She had come upstairs first.

Flora sat down at an empty table and had just opened the menu when a powerful force grabbed her arm and pulled her straight up.

She looked up in confusion, only to meet Julian’s face, complex with emotion.

He seemed incredibly agitated, his expression a mix of fury and a strange urge to laugh.

Every word was squeezed through his teeth:

"Flora, you really made finding you quite an exhausting task."

Flora’s expression changed.

She quickly turned her head away and said coldly:

"Sir, you have the wrong person."

She tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't; Julian was gripping it tightly, laughing in sheer anger:

"I have the wrong person? If I really had the wrong person, you wouldn't be reacting like this."

"Setting me up and running away without a word? Flora, you’ve done well for yourself. Come back with me!"

He grabbed her, intending to drag her out.

Flora panicked and struggled desperately: "Julian, what kind of madness are you in? Let go of me!"

Though Julian was clearly furious to the point of death, he couldn't help but laugh triumphantly:

"Didn't you say you didn't know me? How can you call my name then? Hmm?"

At that moment, a powerful jet of water came crashing over his head.

Julian couldn't dodge in time and was soaked like a drowned rat; Flora took the opportunity to break free.

He, the dignified Yan heir, had never faced such a humiliating moment in his thirty-plus years of life.

Julian’s face went frigid. He wiped the water from his face and looked at the newcomer.

The young man held the fire hose, looking perfectly calm in the face of his pathetic, angry state.

The other party had an overly outstanding face, his eyebrows wild, his sharp features just beginning to harden.

Most importantly, Flora was being shielded behind him, and the intimacy of their posture went beyond that of ordinary people.

Alarm bells rang in Julian’s heart, and he narrowed his eyes:

"Flora, who is he to you?"

The young man’s articulated hand wrapped around Flora’s waist, and he smiled dismissively at Julian:

"Is it that hard to see who I am to her?"

He even took the opportunity to pinch the soft flesh of Flora’s waist.

Flora realized instantly what he was doing and leaned against Leo, wrapping her arm around his neck:

"Allow me to introduce him: my boyfriend, Leo."

"Julian, I have to thank you. If you hadn't set the example for me, I wouldn't have known that a young body could feel so good."

As Flora spoke, she apologized crazily to Luna in her heart.

Desperate times called for desperate measures; she had no choice but to borrow her best friend’s brother for a moment.

Julian’s face went dark with rage. He stared at her for a few seconds before suddenly sneering:

"Flora, even joking around has its limits."

"I know exactly what kind of person you are. Based on your love for me alone, it’s impossible for your heart to change so quickly."

"If your purpose in finding this kid to put on a show is just to make me jealous, then you’ve succeeded. Are you satisfied?"

"If you're satisfied, come back with me."

He reached out, intending to pull her.

Flora dodged back into Leo’s arms, her eyes filled with disgust:

"Julian, your internal monologue is truly prolific. That’s quite good; you can keep living in your own world."

Julian’s brows were tinged with displeasure.

Leo pulled Flora closer, stroking her hair for comfort, and turned to look at Julian with a provocative smile:

"Uncle, the new dishes are almost sold out; are you worried about your old dish being coveted by others? Aren't you overthinking it?"

"My girlfriend and I have a great relationship. You have no chance."

After speaking, and in the face of Julian’s murderous glare, he hooked Flora’s head and kissed her.

Flora’s eyes widened suddenly, her mind going completely blank.

The sensation on her lips was as soft as a falling snowflake—light and gentle—and his smiling eyes were right before her.

A kiss—fleeting and superficial.

Flora’s face flushed red, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

He laughed joyfully, grabbed her, and turned to leave.

Julian’s face was livid, standing frozen in place for a long time.

19

Leo dragged Flora away, swiping open a random suite door to enter.

The room was dim, but it was just bright enough to see the sparkle in the other's eyes.

Leo’s breathing was slightly ragged: "Sister, I like you."

Flora didn't dare to look up, playing the ostrich, certain that her best friend was going to be the death of her.

Seeing she wouldn't make a sound, Leo reached out and lifted her chin.

Flora turned her head away, only to have him turn it back; she simply squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to look.

As his breath drew near, another warm kiss landed on her lips.

"Leo!" She glared at him. "You’re a jerk!"

The boy’s lips curled up: "Everyone says that when a girl closes her eyes, it means she wants a kiss."

She pushed him away, blushing: "Have you lost your mind? Do you even remember I'm your sister figure? Luna will kill me for sure. Who told you to turn this fake act into reality?"

"I didn't," he said, spreading his hands innocently. "I’ve truly liked my sister from the start."

"There’s a ten-year age gap between us!"

"Oh, I’m an adult now! That’s just perfect!"

"You..." she was so angry she was speechless.

"My sister knows," he said seriously.

"What?" Flora’s head spun.

He smiled and tapped her forehead: "You never stopped to think, why my sister kept refusing to join you and me, leaving us two lonely souls alone together? What does that mean?"

Flora was stunned.

Good grief, she had been targeted by this pair of siblings.

"Well, I still can’t agree to it. I look at you and see a child."

She pulled away, intending to leave.

Leo grabbed her hand back and nodded: "True, you still haven't come to terms with the fact that I’ve grown up."

He pressed her hand against his abdominal muscles and winked:

"Sister, feel for yourself."

...

This five-day business inspection came to a hasty end, and Julian chose to return directly to Hong Kong.

On the way, the assistant advised him cautiously:

"Mr. Yan, I don't think Ms. Flora is just using empty threats this time. She’s divorced, she’s made off with the assets, and there’s someone else by her side. If you don't bow your head now, you might really..."

Julian sneered, snapping back with a curse:

"Bow my head to her? Who she finds is none of my damn business! Am I so desperate for a woman that I need her?"

The assistant sighed.

When they reached the villa, the car stopped, and the assistant called out to him:

"Mr. Yan, that pretty boy with Madam—Leo—he’s not simple."

"He is the younger brother of the Xu Group’s president, Luna. The fact that he came for the Yan Corporation this time likely has everything to do with Madam... Mr. Yan, I just don't want you to have regrets."

He handed a business card to Julian: "This is the number I tracked down; it’s Ms. Flora’s current phone number."

Julian took it, shredded it in an instant, and tossed it into the trash can.

He sneered: "You’ve done well for yourself, actually daring to take matters into your own hands now."

The assistant quickly lowered his head: "My apologies, Mr. Yan. I was wrong."

Julian shot him an icy glance and turned to leave.

...

That night, he sat on the floor in the empty room, his eyes bloodshot, downing drink after drink.

Empty wine bottles were scattered all over the floor around him.

He leaned against the bed, laughing foolishly: "Flora... Flora, you—you’ve done well."

The nanny approached trembling, handing him a hangover soup: "Mr. Yan, you are severely intoxicated; please drink some hangover soup."

Julian took a sip, turned his head, and vomited.

He stood up unsteadily, smashed the bowl against the floor, sending porcelain shards flying, which made the nanny flinch in terror.

His eyes were blood-red as he roared: "Where is Flora! This isn't what Flora made!"

The nanny looked miserable: "Mr. Yan, Madam is truly not here..."

Julian gasped for breath, and suddenly, he remembered something. He stumbled and ran outside.

Ignoring the attempts of the nanny and housekeepers to stop him, he ran all the way outside, knelt by the trash bin, and began searching for the business card from that day.

But the trash had already been cleared; it was gone.

Driven mad, he hauled himself up and ran to the villa complex’s waste collection site.

He plunged half his body into one large trash bin after another, disregarding his expensive suit becoming stained with filth, searching frantically.

Finally, he found the torn pieces of paper.