The knock on the guest room door was soft — almost polite.
"Weiwei?" Zhao Mingfeng's voice carried that smooth, affectionate lilt he used in front of other people. "Why are you in here? Come out, I opened a new bottle of that Château Margaux you like."
She took a slow breath, then rose from the edge of the bed, schooling her expression into the same calm mask she'd worn at a hundred society dinners. When she opened the door, he was standing there with two glasses of red wine in one hand, the other hand tucked casually into his pocket.
"I thought you might be tired," he said, holding one out to her. "This will help you relax."
Her fingers brushed his as she took the glass. The contact was warm, familiar — almost enough to make her forget the echo of Lin Xinya's laughter down the hall.
Almost.
He lifted his own glass in a mock toast. "To my beautiful wife."
Weiwei raised hers, touching the rim lightly to his, the crystal making a clear, delicate sound and took a sip.
The bitterness hit immediately — subtle, but wrong. Château Margaux should have been smooth, velvety, lingering like a fine memory. This was sharp at the back of her tongue, metallic beneath the wine's perfume.
She didn't stop drinking. She let the poison slide down her throat, eyes never leaving his.
Zhao Mingfeng smiled, pleased with her compliance. "You've been tense lately. I just want us to have a quiet night together. No arguments."
Her vision began to blur at the edges, the hallway behind him warping, the polished floor seeming to ripple. The glass in her hand felt heavier, her fingers sluggish around it.
He set his own glass aside and stepped closer, his voice dropping low. "There now. Isn't that better?"
Weiwei swayed, catching the faint scent of his cologne — cedarwood and something faintly medicinal. His hand cupped her elbow, steadying her as her knees softened.
And then Lin Xinya appeared in the doorway, her eyes bright, a cruel little curve on her lips.
"She's almost out," Lin Xinya said, her tone as casual as if they were discussing the weather.