☆ Chapter 2 – The Lady
After choosing to take a detour, Shu Mingyang indeed didn't return to his newly purchased villa in the U.S. until half an hour later.
The villa was designed in a European style, standing three stories tall and covering over 400 square meters. Surrounded by lush greenery and flowers, it also featured a spacious swimming pool and lawn. It was one of the most expensive properties in the area.
Shu Mingyang parked his car in the garage. Just as he stepped into the foyer, a housekeeper approached him, speaking fluent and polished Chinese:
"Sir, the wine you had shipped from China has arrived. We've already stored it all in the cellar."
Shu Mingyang raised an eyebrow—a subtle habit he had whenever he was excited. He immediately walked toward the wine cellar, asking the housekeeper walking beside him,
"Nothing got damaged, right?"
"No, sir, everything arrived intact."
Pushing open the door to the wine cellar, he saw another staff member standing in front of the wine rack, carefully wiping down bottles of expensive liquor. When he noticed Shu Mingyang, he gave him a respectful bow. Shu Mingyang nodded and said,
"You can both go now. I'll take care of things here."
After the two left, Shu Mingyang carefully removed a bottle of red wine placed right at the center of the rack. Treating it like a beloved pet, he gently wiped the bottle clean. He wanted to trace the slightly yellowed label with his fingers—worn with time—but hesitated, not wanting to damage it. In the end, he gently placed the bottle back in its spot.
He stood in the cellar for a while, quietly savoring the moment, until his phone rang and brought him back to reality.
Seeing the caller ID—Gu Leng—Shu Mingyang smiled helplessly before answering. As expected, the moment the call connected, Gu Leng's voice blasted through like a storm:
"Shu Mingyang, what the hell were you thinking? That blonde bombshell wasn't good enough for you?"
Leaning against the wall, Shu Mingyang replied,
"It's not that she wasn't good enough…"
"Then what? You think she's too materialistic? Look, in today's world, who doesn't love money? Don't let those narrow-minded ideas trap you. So what if she likes you for your money? That's just a reflection of your success! I enjoy spending money on women! So you—"
"Calm down for a second and let me finish before launching into one of your rants, alright?" Shu Mingyang interrupted, exasperated.
Reluctantly, Gu Leng said,
"Fine, go ahead. But I've introduced you to over ten women, from China all the way to abroad. Let's see if you can spin this one into something convincing."
Shu Mingyang chuckled.
"It's not that she was a bad person. I genuinely tried, but I just didn't feel anything for her. Whether we were eating or watching a movie, it all felt... bland. Like drinking water—no spark, no excitement. You get what I mean?"
"I do not get it!" Gu Leng snapped. "She had 34D boobs, legs as long and fair as a model's, and looked like a living Barbie doll. If that doesn't move you, I don't know what will."
He sighed in frustration. "Alright, Shu Mingyang, I'm done playing matchmaker for you. This is pure masochism at this point. You can tell Auntie yourself. I'm keeping these top-tier resources for myself from now on!"
Shu Mingyang quickly apologized,
"Yes, yes, I know. I'll call my mom later."
Gu Leng finally calmed down and changed the subject.
"So, how's the new house? Settled in yet? Just a heads-up—these foreigners can be really shady. The moment they see we're loaded, they treat us like walking ATMs. Don't get scammed."
Shu Mingyang rubbed his temples.
"Too late. Already got scammed."
"Huh? What happened?"
Shu Mingyang gave him a brief rundown of what had happened with the pedestrian underpass. After hearing the story, Gu Leng was furious.
"Shit! Those guys think they can push us around just because it's their turf? I have a friend who knows the developer of your villa community. I'll pay that bastard a visit and make sure he remembers not to mess with us!"
"Forget it," Shu Mingyang said calmly. "It's not a big deal. I just have to drive an extra 30 minutes every day after work. I bought the place mostly for the nice environment."
"Shu Mingyang, can you please stop being such a saint?" Gu Leng groaned. "Try adopting a little bit of my 'vengeance for every slight' mentality, will you?"
Trying not to laugh, Shu Mingyang said,
"That's what makes us such a great pair. If I were as petty as you, we'd have ended up in the hospital from fighting each other ages ago."
"True that, ha!" Gu Leng laughed. "Actually, now that I think about it, that blonde probably wasn't your type. She's way too soft. You need someone who can keep you in check."
"We'll see… No point rushing into something like this."
"Try telling that to your mom. Otherwise, she'll just keep calling me."
"Alright, alright, I hear you." Shu Mingyang started walking out of the wine cellar.
"By the way, when are you coming to N City?"
"Another half month, maybe. The finance team over at my company's L City branch messed things up pretty badly," Gu Leng said. "Once I'm over there, let's get the gang together for a proper reunion."
"Looking forward to it."
After hanging up, Shu Mingyang ate dinner alone and then headed into his study to work.
One Month Ago
Shu Mingyang arrived in the U.S. to take up the role of president at his family's company's overseas branch, following his father's orders. The Shu family business mainly focused on producing and selling computer components. In recent years, business had been booming and the company was growing steadily. However, the U.S. branch had hit a bottleneck, so Shu Mingyang—the most capable member of the family—was sent over to help out.
Originally, he only planned to stay for two or three months. But once he got there, he realized the problems ran deeper than expected. On top of that, he also saw some promising new business opportunities, so he decided to buy a house and settle in for a while.
Shu Mingyang had always been someone who disliked rushing things. He pursued perfection in everything, so naturally, he had to get the best house available. He even brought over all his fine wines he'd been collecting for nearly ten years back in China—and, of course, his three adopted stray dogs.
