The afternoon sun cast a gentle golden hue over the library courtyard as Xiao Yu sat at the far end of the long wooden table, surrounded by books and notes. Her once pale face had regained some of its glow, though the fatigue of the past week still lingered beneath her eyes. Opposite her, Jiang Meili—her closest friend—was bent over her own notes, casually twirling a pen between her fingers.
"I almost forgot," Meili said suddenly, glancing up with a sly smile. "Yuze asked about you yesterday."
Xiao Yu looked up, startled. "Yuze? You mean your brother?"
Meili nodded, the teasing glint in her eye unmistakable. "He asked if he could have your number. I told him I'd check with you first."
Xiao Yu's face flushed slightly, but she quickly composed herself. "You can give it to him, if he asks again," she said softly, her gaze drifting to her notes.
Meili arched a brow. "You sure? Don't say I didn't warn you. Yuze's a charmer. He has a new girl on his arm every two weeks, sometimes two."
Xiao Yu gave a dry laugh, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek. "I'm not falling for that. He's not really my type."
"Oh? Then who is your type?" Meili leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Xiao Yu paused, then sat back, thoughtful. "Someone who's gentle but firm. Someone who makes me feel safe... like I'm home. A man who listens, even when I talk nonsense. Who holds me when I break, who doesn't just love me when I'm glowing, but stays when I'm falling apart. I want... someone who sees me. The real me."
Meili blinked, momentarily quiet. "Wow," she said finally. "You're deeper than I thought."
Xiao Yu gave a small smile, but it faded quickly. "I used to believe someone like that could never exist. But... maybe I just didn't know what I was worth."
"You do now," Meili said warmly. "And that kind of love will find you."
Xiao Yu nodded, her gaze soft. "I hope so."
---
After school, Xiao Yu returned to the Lu family restaurant where she had been working part-time under the supervision of Lu Yiren—better known as "Viper" in the underground circuit. She hadn't expected the reaction she received.
As she stepped into the bustling kitchen area, a wave of relief swept over the staff. Big Ear, one of the senior waitresses, immediately embraced her.
"Xiao Yu! Thank heavens. We thought something terrible happened," Big Ear said, eyes glassy with emotion.
Before Xiao Yu could respond, a deep, commanding voice rang out behind her.
"Where have you been?"
Everyone froze. Lu Yiren strode forward, his tall frame wrapped in an elegant black suit. His eyes—cold yet visibly anxious—scanned her face, then her arms. "I called you. I even went to your school."
"I... I wasn't feeling well," Xiao Yu said hesitantly. "I had a fever. I thought someone might've told you."
"No one did," Yiren snapped, then softened, moving closer. "Did you go to the hospital? Did someone take care of you?"
His sudden closeness made Xiao Yu stiffen. She stepped back awkwardly, lowering her eyes. "Yes. Long Shan... I mean, Mr. Long had his doctor see me. I'm okay now."
Lu Yiren's expression changed immediately. Something dark flickered in his eyes at the mention of Long Shan's name. "Of course he did," he muttered.
Xiao Yu looked up, surprised by the bitterness in his tone.
"I'm fine now, sir," she added quickly. "I'd like to resume work."
"You're taking five days off," Yiren said without pause.
"No, really. I'm—"
"I don't care," he interrupted. "Rest. That's an order."
Before she could protest further, his hand reached up to gently brush a strand of hair from her cheek. "Don't collapse again," he said softly.
Then, just like that, he turned and walked away, leaving Xiao Yu frozen in place, her heart beating too fast for comfort.
---
Later that evening, in the heart of downtown Shanghai, the air in Long Shan's office was thick with silence—until the door burst open without warning.
Lu Yiren strode in like a storm, his eyes blazing. Long Shan, dressed in a sleek black shirt, looked up from his desk with a scowl.
"What the hell, Yiren?" Long Shan snapped. "Do you knock?"
"I'm not here for pleasantries," Yiren growled. "I'm here to warn you."
Long Shan stood slowly, his expression unreadable. "About what?"
Yiren leaned forward, fury simmering in every word. "If anything happens to her again—if she even so much as coughs—I'll bury a bullet in your skull."
Long Shan narrowed his eyes, calm but deadly. "You're overstepping, Lu Yiren. Who gave you the right to talk about my affairs?"
Yiren smirked. "You don't know? I'm here for Xiao Yu. She's mine."
The words dropped like a bomb in the room.
Long Shan frowned, caught off guard. "What did you say?"
"She was promised to me," Yiren said, straightening his jacket with smug pride. "Ask her aunt. Two years ago, you bought her. But she was already mine."
"She was a child," Long Shan growled.
"Still is, in your eyes. But she's coming back to me," Yiren said. "And I'm willing to pay double what her aunt owe you."
Long Shan's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. As Yiren turned and strode out, he pulled out his phone.
"Investigate Lu Yiren. I want every detail of his dealings with Xiao Yu's family. First light."
---
That night, Xiao Yu tossed and turned in bed. Her sleep was uneasy. Then it came.
In the dream, she was dressed in a red silk wedding qipao, her wrists bound in golden rope. Her parents—Fang Jing and Fang Ai—were dragging her forward toward a dark hall where Lu Yiren stood with a wicked smile. Flames rose behind him. His men surrounded them, guns raised. Her father knelt. Her mother begged.
Then, the trigger was pulled.
She awoke with a scream.
Sweat drenched her skin. She gasped for air. The room spun.
Panicking, she scrambled out of bed, ran barefoot down the hall, and began banging on Long Shan's door.
"Please," she whispered. "Please open..."
The door opened and Long Shan, shirtless and half-asleep, looked down at her with confusion. But before he could ask, Xiao Yu rushed past him, dove into his bed, and buried herself beneath the blanket.
He blinked, startled.
"Xiao Yu...?"
No response.
She trembled beneath the sheets, whispering softly, "Don't let them take me."
Long Shan stood there in silence, unsure whether to pull her out or let her stay.
Eventually, he sat on the edge of the bed and exhaled deeply.
Outside the window, the moon watched over them—silent witness to the tangled war of ownership, obsession, and the ache of a girl caught between powerful men who didn't know what it meant to love without control.
She kept trembling and whispering incoherent words. Long Shan pulls her close, gently raise her face and kissed her lightly not stopping until she calmed down, and fell into a deep slumber.
Long shan pulls the cover and lies beside her cradling her to sleep.