We open on the celebratory party thrown by Zhou Heng in honour of Xu Youyi's new book. The attendees gush over what a loving husband Zhou Heng is to do something like this for his wife.
Xu Youyi, sitting by herself, wonders whether Zhou Heng really is that good to her.
She thinks back to the anonymous letter and the photograph, and remembers Yan Wei's last words to her from earlier that day. 'What did she mean by that?' wonders Xu Youyi. And then: 'Could she be the one who wrote me that letter?'
Xu Youyi's thoughts are interrupted by well-known authoress Chu Huizi, whom she very definitely did not invite to the party. Chu Huizi accuses Xu Youyi of having deliberately planned her book launch so as to coincide with the release date of Chu Huizi's own new book, and calls her petty and jealous. Xu Youyi retorts by calling her a gatecrasher. This escalates, and culminates in Xu Youyi demanding, 'Are you planning to start a physical fight at my party?'
Chu Huizi leaves in a huff, but not before delivering a parting shot. 'I forgot to mention,' she tells Xu Youyi, 'it was my senior Zhou Heng who invited me here today.'
This sets Xu Youyi's alarm bells blaring again. She sees Chu Huizi slip surreptitiously out of the room after receiving a message from a waiter, and when she looks around, Zhou Heng is nowhere to be seen. 'Did they sneak off for a rendezvous?' she wonders.
Xu Youyi wanders through the house, heels tapping on the floor, until she hears panting and moaning from behind one of the doors. She slams the door open to find her husband and her best friend.
'You? You two?' she asks. 'How could you do this to me?!'
'I did tell you I would track down the woman he was cheating with,' says Zhang Wan unrepentantly. 'And now I have.'
She's prevented from speaking further by Zhou Heng, who slaps her and tells her to shut up.
Zhou Heng tries to give Xu Youyi the age-old explanation that it was Zhang Wan who seduced him, but Xu Youyi is in no mood for this. 'What is there left to explain?' she asks, as she turns and leaves. Zhou Heng tries to chase after her, but Zhang Wan grabs hold of him and refuses to let go. 'It was only a fling,' he tells her. 'Even if it was only a fling, you still have to stick with me till the end,' she insists.
Zhou Heng turns sinister. 'If you don't let go, I'll kill you, believe me.'
Zhou Heng storms off, and Zhang Wan yells, 'Zhou Heng, you bastard!' at his departing back.
Xu Youyi, meanwhile, is wandering alone through the rain-soaked streets.
She thinks back to happier times: an affectionate Zhang Wan declaring, 'I always said our Youyi was the best!', a loving Zhou Heng telling her, 'Xu Youyi, I will love you forever!' She wonders whether it was all a sham.
Her footsteps take her outside Baihua Photography Studio, where she's spotted by a small figure sitting in an upstairs window.
Upstairs, Yan Wei is engaging in a little light target practice.
She pauses when she sees her cat scratching at the window. 'You're not that cowardly, are you, Good Luck?' she asks.
Good Luck manages to pry open the window, and leaps out. Yan Wei rushes over, calling out: 'What are you doing, Good Luck? It's raining outside!'
As she leans out of the window, she catches sight of Xu Youyi. 'It's her?' she thinks to herself.
Meanwhile, Good Luck has caught up with Xu Youyi. 'Did you come out in this downpour just to comfort me?' Xu Youyi asks tearfully. 'Thank you...'
An umbrella appears over her, and a voice says, 'That's my cat. Her name is Good Luck.'
Xu Youyi looks up, and sees Yan Wei standing there.
Please view the original manhua
here.
Translator's note:
- It's not clear from the text whether Good Luck is a he or a she. However, I assume that all cats belonging to sapphics are 'she' until informed otherwise.