That night, while Shu Mingyang worked at his desk, the three dogs, each a different color and breed, lay quietly on their cushions nearby, big eyes fixed on their owner.
At exactly 10:30, Shu Mingyang finished work. He pulled some dog treats from his drawer and waved at the pets in the corner. The dogs wagged their tails and rushed over, jumping up on him and happily taking snacks from his hand.
With his other hand, Shu Mingyang scrolled through a tablet, planning to relax with a light-hearted movie. But somehow, he accidentally clicked on a music video.
It was an unconventional song, eerie and raw. On screen, a female vocalist, wearing heavy smoky makeup, screamed hoarsely into the camera. Her eyes seemed to hold endless sorrow and anger—yet at the same time, maybe it was just plain exhaustion.
The moment the song started, Shu Mingyang was reminded of the girl he had seen near the underpass that evening. He remembered how she hadn't told him her name. He wasn't a fan of heavy makeup, but her pure, unforgettable voice had stuck with him. For a moment, he even wondered if he should go back the next day and ask her for her name.
But the thought passed quickly. He chuckled at himself, thinking how ridiculous he was being.
Shaking his head with a smile, he gave his dogs a few affectionate pats and went to bed.
The Next Three Days
For the next three days, Shu Mingyang deliberately avoided going near the underpass, choosing instead to take the longer route home. But trouble hit on Friday night.
The highway was jammed—cars stretched for hundreds of meters.
Luckily, Shu Mingyang had left work late and was at the end of the traffic queue. A friendly traffic officer knocked on his window and said,
"Sir, I'd recommend turning around. This jam could last over two hours."
Shu Mingyang smiled politely, "Thanks. I didn't expect it to be this bad."
The officer shrugged. "Christmas is the day after tomorrow, after all."
Shu Mingyang thought about it—it made sense. It was probably the same as Chinese New Year back home. But where could he go if he turned around? There was only one road leading back to his house, so he had no choice but to wait it out.
Then a thought suddenly struck him—the pedestrian tunnel.
That girl with the smoky makeup had said it would take less than ten minutes to walk through. And it led straight to the residential area.
Without hesitation, Shu Mingyang turned his car around, parked in a nearby lot, and walked back toward the tunnel.
The Tunnel at Night
At night, the deserted underpass became a gathering place for society's outcasts. People of all races and walks of life were scattered around in groups—grimy homeless men with scruffy beards, rappers with fake gold chains, young punks spray-painting graffiti on the walls…
And, of course, the street band fronted by the girl in the punk makeup who looked like she'd given up on the world.
The moment Shu Mingyang stepped into the tunnel, he drew everyone's attention. A few intimidating-looking Mexican guys even took a few steps toward him. But hands in his pockets, Shu Mingyang calmly walked straight up to Liang Xiaomiao, and gave her a small smile.
"Do you remember me?"
Liang Xiaomiao opened her eyes from where she'd been leaning on An Yi, looked him over, then snorted,
"Now you show up? Too late!"
Shu Mingyang blinked. "Too late for what?"
She rolled her eyes and replied in a deliberately sassy tone,
"I told you—if you came the next day, I'd tell you my name. But now it's been days. You'll never know my name!"
Shu Mingyang let out a soft laugh. "Okay, that's on me. But… actually, I'm not here today to ask for your name."
Liang Xiaomiao took a drag from the cigarette she grabbed from Maggie, and said lazily,
"Then what are you here for?"
"You mentioned that this tunnel leads to the residential area. Is that true?"
"Of course it's true. Check the map if you don't believe me." She gave him a sly look. "But there's a side path inside that's not on the map. Go the wrong way and you'll hit a dead end."
"Then could you—"
"Nope!" she snapped. "I'm mad, so I'm not helping you. Go get lost in the tunnel!"
Shu Mingyang couldn't help smiling. There was something oddly unique about her. Something… something…
But he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Still, he didn't have time to think too hard—he needed to get home.
"So what if I apologize?" he asked. "What would it take for you to tell me which way to go?"
Liang Xiaomiao gave him a smug look and nudged the tip jar on the ground with her foot.
Shu Mingyang glanced inside and got the message. Smiling, he pulled out his wallet and said,
"Alright, then I'd like to hear a song."
With that, he placed a crisp $100 bill in the jar.
Maggie and Payne immediately whistled in excitement.
Liang Xiaomiao licked her lips and stared at him.
"Wow, big spender, huh?"
Shu Mingyang explained with a smile,
"I didn't have any smaller bills. And besides, I believe your performance is worth it."
"Hmph, you talk a good game," she said with a grin. "But since you're being so generous, I won't hold back either. I'll sing my best song for you!"
At her announcement, the surrounding crowd burst into cheers—they seemed to know exactly what song she was about to sing.
Liang Xiaomiao gave a proud smirk and turned to her band. Bassist Payne and keyboardist Maggie were already poised to play. Only drummer An Yi stayed cold and aloof, leaning against the wall without moving.
Liang Xiaomiao marched over and gave him a swift kick.
"Quit zoning out! Get ready to play! I said I'm singing my best song—didn't you hear me?"
An Yi shot her a glance, then cast a chilly look toward Shu Mingyang before reluctantly starting a beat on his drums.
Maggie and Payne jumped in. The music echoed through the tunnel, sounding surprisingly polished.
As soon as the intro started, Shu Mingyang felt something was off. But it was already too late to stop it.
Liang Xiaomiao leaned in close, resting her hand on his shoulder, and with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, began singing that classic hit—
Madonna's "Like a Virgin."