"Su Qing, please don't say all these words of thanks. Didn't we agree before? Just ask for help whenever you need it—there's no need for such formalities between us.
I'd do anything for you. Just being able to help you a little makes me happy."
As they spoke, the server led them to a four-seat dining table.
One advantage of this restaurant was that each table was set up like a semi-private booth. High-backed sofas blocked the opposite side, and sheer curtains provided additional privacy—perfect for discussing matters or, well, dating.
The server handed the menu to Su Qing, who passed it directly to Shu Tong. "You order. I'm fine with anything—I'm not picky."
Shu Tong listed a few dishes and asked for Su Qing's opinion. She nodded. "Sounds good."
Then, Shu Tong leaned slightly closer to Su Qing. A faint whiff of cologne drifted into her nostrils, and her cheeks flushed slightly. Noticing this, Shu Tong smiled.
He could also hear the pounding in his own chest—like a drumbeat—thumping wildly.
Su Qing distinctly sensed the crisp, masculine scent of Shu Tong's pheromones. Suddenly, her own heartbeat accelerated, as if it had multiplied in intensity by dozens of times. She couldn't control it, couldn't calm down.
At that moment, she didn't know what to say. It felt like her heart might leap out of her mouth. She was breathless, yet deep inside, she also felt an inexplicable longing.
Am I… also feeling spring desires?she wondered.
Just as her thoughts spiraled, Shu Tong brought his phone's video closer to her.
When the video started, a chaotic scene unfolded—noisy voices and a crowd of people. Su Qing leaned in, their heads nearly touching as they watched.
A man with blood smeared across his face was shouting curses. Another man beside him pointed at the injured one, yelling and lunging as if to strike him again.
Nearby, a woman covered her face and sobbed softly, surrounded by onlookers.
After a moment, the camera panned to another woman's face—this one also wiping away tears.
Su Qing's eyes widened in recognition. That's Xiao Ji's… mistress.
The woman clutched Xiao Ji's sleeve, weeping pitifully. Xiao Ji patted her shoulder, murmuring words of comfort.
Shu Tong pointed at Xiao Ji and asked, "That's your husband, right?"
Su Qing hesitated, then nodded.
Though they weren't divorced yet, she no longer wanted to acknowledge him as her husband. To her, it felt like he had already become someone else's partner—as if their marriage was nothing more than a piece of paper.
The camera shifted to Xiao Ji's face. He waved his hands up and down, seemingly trying to mediate between the two men.
With so many people talking over each other and Su Qing's own unsettled emotions, she couldn't make out what was being said.
As Shu Tong showed her the video, he explained an incident that had happened the night before in an escape room.
"Last night, a couple went to play an escape room game with friends. They teamed up with another group. In the script, there was a scene involving a rapist. The woman from the couple was assigned the role of the victim, while another man played the rapist—the one with the bloody nose now.
But in the room, the man nearly actuallyassaulted her. It was attempted rape. If she hadn't screamed and fought back, it might've gone further under the guise of 'acting.'
That man had been drinking and used the game as an excuse to act indecently."
"So escape rooms are like acting in a drama?"Su Qing's eyes widened.
"Exactly. It's called 'script murder.' Everyone gets a role and follows clues to advance the plot."
"You've never played?"Shu Tong asked.
Su Qing shook her head. "I didn't even know what an escape room was!"
"So the woman's boyfriend beat that man bloody, smashed up part of the room, and demanded compensation from the owner—for emotional damages and negligence."
As they spoke, their dishes began arriving.
"I secretly called the police and even tipped off a newspaper. A classmate of mine works as an editor there.
I wanted to blow this up. It'll help with your divorce and serve as evidence of his infidelity. If no one reported it, they'd have settled it quietly."
Su Qing was taken aback. She hadn't expected Shu Tong to think so far ahead.
Originally, she had only considered Xiao Ji's investment in that woman as part of their marital assets to be divided in the divorce.