Quancheng.
Quanfu Yunzhen Hotel.
After seeing off the entourage and government officials, the clamor faded away.
The gentle smile on Ouyang Xuanyue's face slowly receded as she returned to the master bedroom of the suite.
She removed her somewhat bulky winter business attire.
Revealing her full, mature figure.
Her shoulder and neck lines were smooth and graceful, her collarbones subtle yet refined.
Not slender, yet supple.
Not bony, yet firm.
Any more would have been fat, any less would have been thin. She possessed precisely the mature beauty sculpted by time and confidence.
Dignified and noble, glamorous without being vulgar.
She stepped into the bathroom at the back of the walk-in closet.
The enormous round whirlpool tub had already been filled with hot water.
Several fresh red rose petals floated on the surface, and a faint scent of agarwood filled the air, quiet and soothing.
She undid her pinned-up hair and stepped into the water.
The warm current instantly enveloped her body, driving away the chill and exhaustion of traveling in winter.
Ouyang Xuanyue leaned against the edge of the tub and tilted her head back slightly.
Through the bathroom's one-way floor-to-ceiling window, she could see the countless lights of the city below on this Winter Solstice night.
Though it was not as prosperous as Shencheng, it carried a distinctive warmth of everyday life.
This was where Tang Song had grown up.
In truth, this was not the first time Ouyang Xuanyue had paid attention to this city.
As early as 2017, when the two had just met and were still testing each other, she had secretly conducted a thorough investigation into Tang Song out of caution and curiosity.
Trust had never come overnight.
Especially for a woman like her, someone in a position of power who bore the fate