A gold wedding ring, the engagement diamond ring from their wedding day, and her phone.
Zhuang Qiting stared at their rings, now cruelly removed. His insides churned violently. For the first time in his life, he had lost control over his wife. The feeling was terrible— truly terrible.
He knew exactly where his treasure was, what she was doing, and who she was talking to.
The ring concealed the most advanced and precise global positioning tracker, capable of tracking her whereabouts within a ten-meter radius.
She had even taken off the ring and ran like this.
–
A golden ray of morning sunlight rose above the wild green horizon, streaming through the open floor-to-ceiling windows and skylight, illuminating a spacious suite made entirely of wood.
It brought an utterly natural atmosphere, filled with primal wildness and vibrant life.
This was East Africa, Tanzania, the lush and bustling Serengeti Private Reserve. The most luxurious safari lodge in all of Africa stood here.
Compared to the massive animal migration from June to September, the annual calving season was perhaps even more lively.
Millions of animals would give birth here, ushering countless new lives into the world.
Li Yaru woke up peacefully amidst this beauty. Her fair face was bathed in soft light as she stretched with a giant yawn, her gaze drifting to a group of plump zebras and wildebeests grazing on dew-covered fresh grass.
The zebras and wildebeests had been here since yesterday, and eight mothers had successfully given birth to adorable babies.
The tiny little ones had yet to open their eyes, connected by their umbilical cords to their mothers, looking fragile and helpless.
Li Yaru slipped on her slippers and stepped outside. Facing the endless wild grasslands, she spread her arms wide, embracing the sunrise.
This was exhilarating!!!!
The hotel staff prepared a breakfast featuring local specialties. The dining table was set beneath the large canopy of a baobab tree, surrounded by linen curtains for shade.
Just a meter away, three giraffes nibbled on tender leaves high in the branches.
Breakfast was simple— coffee, bread, tomato omelets, mashed potatoes, and more. The coffee came from a local coffee bean plantation, with a rare flavor unlike any found in Hong Kong’s cafes.
Li Yaru drank most of her cup before handing the camera to the bodyguard accompanying her.
“Take a few pictures for me.”
Holding up her skirt, she walked toward the giraffes, turning back to smile at the camera.
The bodyguards assigned to this trip were all unfamiliar faces. She didn’t know how many of Zhuang Qiting’s men had infiltrated her regular team, so she left them all back on Hong Kong Island. These new ones were borrowed from Liang Yongwen.
The bodyguard was skilled at photography. Li Yaru kept changing poses without stopping, and he kept shooting without pause, occasionally reminding her to stay safe.
After all, wild animals roamed freely here — she might suddenly look up and see a leopard napping in a tree.
A baby giraffe approached Li Yaru and licked the food residue off her fingers with its tongue, making her laugh endlessly.
“Please hold on! Beautiful girl!”
A spirited and excited male voice rang out from a distance, clearly directed at her. Li Yaru paused, looking to see who it was.
It was a guest who had checked into the hotel yesterday, someone Li Yaru had seen during dinner.
The young man was tall and lean, with golden hair, wearing a white short-sleeve shirt that revealed his toned muscles, casual jeans paired with multi-functional hiking boots, making his legs look even more slender and strong.
Clearly a mixed-race individual.
He waved at Li Yaru, then raised his camera, signaling he was taking photos of her.
Li Yaru wasn’t pretentious and posed for a few shots, smiling generously.
The man hastily flipped through the photos, proudly showing them to Li Yaru. As he stepped closer, a dry yet warm aura surrounded him, like a male wildebeest just entering adulthood.
Handsome as he was, the mixed-race man had no sense of boundaries. When he handed her the camera, his arm brushed against hers, skin on skin, sending a warm, lively heat through her.
Li Yaru instinctively moved an inch to the right.
“How’s this? A true work of art. You’re absolutely the most beautiful and elegant Oriental girl I’ve ever seen.”
Li Yaru was quite pleased with the photos and nodded graciously. “Not bad. But I’m not really a girl anymore. You have good eyes.”
The mixed-race man raised an eyebrow. His clear blue eyes, like a crystal sea, looked gently at Li Yaru. “I’m kidding. How could you be a girl? You’re at most two years older than me.”
