Only today did I truly grasp the meaning of the "butterfly effect."

Yi Yao’s past and mine were rapidly diverging, replaced by tangled social webs and a distant future.

All because, long ago, I’d done something Yi Yao never wanted—for a companion she didn’t even care about.

"Oh! Mayor Huang, you’ve arrived!"

Before I could steady myself on the hotel’s third floor, a middle-aged man in a sharp suit strode over, hand outstretched.

"Haha! How could I miss Secretary Qi’s banquet?" Huang Zhiqiang boomed, shaking his hand. "I’ll start with three self-punishment shots inside."

"Tsk, Mayor Huang," the man said with a tight smile, glancing at me. "Punctuality deserves praise, not penalty. And this young lady is…?"

"Yi Yao. She saved my daughter during that kidnapping incident. Yi Yao, this is Secretary Huang Tianqi."

"Secretary Huang!" I bowed politely.

*Great. Secretary now. Your Huang family really does have fingers everywhere.*

"Yi Yao… that name rings a bell…" He pulled out his phone, scrolling briefly before his eyes lit up. "Ah! My son mentioned you. Said to call me if you ever needed help. Heh, all this time and you never dialed Uncle?"

*Your son is… Huang Tianhai?*

News reports from two years later never mentioned your connection. I’d assumed Huang Tianhai clawed his way up from a humble background.

"Her phone was stolen by Zero—by those people," Huang Zhiqiang cut in smoothly, noticing my stiff expression. "I just got her a new one. Secretary Huang, shall we discuss matters privately over there?"

"Tsk. Even with a new phone, you should save contacts." Huang Tianqi waved off the suggestion, took my phone, and typed in a number. "Here, Yi Yao. Call Uncle anytime you’re in trouble. My good-for-nothing son asked me to look after you. I might be busy, but I’ll always find someone to help."

*What the hell? The only three contacts in my brand-new, SIM-less phone are the mayor’s family and the provincial secretary?*

"Well then," he handed back my phone and signaled a guard. "The mayor and I have confidential matters to discuss. Excuse us."

Huang Tianqi and Huang Zhiqiang strode toward a side staircase, leaving the guard beside me. "This way to the VIP lounge, miss."

"Understood."

I’d expected this.

Humans are nature’s only creatures who lie without survival instinct. Equality is just a pretty word.

What I *didn’t* expect was the crowd waiting in the "VIP lounge."

Card Brother. Ice. Floral Snake. Liang Zhenyi. And the Jiangnan Gang teens I’d beaten bloody.

"Yo, Yi Yao."

Card Brother grinned, dapper in a suit and top hat—no playing cards between his fingers this time.

*No wonder Ouyang Earth called him a big shot…*

"You guys—"

The private room held two tables: one for Card Brother’s crew, one for Jiangnan Gang. The moment I entered, every Jiangnan member’s gaze snapped toward me like a flock of startled birds.

*Are you sure sitting together won’t spark a brawl?*

"Why no skirt today, Yi Yao?" Card Brother teased, unfazed by the tension. "I specifically told Mayor Huang to have you wear one."

*Wear a skirt? How am I supposed to hide my two blades then?*

I shot him a glare and sat beside Liang Zhenyi. "Lao Liang… your injuries healed?"

*Damn it. Why did I open that can of worms? Liang’s injury was the exact spark between Black Dragon Society and Jiangnan Gang.*

"Much better. My fault anyway—I spoke too harshly." Liang filled his glass, stood, and raised it toward Jiangnan’s table. "Brothers, my apologies. Liang Zhenyi owes you this." He downed it in one gulp.

"Nonsense! We got carried away during the game, heh." They stood too, lifting their beers. "Bottoms up!"

Male camaraderie is simple like that.

No grudge survives a shared meal. No sorrow outlasts three rounds of drinks.

Drink. Pass out.

Dawn breaks. Hangovers fade. Life goes on.

Especially with a mayor and secretary looming overhead. One wrong move, and tomorrow’s headlines would bury them.

I stood and slid into an empty seat at Jiangnan’s table.

"Sorry I hit too hard that day." I softened my voice, reaching for a beer glass—only to be stopped by a teen.

"Secretary Huang’s upstairs. Girls shouldn’t drink. Water under the bridge, yeah?"

"Yeah. We lost to a girl—that’s our shame, not yours."

"Exactly, Yi Yao! We’re friends now. Long Shao even helped me out a few times back in the day."

Warmth bloomed in my chest.

"But… I still feel awful about it…"

*Clang!*

A teen with bandaged cheeks slammed a liquor bottle on the table. "It was a misunderstanding, sure. But Qinghao’s still hospitalized. Medical bills pile up. I just—"

The room froze. Even Card Brother and Floral Snake watched him.

"Here." The first teen pulled a small bottle from under the table—foreign labels, 60% proof. "Stolichnaya. Old-school Russian vodka. My apology to our brother. Drink half this bottle, and we’re even. Xiao Chao, fair?" He poured a generous half-glass and pushed it toward me.

"Deal."

I raised the glass to Bandage Boy—Xiao Chao—and downed it in one gulp.

*Sweet?*

"Damn! That’s spirit!" My neighbor roared, lifting his beer. Others followed, draining their glasses with cheers.

"Xiao Chao, still holding a grudge?"

"Nah, nah." He wiped beer foam from his lips, worry replacing anger. "You okay?"

"Pfft. With provincial leaders upstairs? Ethereal Immortal’s top doctors are on standby. What could go wrong?"

"Right, right, right." Xiao Chao clasped his fists toward me. "A true heroine. I yield. My earlier rudeness—forgive me."

*Are you filming a wuxia drama?*

"Alright, alright. More brothers are coming. Yi Yao, head back now," they urged gently.

Back at Card Brother’s table, he slapped my back. "Little sister Yi Yao! Stolichnaya—Russia’s roughest rotgut—and you chugged it like water. Worthy of being my disciple!"

I glanced at Jiangnan’s table—now roaring with drinking games—then whispered in his ear: "That liquor was sweet."

*It wasn’t even alcohol.*

"Knew it." He grinned. "They forgave you ages ago. Men bleed, men fight—it’s how we grow. Xiao Chao just needed to save face for Qinghao. We staged the whole thing."

I froze.

*They truly didn’t care about the injuries.*

Like wolves—they only earn their fangs after tasting blood and rising from it.

"More importantly," Card Brother’s voice dropped to a whisper, "Ice says she li—"

*Whoosh—*

A knife whistled past his cheek, embedding deep in the chair behind him.

"I’M SORRY! ICE, I’M SORRY!" He threw his hands up, sweat beading on his forehead as he eyed the trembling blade.

"Hmph."

Across the table, Lu Yibing—Ice—kept her gaze on her phone, her long hair fluttering like butterfly wings with every small movement.

"Seriously? I’m your brother’s best friend! What if that hit?" Card Brother yanked out the knife. His left hand blurred—a flick, a twist—and the blade vanished, replaced by a playing card.

"…"

"What’re you staring at? Eat."