Chapter One Hundred and One: Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, Escape Is the Best

Ten minutes later, Qin Jingchen emerged from the bathroom, only to see that the woman who had clung to him moments ago was now tucked tightly under the covers, eyes closed, breathing slow and steady—clearly, she had fallen asleep.

“...Su Wan Ning?”

Qin Jingchen, incredulous, walked over and called her name softly, but the figure on the bed gave no response.

He stood still for several seconds, unwilling to give up, and reached out, but as soon as his hand brushed the edge of the blanket, the woman irritably swatted it away.

A crisp slap sounded, and the back of Qin Jingchen’s pale hand immediately reddened.

She frowned and mumbled something before sinking back into sleep.

Clenching his teeth, Qin Jingchen could only reach out and switch off the light for her.

He slept till dawn. The next morning, when Su Wan Ning awoke, her head throbbed from last night’s drinking.

She lay in bed, trying to recall the events. All she could remember was getting drunk at the banquet and being taken back to her room by Vincent...

Nothing else came to mind. Su Wan Ning reached for her phone on the bedside table and glanced at it; the first thing she saw was a message from Vincent sent last night.

“Sorry, darling, I’ve met the love of my life. I’m afraid I can’t pick you up.”

He was as unreliable as ever.

Wait!

If Vincent didn’t come, then who brought her back?

Su Wan Ning’s eyes snapped open, her mind suddenly clear.

She looked around, relieved to find herself still in her own room.

She quickly threw off the covers and checked her clothes; though she was undressed, her evening gown was right beside her, likely discarded in her sleep.

Her gaze swept over the vanity mirror, and realization hit her like a thunderbolt. She sat up, letting out a desperate scream.

She had gone to bed without removing her makeup!

Ignoring her headache, Su Wan Ning scrambled off the bed, rushing into the bathroom to cleanse her face and shower, then followed her full skincare routine.

An hour later, with a mask on, her skin finally felt revived.

Humming contentedly, she opened the bathroom door, only to sense something amiss in the room.

Barefoot on the plush carpet, she stiffly turned toward the sofa—

Someone was lying there.

---

Su Wan Ning's mouth silently formed a wide “O.”

Her shock was no less than when she first realized she’d transmigrated into a novel.

She forced herself to calm down and tiptoed toward the sofa.

It was Qin Jingchen.

With this realization, Su Wan Ning relaxed a little—at least it wasn’t someone else.

But why was he here? How long had he been asleep?

She frowned, gazing at the man lying motionless with his eyes closed. Qin Jingchen, when asleep, seemed almost lifeless; apart from the subtle rise and fall of his chest, he was silent as stone.

He was as quiet as a statue.

The curtains were open, and morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating half his face. Su Wan Ning could see the fine, soft hair on his skin.

His complexion was flawless, as fair as her own, so smooth that not a single pore could be seen—it was almost like a beauty filter in real life.

Her thoughts drifted, and her gaze slipped unconsciously to his adam’s apple, then to the pale chest revealed by the undone top button of his shirt.

Her cheeks grew warm, and images flashed through her mind.

Last night, she seemed to dream that the film crew hired a gigolo for her...

That gigolo’s physique was just like Qin Jingchen’s.

No, that couldn’t be. There were no gigolos—only one female scoundrel.

Frustrated, Su Wan Ning squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to believe it was real, yet the vivid fragments in her mind told her otherwise.

It seemed she really had done something unspeakable to Qin Jingchen last night.

This was a disaster.

She closed her eyes in despair, cursing Vincent a thousand times over in her heart.

What should she do?

She squeezed her eyes shut in distress.

The best plan was to flee!

The next moment, she opened her eyes, cast a determined glance at the still-sleeping man on the sofa, and resolutely walked into the closet.

---

To ensure nothing went wrong, Su Wan Ning packed no luggage, taking only her essential documents and phone, and slipped out of the room.

She went first to the room where Sui Sui and Nian Nian were staying, woke the two still sleeping children, packed their luggage, and headed straight to the airport.

But Su Wan Ning was unaware that, just after she left, the man on the sofa had already opened his eyes, perfectly alert.

He’d been awake since the moment Su Wan Ning screamed that morning, only pretending to sleep out of curiosity about her intentions.

He glanced around, found most luggage still there, and felt somewhat reassured. Leisurely, he stood up and entered the bathroom, a smile lingering on his lips.

Two hours later, after calling for the third time and finding Su Wan Ning’s phone still switched off, Qin Jingchen sensed something was wrong and told his assistant to investigate.

“Sir, your wife has already boarded a flight with the two children back to the show… Heh, she’s really dedicated.”

The assistant nervously watched his boss’s murderous expression, praying silently.

Heaven help him! Wasn’t the relationship between his wife and Qin Jingchen supposed to have improved? Why did she leave without a word?

Qin Jingchen abruptly sat up, his face icy cold.

“So, what’s our next step...?”

Qin Jingchen strode out: “Pack her luggage and send it to her.”

“Yes, sir.”

...

The plane landed in a city that wasn’t quite familiar, but Su Wan Ning felt revived, as if reborn, and let out a long sigh.

She ignored several missed calls from Qin Jingchen and dialed Vincent’s number.

“Hello? I’m back at the show.”

“So soon? I heard you even left the program’s photographer behind. My goodness, why are you in such a hurry to return?”

Vincent’s voice sounded groggy, as if he hadn’t slept.

Su Wan Ning snorted coldly, holding Nian Nian’s hand as she walked out of the airport.

“Don’t you know the show has a new guest? This time, I’m taking back everything I lost!”

“Can you please keep your melodramatic lines to yourself? You don’t even care about Yu Xin, so why be afraid of a newcomer like Fang Wei?”