Li Yaru’s mood lifted, and feeling playful, she ignored him, running her fingers through her silky, soft curls, tossing the young man out of her mind as she returned to the table.
The young man’s curiosity was piqued, and he followed Li Yaru briskly. “So how old are you? Don’t be afraid, I’m not a bad guy. My name’s Kurt. I’m Italian, a wildlife painter, and I’m twenty-three this year. I’m here gathering material for a solo exhibition.”
His voice was gentle, magnetic, and patient.
Li Yaru was somewhat helpless at his overly friendly behavior but didn’t send him away. She just thought of him as an extra talking young wildebeest.
Besides, she really didn’t feel like revealing her age. What’s the point? After thirty, every year a woman is eighteen.
Age wasn’t important. What mattered was her state, her mindset.
On this point, Zhuang Qiting was far worse off than she was. He must have serious age anxiety! Thinking of Zhuang Qiting, Li Yaru laughed heartily to the sky.
He surely knew she’d been seen but had no clue where she was, and that loss of control must be driving him mad.
Li Yaru covered her mouth, smiling softly and gracefully sipping her coffee, her delicate pinky finger raised elegantly— a striking splash of rare rosy color against the primal wild grassland.
The young man couldn’t resist and snapped a few more pictures. One was a close-up of her hand.
Her fingers were porcelain-white, slender and enchanting. Her beautifully shaped nail beds were dusted with iridescent shimmer.
Her index finger wore a jewel ring with a lively pattern— a soaring bird kissing a deep blue sapphire.
Such beautiful hands— who knew how much money and time had nurtured them, or how soft, delicate, and comfortable they were to hold.
“I didn’t give you permission to take sneak shots,” Li Yaru said calmly, masking any hint of anger.
Though not much different from a woman in her early twenties— youthful and charming— her aura, the air of authority Zhuang Qiting had taught her, revealed just a hint of an ice queen’s chill.
The young man dared not joke any further. He put away the camera politely and apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. If you want, I can delete them.”
“Send them to me first, then delete them.”
“Can I keep just one?” The young man lowered his eyes, hiding his disappointment. These photos were all masterpieces, and he hated to part with them.
Li Yaru laughed, casting a seductive glance. Her black-and-white eyes were clear, and the morning light shimmered on her full rose-colored lips. “I’ll only allow you to keep one. Will you comply?”
The young man stared blankly at this noble and mysterious Oriental beauty, stunned, his heart skipping a beat in the wild grasslands.
–
Meanwhile, more than five thousand kilometers away in northern Italy, a recent rain had left the air fresh and pleasant.
Lake Como, at the foot of the Alps, shimmered with noble and enchanting light.
Flaubert once called this place “the most sensual spot in the world.” Li Yaru had fallen in love with it after her first visit.
She spared no expense to purchase a thousand-square-meter villa-style estate here, adjacent to the famous Villa d’Este.
She spent over twenty million on renovations, transforming the entire house into a glass structure.
Whenever Li Yaru came to Italy, she always stayed here. So Zhuang Qiting had been waiting here for two whole days, only to see not even a single strand of her hair.
Zhuang Qiting stood before a giant five-meter-tall floor-to-ceiling window, expressionless as he stared at Lake Como below the mountains. His eyes were dark and deep, as if he was forcing himself to restrain something.
Ada stood dejectedly by his side, nearly losing her mind. She really didn’t know where Madam had gone. She was just a messenger! Making money was so hard!
“I’m asking one last time, Ada. Where has Madam gone?” Zhuang Qiting’s tone was gentle, but his fingertips gripped the cigarette tightly until it was crushed.
Ada said, “Sir, I really don’t know where Madam went. She only asked me to buy some tea sets here in Italy and to take care of this house. She didn’t say where she was going. I messaged Madam, but she didn’t reply…”
After a long silence, Zhuang Qiting finally waved his hand with magnanimity. “You may leave.”
He stood alone for a long time. The cigarette burned down to his fingertips, and only when it burned him did he realize.
He knew where Li Yaru was. She hadn’t messaged anyone. She was hiding in some corner, daring him to find her.
Zhuang Qiting swallowed the cold, burning feelings and loosened the top button of his shirt.
He decided to play her game. This ridiculous cat-and-mouse— this little thing had definitely gotten the upper hand! Completely gotten the upper hand!