He wasn't in a rush.
Prey was always easier to catch late at night.
The rain had stopped.
The city's neon lights gleamed cleaner than ever, washed by the storm.
Outside, the wet asphalt reflected a cold, silvery glow.
Su Sheng changed into a light robe and sat at her desk, flipping through a contract—but not a single word registered. She couldn't shake the feeling of his presence from the next room.
—He hadn't done anything. Yet somehow, he was impossible to ignore.
Knock, knock.
"Are you asleep?" Gu Chen's voice came through the door, unhurried, steady.
"If you've got something to say, just say it," she replied coolly.
The door opened. He stood there holding a cup of warm milk, looking almost like an obedient boy.
"I thought you might not sleep well." He walked in and set the cup beside her hand.
Su Sheng didn't touch it. Her eyes lifted to meet his. "What is it you actually want?"
Gu Chen looked at her quietly, gaze deep as an endless pool, one that could pull someone under.
"I want you to get used to me."
The air tightened instantly.
Su Sheng gave a soft laugh. "Getting used to someone… is harder to quit than an addiction."
"Then don't quit." He leaned down, arms braced on either side of her chair, enclosing her in that familiar, dangerous heat.
She raised a hand, her fingertips brushing against his chest—steady, powerful heartbeats beneath.
"Gu Chen, this is testing my limits."
"Not testing." He lowered his face closer, breath nearly brushing her lips. "Reminding you—I'm always here."
The space between them was so thin it could be filled with a breath.
Just as the tension threatened to snap, Su Sheng suddenly turned her head away, picked up the milk, and took a sip.
"Go back to sleep," she said coldly.
Gu Chen straightened, but before leaving, his voice dropped:
"You can refuse me once, twice… but not forever."
The door closed.
Su Sheng stared at the faint ripples in the milk. Her palms were damp with sweat.
She knew—this little "raising a younger brother" game of hers was slipping out of control.
The next morning, a shrill phone call jolted her awake.
It was her secretary, panic barely restrained in her voice:
"President Su, bad news. One of the properties under your name has an issue. The media's already reporting it—"
Su Sheng's heart sank. She rolled out of bed, pulling on clothes swiftly.
"Send me the details by email. I'll be at the office in ten minutes."
When she hung up, she noticed Gu Chen standing in the doorway.
Dressed simply in a gray T-shirt, his eyes calm—almost as if he had known this was coming.
"You heard that?" she asked.
"Yes." He leaned against the doorframe, voice low, almost a whisper. "Do you need my help?"
Su Sheng arched a brow. "And what exactly can you do for me?"
He stepped closer, his finger brushing lightly against her wrist. "I can make this disappear… within half a day."
Her gaze sharpened. For the first time, the thought flickered through her mind—this man had far more leverage than she'd imagined.
"And the price?" she asked.
"Simple." He bent down, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered two words:
"Trust me."
The moment those words fell, they sank like a nail into the most fragile part of her heart.
She didn't answer right away, only turned to grab her bag.
"Get in the car," Gu Chen said, opening the door, tone leaving no room for refusal.
On the drive, he spoke little. Only every so often, his eyes flicked to her—as though making sure she was truly willing to put herself in his hands.
Half an hour later, the car stopped at an unremarkable café.
Inside, a middle-aged man was already waiting. The moment he saw Gu Chen, he stood up quickly, respect instinctive.
"I've prepared everything you asked for." He handed over a folder.
Su Sheng frowned. "You know each other?"
Gu Chen accepted the file with a faint smile. "I know more people than you think."
And at that moment, Su Sheng realized—this "younger brother" had been weaving a net all along, silently, in places she couldn't see.
And she had already been caught inside.