Fortunately, I met you in this life

JIANGCHENG, WINTER.

As night fell, the city lights brightened the snow-covered streets.

The streets were quiet and empty, in stark contrast to the noisy atmosphere in the luxurious nightclub.

In Room 888 of the Presidential Suite, He Lanjin woke up in a daze. She looked around to find that her fiancé and her best friend have disappeared. He Lanjin was a little puzzled; wasn't her best friend supposed to throw her a bridal shower? Why did she wake up all alone in the room?

He Lanjin's stomach suddenly heaved, putting all her thoughts on hold. She hurried to the bathroom.

She pushed the door open and walked in. Just as she was about to wash her face, she heard the labored breathing of a man. She checked to make sure she was in the female bathroom and boldly took two steps forward. One of the cubicle doors was ajar; inside were two men kissing passionately. One of them had his pants down.

"Baby, hurry up and take me from behind. I want to make you happy, but I can’t take too long.” The man breathed heavily. The voice was so familiar it woke He Lanjin from her drunken stupor.

Never in her wildest dreams did He Lanjin expect to discover that Lu Zifan, the man she would be engaged to the next day, was gay. Their families were not against homosexuality, but He Lanjin and Lu Zifan's engagement was a marriage alliance both families looked forward to. But how could she marry a man who was secretly having sexual relations with someone else? What was worse, this someone was not even female. The thought filled her with disgust.

Thinking on her feet, He Lanjin took out her phone and started recording the men. She watched Lu Zifan and the man kissing with such ardor on her phone screen. Her heart sank, feeling Lu Zifan's betrayal and worrying about the financial state of the He family. She resisted the urge to vomit as her little hands trembled with anger.

Halfway through the video recording, He Lanjin heard the click and clack of stilettos approaching from afar. She hid in a dark corner obscured from view just before the bathroom door swung open.

"Zifan," came a woman's delicate voice. He Lanjin froze, feeling as if she was doused with icy water that made her blood congeal. The voice belonged to her best friend, He Ruoxue.

Hearing He Ruoxue, Lu Zifan pushed away the man he was having an amorous tryst with. The man would not let go, but Lu Zifan told him off. "Hush. I'm just playing along with her; you know that. Don't ruin it. Once I have pulled this off, you would get what is due to you," Lu Zifan confidently assured the man.

Lu Zifan stepped out of the cubicle and slammed the door behind him after telling his lover to stay put. As He Ruoxue approached, Lu Zifan hugged her, covered her mouth with his hand and led her away from the cubicle where the other man was. "Baby, aren't you scared Lanjin will find out that you asked to meet me here?”

He Lanjin's eyes grew wide in disbelief. He Ruoxue was actually sleeping with her fiancé!

What a pig! Not only did he sleep with men, he also slept with women. Zifan was really an amazing young master from the famed Lu family of Jiang City.

He Lanjin was so angry that she almost flew towards this despicable pair.

He Ruoxue said in her delicate voice, "Zifan, don't you think that the toilet is more exciting? Plus, He Lanjin is as drunk as a dead pig right now. How would she find out?"

He Lanjin fumed. He Ruoxue had gotten her drunk and had taken her for a fool! All the while she thought He Ruoxue was being a great friend, wanting to celebrate the engagement.

He Ruoxue bit her lips and exhaled as she whispered in Lu Zifan's ear. She seemed to undress him with her seductive eyes. This young master from a famous family in Jiang City should be hers. How could He Lanjin–that idiot–be worthy of this wealthy and handsome man?

The corners of Lu Zifan's mouth curled into a smile as he heard He Ruoxue's words. She was drunk, and the thought excited him.

"So you want to play? Your husband will fulfill your wish," Lu Zifan said and pressed He Ruoxue's body against his.

Standing in the dark, He Lanjin seethed with anger. Hearing the two made her want to jump at them and lash out.

Before she could make a move, He Lanjin heard a noise from the other cubicle. She stopped in her tracks, realizing that confronting Ruoxue and Zifan was not the right thing to do.

He Lanjin quickly calmed down. She could not be impulsive. She needed to find out what else she did not know, so she continued to listen.

"Ah... you're the worst," He Ruoxue complained as Lu Zifan teased her, withholding the pleasure she so desperately craved from him. She could not help but grow anxious.

Lu Zifan took advantage of He Ruoxue’s growing unease, teasing her even further. "Have you done what I asked you to do? Did you get the thing?" Lu Zifan asked, his voice thick with seduction.

He Ruoxue relaxed. She stroke Lu Zifan's chest and assured him that everything was under control. “Don't worry, Honey. I'm on it. You will have the information at the right time."

Lu Zifan smiled. Everything was going to plan.

He had He Ruoxue wrapped around his finger. This wild little drunken she-devil was going to seal his fate.

"Just make sure to stick to the plan. Once you have exposed the heavily-guarded He family secret during the engagement banquet tomorrow, the family will lose the trust of the influential people in Jiang City. They will go bankrupt, but you will be able to turn the tide. The He family would be indebted to you, and you and I will get married," Lu Zifan assured He Ruoxue. "You will not be a mistress anymore; someone else will take that place.”

He Ruoxue's eyes lit up. Oh, she could not wait. She would be the He family's pride and joy. She would openly marry Zifan and become Mrs. Lu. He Lanjin–the proud daughter of the heavens–would be nothing but a rat crossing the street.

He Lanjin was aghast. These two were scheming against her and her family! The betrayal pained her, but knowing that they were plotting something against her family turned that pain into seething anger.

Shameless, lying, treacherous b*stards! Was it not enough that they were sleeping together behind her back? They were also planning the downfall of her family–she would not take this sitting down!

He Ruoxue was her best friend and her sister–or so Lanjin thought. Didn't the He family give Ruoxue the best life by taking her in as an adopted daughter ten years ago? The family gave Ruoxue nothing but the best love and care. Now she was secretly conspiring with Lu Zifan to plot against the He family. Not even an ingrate would dare do this!

The pained expression in He Lanjin's exquisite little face disappeared, replaced by an emotionless countenance. Her almond-shaped eyes grew cold.

Meanwhile, He Ruoxue grew more excited by the minute, her beautiful eyes filling with greed. The He family would be hers, and He Lanjin would be her prisoner. She took off her clothes and threw herself at Lu Zifan, who did not waste time unzipping his pants and unbuttoning his shirt. "Oh, Zifan, you..."

Lu Zifan pulled He Ruoxue into the cubicle next to the one where his male lover was hiding. Zifan and Ruoxue gave in to their passion, not caring that they were in a ladies' room that anyone could simply walk into.

At this point, He Lanjin's resolve solidified. Her anger had turned into calm, her eyes calculating. She looked at the heap of clothes on the floor, which sparked an idea.

He Lanjin walked quietly to the cubicle, capturing some of the action inside with her phone through a small opening by the cubicle door. After a few minutes, He Lanjin safely put the phone away. She picked up some of the clothes on the floor before walking out of the toilet.

He Lanjin quietly shut the door and left, but not before hanging He Ruoxue's underwear on the door handle.