Just as Lin Ming was busy playing the perfect girlfriend, she was also two-timing Zhang Bing.
In the mornings, she'd sit dutifully at his bedside in the hospital. But by noon, she'd be gone—spending the rest of her day and night with her secret boyfriend.
"Do you think he's going to wake up?" Alex, her boyfriend, asked one afternoon.
"The doctor said he's brain-dead," she said confidently, brushing her hair behind her ear. "He won't wake up—not even after two years. We've got all the time in the world."
"And our plan? What's next?" he asked, leaning closer.
"It's simple. We make the Zhang family notice us," she said with a sly smile. "You'll pose as my dear cousin—someone who's just trying to comfort me during a hard time. Make them believe I really care. That's all we need. Once we get that sympathy, we'll move on to the next step."
The scumbag nodded along, eyes gleaming with shared ambition. He whispered something mischievously devious, and Lin Ming laughed—a cold, calculating laugh.
Meanwhile, at Hua Hua Agency, the team was still doing their best to keep things running. Mian-man attended every meeting like clockwork, though her thoughts were elsewhere—on the strange call she'd received earlier.
No... that couldn't have been a spam call. It felt too real. Too pointed.
*********
"Mian-man, can you meet me in my office?" Zhang Jie asked suddenly, one evening.
"Your office?" Mian-man blinked, surprised. The Zhang siblings were famously territorial.
Zhang Bing's "territory" was his home. He rarely brought girlfriends there; he preferred spending time with them at luxurious hotels. Even Mian-man, his trusted secretary, had only been to his house once—when he forgot his movie script.
It wasn't even his fault. He'd left the script behind after a dance choreography session with the new recruits, thinking he'd return before the next appointment. But he was unexpectedly called to set that same day, and had no choice but to send his manager to retrieve it.
Zhang Jie, on the other hand, allowed only family to enter her office for business-related matters. Her secretary had very limited access, and even the cleaners tiptoed when they worked inside.
So yes—Mian-man being summoned was a big deal.
She quickly wrapped up her conversation with the director, who was helping her arrange a comeback project for Zhang Bing—when he woke up.
At the office door, she knocked and waited.
"Come in," Zhang Jie's voice called from inside.
"You asked to see me?" Mian-man said, stepping in and bowing politely.
"Yes, I did," Zhang Jie replied, her eyes sharp.
There was a pause. Mian-man waited for her to continue.
"Why?" she asked softly. "Why did you call me in?"
Zhang Jie leaned back in her luxurious office chair, her gaze unreadable.
"Are you with us… or against us?"
Mian-man frowned. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"Don't get me wrong," Zhang Jie said slowly, studying her face. "I've been thinking. The day of my brother's accident—you were with him until he entered the car. You were also the first person they called afterward. Can you explain that?"
Ah. She'd forgotten how fiercely protective Zhang Jie was of her younger brother. When it came to Zhang Bing, she didn't care about rules or appearances. If anyone messed with him, she would teach them a lesson—by any means necessary.
And Mian-man knew better than anyone not to provoke an already agitated, beautiful devil.
"I'm not hiding anything," she said carefully. "We were on the phone right before the accident. I stayed back that evening because the rookie members invited us to dinner. But Mr. Zhang couldn't make it—he had a date with his girlfriend."
Zhang Jie's expression didn't change.
"I was the one who booked the restaurant and reserved their table. He called to confirm the reservation. The moment I told him it was set, he ended the call. That's all."
Another silence fell.
"Give me your contact information," Zhang Jie finally said. "I'll be keeping an eye on you from now on."
Without hesitation, Mian-man handed it over.
"Expect my call soon," Zhang Jie added, waving her phone. Then she closed her eyes. "You can go."
Mian-man bowed slightly and turned to leave. But before she stepped out, her lips curled into a subtle, triumphant smirk. And her smirk widened into a full grin when she caught sight of a shadow near the door.
Someone had been eavesdropping.
She didn't recognize the face—but she didn't need to. She knew exactly what kind of person would be lurking like that.
Their trap had caught someone.
"I'll find out who dared hurt Mr. Zhang," she thought coldly. "Even if it turns out to be Zhang Jie herself."
But unbeknownst to her, Zhang Jie had noticed the smirk. Had seen the shadow at the door. Had seen the nod of confirmation.
"Caught you," she whispered, a vicious smile tugging at her lips.
This was no longer just a business war.
It was the battle of the righteous.
A silent declaration had been made:
Who was friend, and who was foe?