The air smelled different by the sea.
Salty, clean, and rich with wind—wind that carried the weight of open water and the calm that came from distance. From the city. From everything.
The villa was perched high along the curved cliffs of a private coastline, flanked by layers of dense bamboo and imported pine. From the private road, all one could see were high walls and gates. But inside…
It was paradise.
Three floors of sleek, modern architecture, designed with minimalist elegance: wide glass walls, smooth wood paneling, polished stone floors that carried the heat of morning sun. Every inch exuded quiet, effortless wealth. A man could disappear here. Or build an empire no one would see until it was too late.
Li Chen stood by the balcony of the master suite, hands in his pockets, eyes narrowed against the sea breeze.
Behind him, Zhao Yuwei was on the phone, murmuring in legal code, finalizing acquisition of surrounding buffer plots for privacy.
Her tone was steady. Confident. No-nonsense.
But when she turned to face him, her eyes softened.
"It's done," she said.
He nodded once.
She crossed the room, removed her heels, and stepped barefoot beside him, resting her arms on the balcony railing.
"There's a pool on the lower level. And a hidden tunnel that leads straight to the private dock."
"You designed this?"
"I summoned the best architects. Gave them instructions on discretion and dominance."
Her voice dipped low.
"I imagined you here."
He glanced at her.
She didn't flinch.
"I've served powerful men," she continued. "Ministers. CEOs. Even generals. But none of them made me want to kneel."
"Why me?" he asked.
She smiled faintly. "Because when you look at me, I don't feel like a woman in control."
She stepped closer, her shoulder brushing his.
"I feel like something beautiful you already own."
He said nothing.
But her hand brushed his fingers. Her breath touched his cheek.
And then she stepped back.
"Everything is yours, Mr. Li," she said softly. "Whenever you choose."
---
That evening, they returned to the apartment.
The villa had been left untouched. For now. It would become something else—something far more intimate—soon.
At home, the atmosphere had changed again.
Su Mei was quiet during dinner. She smiled, she served food, she nodded to conversation—but her eyes were elsewhere.
On him.
On Xiaoyan.
On Ruyin.
She was no fool.
She could feel it.
The air had become thick with desire and competition.
After dinner, Xiaoyan offered to do the dishes. Li Chen joined her in the kitchen.
"You're always so helpful," she said with a playful grin.
"Maybe I like seeing you work."
"I thought you liked older women."
"I like what's mine."
Her hand trembled slightly as she set down a bowl.
"So I'm yours?"
He stepped behind her.
"Are you?"
She turned to face him—and behind her, the clatter of a dropped dish made them freeze.
Su Mei stood in the doorway, a broken porcelain plate at her feet, her face pale.
"I—sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."
Before either could speak, she turned and walked away.
Xiaoyan looked at Li Chen.
"She knows."
"She always knew."
---
Later that night, Li Chen walked into the living room to find his mother seated on the couch in the dark, a single candle lit beside her. She wore a silk nightgown, her hair cascading loosely over one shoulder.
She didn't look at him.
"You've touched all of us now, haven't you?" she whispered.
He didn't deny it.
"I was the first," she said, voice trembling. "But now I feel like I'll be the one left behind."
Li Chen sat beside her, not touching, not speaking.
Just waiting.
She looked at him finally, her eyes shining.
"I was weak."
"You were honest."
"I was your mother."
"And now you're the woman I'll never let go."
She inhaled sharply.
"You say these things so easily."
"Because they're true."
He reached out, brushed her fingers.
She didn't pull away.
"I need to feel it again," she whispered. "Before I lose the nerve."
He leaned in, lips grazing her cheek.
"You'll never lose me."
---
The next morning, Su Ruyin stood on the balcony in workout clothes, sipping coffee. Her eyes followed Li Chen as he exited the apartment in a fitted black shirt and sunglasses, heading to meet Yuwei at the office downtown.
"You like him too much," Xiaoyan said from behind her.
Ruyin turned, brows raised.
"He's your cousin," Xiaoyan added, more quietly.
"And he's the only man who's made me feel like a woman in a decade," her mother replied without hesitation.
Xiaoyan's lips tightened.
"…Then I guess we'll compete."
For the first time, Ruyin seemed genuinely surprised.
"You too?"
Xiaoyan turned and walked away.
Ruyin exhaled, fingers tightening around her coffee cup.
---
Downtown, Zhao Yuwei sat across from Li Chen in a private conference suite, dressed in an ivory blouse and fitted skirt, hair tied back in a strict bun.
She was different today.
Cooler. Sharper. Business mode.
But her eyes still softened when they met his.
"I've begun the process of transferring additional overseas assets," she said. "Shell corporations, false front holdings. All under Li International."
"Make sure there's no trail."
"There won't be."
"And the others?"
She paused.
"You want to talk about them now?"
"No," he said.
She gave a tight smile. "Good. Because I'm not ready to share you."
---
When Li Chen returned that night, the apartment was unusually quiet.
Until he found Xiaoyan waiting in his room.
Dressed in a white tank top and short denim shorts, barefoot, hair down.
"I've decided," she said simply.
"About what?"
"You don't get to ignore me. Not anymore."
"I'm not ignoring you."
"Then prove it."
She stepped forward, and for a moment he just looked at her—serious, silent.
Then he reached behind her, closed the door, and locked it.
---
Much later, as she lay asleep beside him, hair spread across his pillow, he watched the ceiling in silence.
He could feel it.
Everything was moving faster now.
The house was becoming a mirror of the villa—layered, secret, overflowing.
With loyalty.
With desire.
And soon, with power.
---
[End of Chapter 7]