Rain streaked down the glass like was running away from the city.
Shen Moze stood infront of Room 1806 at the Jinhai Grand Hotel, holding a takeaway bag. Steam curled from the top like a lazy ghost.
Inside, laughter bounced off the walls. Male laughter. Confident, loud, and entirely too cheerful.
And then her voice. Light, airy, and infuriatingly cheerful—like a song mocking him.
Ah. Perfect.
Shen Moze sighed. Nine months. Nine months of being told "not today" and sleeping on the floor like a loyal puppy. And for what? To witness this… masterpiece of betrayal?
He pushed the door open.
The room smelled like cologne, wine, and disappointment. Tang Yuxin sat on the edge of the bed, casual, relaxed, smiling at Guo Zichen—the kind of smile that could melt mountains if you liked irony.
Shen Moze's takeaway bag felt suddenly heavier. Maybe it's the emotional weight, he thought dryly.
Guo Zichen noticed him first. "Oh?" He arched an eyebrow. "You must be the driver."
Shen Moze blinked. Then raised an eyebrow in return. And here I thought my taxi license was just a piece of plastic, not a declaration of my social standing.
He set the bag on the table. Soft thud. Dramatic enough for a Netflix intro.
"So," Shen Moze said, voice even, polite enough to be terrifying, "this is the meeting you said ran late."
Tang Yuxin froze. "Moze, I—"
He raised a hand. Calm. Simple. Enough to stop her without touching her. She flinched anyway.
Guo Zichen laughed. Loud, obnoxious. "Relax, bro. We're just talking business."
Shen Moze nodded slowly. "Business. Of course."
He reached into his pocket. A velvet box appeared like a magician's trick. Inside: the engagement ring he had painstakingly chosen, simple, understated… and now utterly useless.
Tang Yuxin's eyes flickered.
"Moze…" she whispered, a little too late. "Let's go home. Talk about this. We can—"
"No." Shen Moze placed the box on the table. Flat, final.
Nine months. Nine months of "no, you can't touch me."
Nine months of sleeping on the floor while she claimed the bed like a monarch defending her throne.
He smiled faintly, almost to himself. Sleep on the floor? Sure, because dignity is apparently furniture-dependent.
"I'm calling off the engagement," he said.
Guo Zichen's grin faltered. "Wait… what?"
Tang Yuxin's face went pale. "You can't just—our families—our grandparents—"
"They arranged it," Shen Moze said softly. "Not me."
"You promised to try!"
"I did." He paused. "I also promised myself something."
Her brows drew together. "What?"
"That I wouldn't lose my self-respect."
Silence.
Guo Zichen tried to regain control. "Bro, come on. You're a taxi driver. You really think—"
Shen Moze looked him over. Slowly. Thoughtfully. And then:
"You're right. I don't."
The punchline landed, and Guo's confident smirk wavered.
Tang Yuxin stepped forward. "Moze, this is—emotional! You're being—"
He pulled out his phone, checked the time, and muttered under his breath:
"Interesting… if this is me being emotional, I'd hate to see what you call loyalty."
Her eyes narrowed. "I didn't betray you!"
"You brought another man into a hotel room," he said flatly. "And somehow I'm supposed to feel reassured?"
"You never touched me!" she shouted suddenly. "You never acted like a man!"
Shen Moze blinked. And almost laughed. Almost.
"And yet," he said calmly, "you kept me around."
Guo Zichen frowned. "Yuxin, why are you even explaining yourself to him?"
Shen Moze picked up the velvet box and pressed it into Tang Yuxin's hand.
"From today on," he said, voice smooth and lethal in its calmness, "we're strangers."
Her fingers tightened around the box. Knuckles white. She wanted words. He gave none.
He turned toward the door. No dramatic walk, no shouting. Just the quiet authority of a man who didn't need anyone's approval.
As he reached the corridor, a voice echoed inside his mind. Not loud, not friendly, not polite.
[Tycoon Ascension Interface activated.]
[Host detected: Shen Moze.]
[Initial condition met: Engagement terminated.]
Shen Moze blinked once. Then exhaled softly.
"…Well," he muttered, "this is going to be interesting."
The elevator doors closed.
And with it, his old life ended.