Chapter Three: Without Mercy

After Jiang Yingnan left, Du Zhiye was in a foul mood. She called the front desk for a bottle of red wine, then sat alone by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the sea of lights outside and sipping slowly. This world was dark and far from beautiful, yet she simply couldn't bear to leave it.

Thinking of the photo that Jiang Yingnan had ruthlessly deleted, Du Zhiye's teeth clenched audibly. Time slipped by, second by second, until the clock struck midnight. Only then did she turn her head toward the pitch-dark room—somehow, without a sound, a shadow had appeared. It was Number 39.

Compared to the terror of their first meeting, Du Zhiye was calm this time, even curving her lips into a slight smile. "You’re here."

The shadow in the distance answered, "Yes."

Du Zhiye gave a wry smile. "I slept with him. I even took a photo."

The shadow said nothing, just watched her quietly from the darkness.

Du Zhiye drained the wine in her glass in one gulp, her voice tinged with despair. "But he deleted it."

"You still have a chance," the shadow finally spoke.

Du Zhiye’s hand froze around the glass. She stared blankly at the shadow.

"In seven days—if you can take a photo with him after making love, you can live another month," the shadow said.

Du Zhiye turned her face to the window. "And if I can’t get that photo in seven days? Does that mean I die?"

She waited a few seconds, but there was only silence. When she turned back, the shadow had vanished.

Du Zhiye frowned, unwilling to give up, and called softly into the air, "Number 39? Number 39?"

The only answer was silence filling the room.

Her eyes dimmed, lips twisting into a mocking smile. She grabbed the wine bottle from the floor and took a fierce swig straight from it, then tossed it aside and stumbled onto the bed.

Wine truly was a marvelous thing—it could make a person forget so many troubles.

Just like now. She'd barely lain down before sleep overtook her.

When she opened her eyes again, it was ten the next morning. Du Zhiye grabbed her phone to find a dozen WeChat messages, all from Feng Bing.

None of them were of consequence. They all asked what she’d done with Jiang Yingnan the day before. When she hadn’t responded, after half an hour, another message arrived: "Where are you? Should I come pick you up?"

"Why aren’t you replying? Did something happen?"

"Sis, if you’ve been kidnapped, blink twice."

When she read that last message, Du Zhiye was rendered speechless.

She didn’t bother reading further, just sent Feng Bing a message to say she was safe, then climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom.

Number 39 had sent her Jiang Yingnan’s schedule. She knew he’d be having a lunch date at a Western restaurant today.

After getting ready, Du Zhiye did her makeup beautifully and headed straight for the restaurant.

As soon as she arrived, she spotted Jiang Yingnan. He noticed her too. She threw him a flirtatious wink, smiling brilliantly.

His response was the opposite: Jiang Yingnan frowned instinctively, his gaze cold and laced with warning.

Du Zhiye merely shrugged and sat diagonally across from him, unconcerned.

From this seat, she could see Jiang Yingnan clearly, but not the woman sitting opposite him.

But that didn't matter—she had no interest in dating Jiang Yingnan. All she needed was a single photo.

So whoever sat across from him was of no concern to Du Zhiye.

Du Xin, seeing Jiang Yingnan’s expression darken, felt a chill in her heart. They’d just been chatting happily—why the sudden shift?

The rest of the time, she dared not speak much, afraid to say the wrong thing and leave a bad impression.

Jiang Yingnan was never talkative. When Du Xin fell quiet, the atmosphere became awkward.

Just as she was racking her brain for something to say, Jiang Yingnan suddenly asked, "How is your relationship with your sister?"