His life couldn’t have been better, but that was only on the surface. Only the man knew how wounded and battered he was within.

…

Two years ago, when Cheng Qingchong had gotten the job at Four Seasons, she had rented a studio apartment in Beijing. At the time, she didn’t think she would leave Beijing any time soon, so to bargain for a lower rent, she had signed a two-year contract.

It was stated on the contract that she couldn’t leave before the designated two years or rent it to someone else, so for the two years she lived in Shanghai, the place was still rented under Cheng Qingchong’s name.

As it was time to return the house, Cheng Qingchong had contacted the owner about one month ago. She chose this time because in these few days, Jin Ze, who was currently at America, was coming to Beijing. He needed her to accompany him to a dinner, so when Jin Ze helped her book the ticket, she had him book it one week earlier. Before he arrived, she would take the time to settle the issue of the rented house. She was going to return to her room to clear away some stuff and deal with the rental contract. Then she would wait for him to come to Beijing and finish his work before they returned to Shanghai together.

The plane Cheng Qingchong took landed in the morning. She didn’t stay at the hotel but moved back into her own rental house. She used the whole afternoon to clean the place that had been vacant for a very long time.

When all the cleaning was done, Cheng Qingchong was exhausted, but for some reason, she didn’t feel like sleeping. Standing before the window, looking at the city that was both strange and familiar, she was silent for a long time before returning to her room to change her outfit, grab her bag, and leave the room.

Cheng Qingchong didn’t have a destination in mind; she just wanted to wander about. It had been around two years since she last been in Beijing. Even though plenty of places looked the same, if she looked closer, she could discern the changes.

Whenever she passed a familiar spot, she would ask the taxi driver to slow down. She would look out the window for some time before asking the driver to move.

The taxi moved around Beijing city for about two hours before ending at the entrance to Eldorado.

Even though she hadn’t been to Beijing for such a long time and the place had changed its décor, it was still shining with opulence.

When Cheng Qingchong saw the sign that said ‘Eldorado’, memories of her past flooded her mind. Without a second thought, she asked for the driver to stop. She paid and got out. She walked toward the front door before stopping to raise her head to look at the room on the top floor.

When she met him here for the first time, he didn’t notice her. At the time, he was leaning against the wall next to the bathroom, crying to himself. It felt like his heart had been broken.

The second time she ran into him here, she had just helped Big Boss secure a huge contract. She was drunk and staggered to the bathroom. She collapsed into a man’s arms without even taking a look at who it was. He helped her book a room and even patiently helper her drink some water. Like a true gentleman, he left her after he made sure she was safe.

The third time she met him here, he was drunk. She booked a room for him, and it was from this night onwards that their fates intertwined.

Now that she thought about it, his and her story really did start at Eldorado.