Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, soft and golden, spilling across the sheets. Li Na stirred, her eyes fluttering open to the quiet hum of the city beyond the glass. For the first time since stepping into this house, she didn't wake to emptiness.
Beside her, Yen Rui sat at the edge of the bed, already dressed in a crisp white shirt, his tie draped loosely around his neck. A file rested on his lap, but his eyes weren't on the papers. They were on her.
"You're awake," he said, his voice low but steady.
She pushed herself up, pulling the blanket close around her shoulders. Her cheeks warmed under his gaze. "You're working already?"
He gave a faint, almost guilty smile. "Habit."
The sight of it softened her, but only for a moment. "Yen Rui… last night…" Her words faltered, her heart pounding.
He set the file aside, turning to face her fully. "Last night wasn't a mistake."
Her breath caught. The certainty in his voice left no room for retreat, no space to hide behind rules.
"But the world doesn't see us the way we see each other," she said softly. "They see gossip. They see contracts. They see a scandal waiting to happen."
"Then let them," he replied, his tone sharp but not unkind. "I've spent my life proving people wrong. I can do it again. This time, with you."
The words struck her harder than any kiss. For years, she had been judged by neighbors, by family, by society that measured her worth against a man's choices. And now, here was Yen Rui, staking his strength not only for himself but for her.
She lowered her eyes, her fingers twisting in the blanket. "It won't be easy."
He reached out, tilting her chin upward until her gaze met his. "Nothing worth keeping ever is."
Silence stretched, warm and charged. Then, unexpectedly, he leaned forward and brushed a light kiss against her forehead gentle, reverent, far more dangerous than passion.
It was in that moment Li Na realized the storm had passed, but not ended.
Because storms never truly ended. They only made way for new skies that is brighter, heavier, and infinitely more fragile.
And as she watched him fasten his tie, ready to face another war in the boardroom, she whispered to herself:
This is no longer just survival. This is my choice too.