Then, without saying a word, Shin casually waved his hand.
Time reversed by a few seconds.
The door closed.
A moment later, it opened again.
The assistant stepped inside but hadn't heard any of their conversation, immediately bowed apologetically, and said, "I'm sorry for not knocking."
Then he hurriedly backed out and closed the door.
Yeri's eyes widened. "You can do that so easily?"
"Of course."
"Then you could also reverse time to before I gave the present to Xati!" Yeri immediately brightened. "This time, I'll give him a different gift."
"No."
Yeri's expression fell. "Why?"
"Too much time has passed. Those Light Realm bastards will definitely notice. I can't have them complaining again. It's annoying."
Yeri looked at him unhappily, but no matter what she said, neither emotional persuasion nor moral coercion could make him budge.
Later that night, she even tried to seduce him.
Shin merely pretended to give in. In the end, Yeri was exhausted for nothing, and when she woke up the next morning, he had already left for work.
---
Two weeks before their wedding, Yeri went to the Zhi Manor and noticed a huge truck parked in front of the neighboring gate.
Xian walked out and was surprised to see her. "You came to visit your parents?"
Yeri smiled. "What about you? Are you moving out?"
"No. In fact, I'm moving new things in. Some new furniture and equipment for my lab."
Looking at Xian, Yeri realized that a lot had changed since the last time they had spoken.
Because Shin Keir had become increasingly paranoid and unhappy about her friendship with Xian, the two of them had barely been in contact.
Yet Xian seemed completely different from the vengeful guy she remembered.
The Song family, once considered one of the four noble families, was no longer as powerful as it had been.
After the relationship between Madam Neri and Xavier Song was exposed, the scandal severely damaged the family's reputation and people's trust in them, especially after Madam Neri was imprisoned following her failed case against Neri Medical Hospital.
Things might have ended there if they had simply kept their heads down.
But in the political world, once a family's reputation was tarnished, its enemies and rivals came pouring in like heavy rain.
To make matters worse, Vanessa, who had been missing for a long time, was eventually found and rescued during a joint police and military operation dismantling a massive human-trafficking organization.
It turned out she had been one of its victims.
Vanessa had been forced into a red-light district, and after her rescue, she accused Madam Neri of being responsible.
Madam Neri, however, quickly shifted the blame to Calin Ricci.
With both women already in prison, and Calin's mental state having deteriorated, there was little Vanessa could do. Besides, she had no hard evidence directly proving Madam Neri's involvement.
In the end, Vanessa latched onto her former husband, Xavier Song, once again, creating one scandal after another for the paparazzi to feast on.
Xavier Song, who had thought he would at least get his hands on part of Madam Neri's assets after everything he had sacrificed while dating the older woman, ended up with nothing.
Madam Neri had survived the treacherous upper class for a reason. She might have loved Xavier Song, but she had never trusted him enough to hand over her assets.
With the Song family declining rapidly, they turned their attention to their youngest son, Xian Song.
Unlike the rest of the family, Xian had a relatively clean reputation, making him an attractive candidate for a marriage alliance with another powerful political family.
Unfortunately for them, they had severely underestimated him.
Xian wanted nothing to do with his own family.
He didn't hesitate to expose the illegal dealings, underhanded schemes, tax evasion, and other crimes his father had committed.
The revelations eventually drove his father into a rage that his already fragile health couldn't withstand.
Now, with the Song family in decline and his father dead, Xian didn't seem the least bit interested in mourning or worrying about being disowned by the Song clan.
Yeri looked at him for a moment. "I'm sorry about your father."
Xian shrugged. "Do you think I'm cruel if I say I'm glad I finally got rid of him?"
Yeri shook her head. "You have your reasons. Besides, you didn't exactly falsely accuse him, right? Those were crimes he actually committed."
"What comes around goes around." Xian's expression turned faintly cold. "He used to threaten Grandpa by using me as leverage, forcing him to agree to whatever he wanted. When I used the same method against him with the evidence I had, he couldn't take it."
Yeri was momentarily silent before asking, "What are your plans now?"
Xian pointed toward the boxes being unloaded from the truck. "Expand my hobby."
Yeri followed his finger and stared at the enormous pile of boxes.
Her expression slowly changed as she took one cautious step backward. She knew exactly what kind of things Xian considered a hobby.
Possibly things with far too many legs.
Xian noticed her reaction and chuckled. "You haven't changed at all. Don't worry, they're all properly contained."
Yeri took another step back. "That's exactly what someone with dangerous bugs would say."
The two chatted for a little while longer before eventually parting ways.
Yeri felt genuinely happy for Xian.
For the first time, he seemed truly free, as though someone had finally removed the shackles around him.
Perhaps his father really had been a looming mountain that had constrained his life for far too long.
