowed, “Shen Jingsong! Is it Shen Jingsong?!!”
Xia Zhuxi kept her composure on the surface, but inside, she reeled. An overwhelming urge surged through her—the desire to declare to the entire world that Shen Jingsong was her wife.
In that instant, she didn’t even dare glance at Shen Jingsong, who was seated right in the front row.
More and more fans joined the uproar. They hoisted glowing #Summer Squirrel# light signs that flashed amid the crowd.
Xia Zhuxi grabbed the microphone and deflected with practiced ease. “My relationship with Teacher Shen is a great one. Thank you all for your support, and thank you for loving Teacher Shen too.”
The audience roared. “Oooh wow!!!”
The topic was red-hot now, and the host smoothly pivoted. “Thank you, Xia God, for sharing so much with us. Let’s give a big round of applause for Xia Zhuxi and wish her all her heart desires—”
“You shameless vixen! Seducing my husband! You filthy homewrecker! I’ll beat you till you’re picking your teeth up off the floor!”
A haughty rich woman in her forties charged onto the stage. The venue’s security had been pinned down by a squad of her black-suited bodyguards. The woman snarled in fury as she swung a steel pipe straight at Xia Zhuxi’s head.
“I’ll beat you to death, you slut! You bitch! Die, you mistress!”
A dark shadow loomed before Xia Zhuxi’s eyes. The pipe whistled through the air with a piercing shriek. There was a heavy thud as it struck something soft. Xia Zhuxi’s pupils contracted in horror. She lunged forward and caught the person collapsing in front of her. Her hands came away stained crimson. “Shen Jingsong!”
In that split second of peril, Shen Jingsong had reacted with lightning speed, rushing forward to take the blow in Xia Zhuxi’s place.
The steel pipe—thick as a baby’s arm—had smashed solidly into Shen Jingsong’s back. Its jagged rim had torn into the flesh at the nape of her neck.
Screams filled the air. Venue security clashed with the woman’s bodyguards in a chaotic brawl, while terrified audience members fled for cover, shielding their heads.
Xia Zhuxi clutched Shen Jingsong close as she dodged the fray. She dialed emergency services and cradled her fallen love while waiting for help. Security finally broke through, swiftly subduing the raging woman and her guards.
The woman was wrestled to the ground, her arms twisted behind her back. Xia Zhuxi delivered a vicious kick. “Who the hell are you? Who were you trying to kill? You believe I won’t send you straight to hell right now?”
The woman’s eyes blazed red. “I’ll kill you! You slut dare ask who I am? Did you even remember your own damn name when you were seducing my man?”
A major public hospital sat directly across from the convention center. Paramedics arrived in record time. Xia Zhuxi helped ease Shen Jingsong onto the stretcher, then whirled to jab a finger at the woman. “You’d better wait right there. I’ll deal with you later!”
Security cleared a path. The medics raced the stretcher toward the ambulance, with Xia Zhuxi trailing close behind. Her heart hammered in her throat. “Shen Jingsong, you’re going to be okay. Just hold on—we’re almost at the hospital…”
In the midst of the chaos, camera flashes popped. From the back of the milling crowd, a shadowy figure slipped away at a run.
~~~
Beep.
Beep.
The monitors in Ward 1008 beeped with mechanical indifference.
A doctor in a white coat stepped out of the room and gently closed the door behind him.
“According to the scans, there’s no damage to the bones or nerves. But the pipe struck the back of her head, causing a mild concussion. The soft tissue injuries are severe—she’ll need to stay hospitalized for treatment.”
Xia Zhuxi’s voice trembled. “Thank you, Doctor.”
The doctor nodded. “The patient needs rest. We’ll observe her for a day. If she wakes up within twenty-four hours, there shouldn’t be any major issues. I’ll check on the other rooms now—call me if anything comes up.”
“Got it.” Xia Zhuxi saw the doctor off, then returned to the ward and secured the door.
Shen Jingsong lay quietly on the hospital bed, her eyes closed. Her delicate features were deathly pale, her lips utterly colorless.
Xia Zhuxi sat by the hospital bed, her heart aching as she gazed at her, not daring to hold her hand for fear that even the slightest touch might worsen her injuries.
After a while, Chu Yun called. Xia Zhuxi stepped outside to take it.
“I’ve got the info,” Chu Yun said. “Lei Yu’s wife. That Lei guy’s got a decent thing going on Lower Street—plays the underworld game pretty well. His wife’s no pushover either; she’s the daughter of a gang boss. If you want to go after them, I’ll round up some people for you. So Ace, how the hell did you piss off Lei Yu’s wife?”
Lower Street was Shengjing’s gray-zone underbelly, a chaotic mix of every kind of shady operator imaginable.
The more Xia Zhuxi heard, the more baffled she became. “Fuck, I’ve never even laid eyes on her! Hell, I haven’t even heard of Lei Yu.”
Chu Yun replied, “Then someone’s out to get you. Do what you need to—no need to hold back. I’ll drop a word with the Lower Street crowd.”
Xia Zhuxi’s mind was a whirlwind of chaos. She hung up and paced the fire stairs, Chu Yun’s parting words suddenly clicking into place. She bolted back to Ward 1008.
“Jingjing.”
Xia Zhuxi pushed through the door. The medical monitors beeped steadily, and there on the white sheets, Shen Jingsong lay wrapped in bandages, her eyes half-open as she gazed at her.
“Xiao… Xi.”
Choking back sobs, Xia Zhuxi clasped the hand without the IV line. “Jingjing, I’m right here. Don’t be scared. How could you take that blow for me? When something like that happens, you should’ve gotten far away—you can’t let yourself get hurt.”
Shen Jingsong mustered a smile. “I did the right thing. The stick hit my back; it’s just a little injury. But if I hadn’t blocked it, your head would’ve taken a nasty blow. Between a little injury and a serious one, I’ll take the little one every time.”
“Jingjing…” Xia Zhuxi’s eyes brimmed with tears. Unable to embrace her, she gripped her hand tight and stroked it tenderly.
Shen Jingsong hooked her pinky around Xia Zhuxi’s. “I’m the big sister, after all. I’ve got to look after you.”
Hot tears surged in her eyes.
Xia Zhuxi pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.
“I’m your wife. I’ve got to look after you.”
