Is my roommate a caged bird? I'm stealing her away.

The taxi was parked in front of the hotel.

Zhou Suisui pushed open the car door, and a gust of cool wind rushed in, making her neck shrink back. She pulled her suitcase into the lobby, where the warmth mixed with the refreshing scent of aromatherapy instantly enveloped her, dispelling the chill.

The receptionist was a young girl. When she saw her dragging her suitcase alone, her gaze lingered on her face for a second longer.

"Hello, check-in is here." Zhou Suisui handed over her ID card.

"Okay, what type of room would you like?"

"A king-size bed room, on a high floor, preferably quiet."

The receptionist typed away skillfully. "Okay, Ms. Zhou. It's 2,300 per night, breakfast included. How many nights will you be staying?"

Zhou Suisui took out her bank card from her wallet and handed it over. "I'll reserve it for a week first."

The card was swiped through the card reader. The receptionist handed the room key and ID card back: "Room 2208, the elevator is on your right. Have a pleasant stay."

"Thanks."

Zhou Suisui pulled her suitcase toward the elevator. The carpet was so thick it felt like walking on clouds, and the sound of the suitcase wheels rolling was completely absorbed.

While waiting for the elevator, she felt a gaze fall on her from the side.

She turned her head and saw a man standing a few steps away, about thirty years old, wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit, without a tie, and with two buttons undone at the collar.

He was handsome and refined, and he was pulling a small suitcase, looking like he had just returned from a business trip.

The man met her gaze, smiled naturally, and nodded at her.

Zhou Suisui didn't say anything, and turned back to continue staring at the elevator display screen.

The elevator doors slid open with a "ding". She stepped inside, and the man followed, standing diagonally behind her.

In the enclosed space, a faint woody men's fragrance wafted out, clean and refreshing, not at all bothersome.

"You live on this floor too?" the man asked first, his voice gentle.

Zhou Suisui gave a faint "hmm" and didn't say anything more.

"I just got back from Shanghai." The man seemed oblivious to her coldness, launching into a relaxed conversation. "Every time I come back, I feel it's still more comfortable here. Are you here on a business trip?"

"no."

"Oh, so you're here to have fun?" The man smiled, his gaze lingering on her face. "Alone?"

Zhou Suisui didn't reply. The elevator came to a smooth stop on the 22nd floor, and as soon as the doors opened, she pulled her suitcase and walked straight out. The man followed her out, walking beside her at a leisurely pace.

"What a coincidence, I live on this floor too," he said, his gaze honestly landing on her face. "Which room do you live in?"

Zhou Suisui paused, then looked up at him.

The man's smile remained unchanged, and his eyes seemed quite open, but his scrutiny and interest were clearly unmistakable.

Unlike those greasy guys who try to pick up girls on social media, this person is obviously much better off and much more direct.

She suddenly remembered Xu Yan's words, and also Chen Boxu's matter-of-fact manner when he chose Lin Xiao.

"2208." She gave a forced smile and announced the room number.

"I live in 2212, diagonally across the street." The man took out a business card holder from his pocket, pulled out a card and handed it over. "Let's get acquainted? My name is Shen Xu, I work in investment."

Zhou Suisui looked at the business card with its white background and black lettering; the design was simple and neat. She hesitated for two seconds, then reached out and took it.

The moment his fingertips touched the paper, Shen Xu's fingers brushed against the back of her hand almost imperceptibly, carrying a slightly cool temperature.

"Zhou Suisui," she said, introducing herself.

"It's a nice name." Shen Xu put away his business card holder and pointed to the business card in her hand. "I'm a little tired after getting off the plane, so I'll go back to my room first. If Miss Zhou is bored tonight and wants to have a drink with someone, feel free to call me anytime."

After saying that, he smiled at her and turned to walk towards his room.

Zhou Suisui watched his back as he swiped his card to enter the room, then looked down at the business card in her hand.

Shen Xu. Executive Director, Qiming Capital.

She walked to the door of room 2208 with the business card in her hand, swiped her card, and pushed the door open.