-
After taking the things she needed from home, Yeri left the same day to meet her friends.
"YZ!"
Nina waved enthusiastically the moment she saw her.
"Gosh, why do you look more and more beautiful every time I see you? Can I kiss you?"
Yeri laughed lightly before greeting Daisy and Levi, who were lounging on the sofa.
"Is it okay with your parents if we all crash here?" Yeri asked.
"Yeah, because we're not staying here!" Nina immediately hooked an arm around hers. "Come on, we'll be late for our trip."
"Trip?" Yeri looked bewildered.
"Yep! Guess what's happening?" Daisy chimed in excitedly.
Yeri thought for a moment. "Birthday party?"
"Nope."
"Then what?"
"Hello! You're about to get married!" Nina exclaimed dramatically. "Of course we're throwing you a surprise bachelorette party!"
Daisy and the others immediately cheered.
Yeri smiled, but then her gaze landed on Levi. "What about him?"
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Levi asked.
Yeri sneered. "You know what I mean."
The three of them, along with Nina, had been her closest friends for years. What was there to be uncomfortable about?
Levi's gaze darted toward Nina. "I thought I should watch over someone who's prone to causing trouble."
"And who exactly are we talking about here?" Nina placed both hands on her hips.
While the two began bickering, Daisy's gossip antenna immediately picked up a signal.
"Wait." She narrowed her eyes. "You two are dating, aren't you?"
Nina froze, eyes darting around, and the tips of her ears immediately turned red. "What nonsense!"
Yeri also looked at the two.
Only then did she notice the changes.
Nina was wearing a dress, something much more feminine than her usual style. Even her demeanor seemed slightly different, and her hair, which she usually kept short, had grown past her shoulders.
Yeri's eyes widened. "Right... Why didn't you two tell me?! Since when?! Nina, am I still your best friend?!"
Nina stammered, her face turning even redder.
"I tried! But you were already overwhelmed with your wedding preparations, and, well..." She trailed off. "Anyway..."
"So you admit it?! I knew it!" Daisy jumped excitedly. "I'm so amazing! I figured it out!"
Embarrassed, Nina stomped her foot. "Alright, we'll be late! Let's hurry to the port. We can talk along the way."
She grabbed Yeri and dragged her toward the door.
Yeri glanced back at Levi, who was smiling awkwardly at her.
She had noticed his crush on Nina a long time ago, even before their relationship had begun. Back then, however, Nina had cared about little besides martial arts and school activities.
"You two have some explaining to do." Yeri narrowed her eyes. "Hmmph. Is it because I'm now the third wheel in this relationship?"
"Of course not!" Nina immediately protested. "I still love you more than Levi. Don't be upset. If you want, I'll kick him for you."
Yeri blinked.
Levi? She remembered that Nina used to call him Dried Twig.
"I'm just upset that I'm not the first person to hear the good news about you two. We should've celebrated together."
Nina smiled sheepishly.
-
By the time the group arrived at the port and boarded a yacht, Yeri suddenly remembered something.
She hadn't informed her parents, and she definitely hadn't informed Shin Keir.
"Wait. What exactly is our itinerary? Where are we heading? How long are we staying? Someone explain this to me."
"Relax." Nina chuckled. "We figured your fiancé wouldn't appreciate you partying with a bunch of hot male models for your bachelorette party. And what if he holds a grudge against us? So we decided on a three-day trip with the sea and nature instead!"
Yeri "???"
Did she hear that correctly? Three days?
"Don't worry, Yeri. We have everything taken care of," Daisy assured her. "From here to the neighboring city, we'll take a small plane to a province known for its beautiful natural scenery. It'll be perfect for hiking, bonfires, a cozy cabin experience, and even a beach party!"
Yeri stared at them, dumbfounded.
"Okay, you're all prepared. But what about me? I thought this was just an overnight gathering, so I only brought a few things."
She looked down at herself.
"What about hiking gear? Clothes? And all the other stuff?"
"Duh!" Nina looked offended. "Do you think I wouldn't prepare those for you? I'm your best friend. Of course I know what you need."
Then she added casually, "Besides, your mom already knew about it. I contacted her, and she sent us your luggage along with your medicines."
"My mom knew?" Yeri stared at her friends.
"Yep." Nina grinned. "Everything is under control."
"By the way, don't worry about informing Young Master Keir," Levi added. "Young Master Felan reassured me that he'd tell him himself."
Yeri immediately turned toward him. "How did you contact Brother Tristan?"
"Remember, we're friends from Tartarus Game?" Levi reminded her. "Actually, when I asked him for advice, he said a trip was a great idea. Apparently, they're also planning a surprise bachelor party for Young Master Keir at the same time."