My mind drifted back to that night a month ago. I was actually the one who first suggested getting a spa treatment to relax. Then Huang Rong recommended that massage parlor, saying she saw good reviews online.

Neither Sophie nor I had any objections, so we went along with her.

When we got there, she was the first one to suggest getting male masseurs. Then when drinks were served, Huang Rong quickly downed hers first, so we felt obligated to follow suit. Looking back now, those drinks must have been spiked.

Her precisely choosing this massage parlor, requesting male masseurs, drinking the beverages... everything seemed to be orchestrated by Huang Rong. Even with the final payment, she set the example first before we followed. How could this not raise suspicions?

When I shared these realizations with Sophie, her reaction confirmed my doubts. Huang Rong must be connected to these people.

Sophie slammed the table angrily, saying through gritted teeth, "We can't let Huang Rong get away with this. I want my money back, and I want to shut this place down!"

I put my finger to my lips, signaling her to keep it down.

"Someone was keeping tabs on me a few days ago. We need to keep things quiet - we don't want to attract their attention again."

Sophie had to suppress her anger. "If they're still watching us, how can we investigate?"

I thought for a moment, my fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.

"We could hire a private investigator to tail Huang Rong." We exchanged knowing looks, and the plan was set.

Sophie found a highly qualified detective online and added me to a group chat where we'd receive updates about Huang Rong's activities.

The detective proved reliable, reporting three times daily like clockwork, even uncovering the identities of people around her.

The first few days seemed normal - during weekdays, Huang Rong just went between work and home. On weekends, she'd unfailingly visit a bathhouse, then head home.

Nothing seemed suspicious.

The only lead we had was that bathhouse.

After discussing with Sophie, we decided to check out the bathhouse that weekend. We needed to see what was so special about this place that drew Huang Rong there every weekend.