The room was spacious, and the floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the dazzling city lights.

She didn't turn on the main light, but walked to the window in the dark and looked at the endless stream of car lights below, which looked like a flowing river of stars.

A moment later, she took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Eva.

SuiSui: [Eva, I've moved. Could you please have your driver pick me up at this address Friday night?]

Please include the hotel location and room number.

Eva replied quickly: [Received, Ms. Zhou. I will arrange it.]

Zhou Suisui exited the chat window and dialed Liu Weiwei's number.

The phone rang for quite a while before someone finally answered it.

"Feed?" Liu Weiwei's voice was thick with nasal tone, as if she had just woken up.

"Sister Weiwei," Zhou Suisui's voice was flat, "Lin Xiao kicked me out."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"What?" Liu Weiwei's voice rose instantly, fully awake. "When did this happen? Where are you now?"

"Just now. I was at the hotel." Zhou Suisui walked to the bedside and sat down, her fingertips gripping the sheets. "She told me to get out."

"Damn it!" Liu Weiwei cursed, her anger flaring. "What right does she have? Does Chen Boxu know about this?"

"I don't know. I probably don't know either." Zhou Suisui's tone was indifferent. "It doesn't matter."

"What do you mean 'it doesn't matter'? Where's your money? That 700,000..."

"It's in my card." Zhou Suisui looked at the business card in her hand, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing it. "I just checked into the hotel and ran into someone."

"Who?"

"A man, around thirty years old, named Shen Xu, who works in investment." She paused, then added, "He gave me his business card."

Liu Weiwei fell silent again. After a while, her voice trembled with disbelief: "Shen Xu from Qiming Capital?"

"Yes. You know him?"

"I've heard of him." Liu Weiwei's tone became complicated. "He's quite a catch, young and promising, and his family has connections. He approached you?"

"Um."

"Zhou Suisui," Liu Weiwei's voice suddenly turned serious, "what do you want to do?"

Zhou Suisui lay down on the bed, staring at the blurry light and shadow on the ceiling.

"I didn't mean anything by it," she said, her voice light and airy. "I just felt... Sister Xu Yan was right."

"What?"

"Find someone who offers a higher price and kick this one to the curb." Zhou Suisui smirked, a hint of self-mockery in her smile. "That filthy man only comes to me once a week, no different from a prostitute's client. Since he has time to accompany Lin Xiao to banquets, I have time to find someone else."

Liu Weiwei gasped, "Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid Chen Boxu will find out?"

"So what if I know?" Zhou Suisui's voice turned colder. "Selling one is selling, selling two is selling. Blame it on him, who told him to give me so much time?"

"Zhou Suisui!" Liu Weiwei exclaimed anxiously, "Don't do anything reckless! You can't afford to mess with someone like Chen Boxu! If he finds out about you..."

"Sister Weiwei," Zhou Suisui interrupted her, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty, "I know what I'm doing."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, long enough for Zhou Suisui to hear breathing coming from the receiver.

"You've changed so fast."

"Sister Weiwei, do you know? Before Lin Xiao left on Wednesday, she told me personally that a pheasant can never become a phoenix."

"That bitch! How dare she say that!"

"She dares." Zhou Suisui turned to the side, her voice no longer calm and even, but carrying a suppressed coldness:

"She bragged to me that Mr. Chen took her to choose clothes, waited for her downstairs, and even booked a hotel, but didn't come back all night. Then the next day, she got upset for some reason and took it out on me."

She paused, took a breath, and each word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth:

"She treated me like a dog."

On the other end of the phone, Liu Weiwei remained silent, seemingly processing the sudden information.

Zhou Suisui's voice lowered, trembling slightly, as if she were speaking to herself: "It's not the first time I've known that I'm different from her... Before, I didn't care; I could comfort myself by saying I hadn't been here long. But now..."

She paused, a lump forming in her throat, and when she spoke again, her voice carried a hatred that even she herself found unfamiliar, along with a hint of panic:

"Sister Weiwei, right now... I want to kill her. I've become so strange."