"Nancheng, I—"
Yara Lu had just begun to speak when Zane Song approached."Second Brother."
Nathaniel Fu stretched out his long legs and walked past her toward Zane. The two men entered a luxurious private room, leaving Yara frozen in place. He hadn't even glanced back at her.
Ever since Nathaniel had returned, she had sensed a rift between them. And the longer it went on, the more that distance seemed to grow.
"Yaoyao, what's really going on between Celia and Mr. Fu?" Ning Xiner asked, still baffled. She simply couldn't believe Celia had managed to connect herself to Julian Fu.
"Celia, Celia…" Yara's expression darkened. Deep down, she felt certain Nathaniel's change of heart had something to do with that woman.
She didn't have proof yet, but a woman's intuition rarely lied.
Inside the corridor, Zane glanced at the man beside him."Second Brother, tonight's little stunt with Miss Lu and Ning Xiner was all about humiliating Celia. I was there—I saw it myself. Celia didn't do anything wrong, but your fiancée kept provoking her, stirring up trouble."
He paused, lowering his voice."If this continues, sooner or later she'll find out about your past with Celia. And if she cries about it, well, that'll be her own doing."
Nathaniel suddenly stopped in his tracks. His sharp gaze fixed on Zane, his expression unreadable.
Zane blinked. "Second Brother, why are you looking at me like that?"
Nathaniel's jaw tightened, his thin lips curling slightly."I remember you used to despise Celia more than anyone else. Why are you suddenly protecting her now?"
Zane had no answer. The truth was that Celia was King—the mysterious perfumer his family owed a debt to.
Back in Yecheng, Nathaniel had been just one step away from discovering her true identity. If he had opened that door, he would have seen King. But Yara Lu's call had lured him away.
Because of his engagement to Yara, he had let go of the chance to uncover the truth.
Zane gave a faint, knowing smile. "Second Brother, I'm saying this for your own good. Miss Lu clearly has it out for Celia. If she learns you were Celia's first man, she'll throw a tantrum in front of you. And in the end, you'll still have to coax her, won't you?"
Nathaniel's gaze deepened, but he said nothing more. He pulled out his phone, typed a brief message, and stepped into the private room.
At the bar, Celia sat with Julian Fu.
"Mr. Fu, thank you for helping me tonight," she said softly. "But please don't interfere in my matters again. Yara Lu will one day be your aunt. You're family, and I don't want to cause discord."
Julian took a sip of his cocktail and smirked. "I don't even recognize Nathaniel as my uncle. Why would I care about Yara?"
Celia froze. "You… and Nathaniel… fell out? Was it because of me?"
"Ci Ci, let's not talk about this." He waved it off casually. "I heard about what happened at Tsinghua University. They say you stole that genius girl's review notes?"
"…" Celia's lips parted, but no words came.
Julian grinned. "Forget Tsinghua. That so-called genius isn't worth your time. From now on, I'll just play games with you. First, I'll help you pass Level Two."
Celia couldn't help but laugh. Just then, her phone buzzed. A message from Nathaniel lit up the screen:
"Let's meet."
Her eyes flickered. She quickly locked her phone and rose to her feet."Mr. Fu, I'm going to the bathroom."
"Alright."
At the end of a quiet corridor, Nathaniel's tall, imposing figure stood beneath a dim light.
Celia walked toward him, her heart skipping despite herself. His shadow stretched long across the floor, sharp and dominating, like the man himself.
She drew in a breath. "Mr. Fu, what happened tonight wasn't my doing. And I never told your fiancée anything about… my past."
Nathaniel turned, his eyes locking on hers. The club's noise seemed to fade, leaving only the charged silence between them.
His expression was calm, but his gaze burned with unspoken weight.
Celia steadied herself, lifting her chin. "I don't want to be dragged into your engagement disputes. I have nothing to prove."
Nathaniel stepped closer, his deep voice laced with quiet dominance."Nothing to prove? Celia, do you really think you can keep hiding from me?"
Her breath caught. The distance between them disappeared—close enough that she could feel the warmth of his presence, catch the faint clean scent of his cologne.
Yet she forced herself not to retreat. Her clear eyes held his, unwavering."I'm not hiding," she said softly but firmly. "I'm simply living my life."
Nathaniel's gaze lingered on her face, stormy and intent, as if trying to shatter her calm mask.
For the first time that night, she saw the faintest crack in his composure.