The car slid smoothly onto the main road, the Cheng estate shrinking into a distant speck in the rearview mirror. The tension that had wrapped itself around Cheng Xiao's shoulders slowly unraveled, leaving only a smoldering fire in its place.
The air felt lighter outside the Cheng family's walls.
But inside her chest, something heavy remained.
"Do you want music?" Ming Hao asked.
"No."
"Silence?"
"No."
"Traffic noise?"
"No."
He snorted. "You're in a mood."
"I just burned down the emotional foundation of my childhood home. Let me process."
"Fair enough."
They drove in quiet companionship for several minutes. Outside, the city rush hour buzzed like a restless swarm, but inside the car, everything was still except her thoughts.
Finally, she took a slow breath.
"Thank you."
"For which part?" Ming Hao asked. "The folder delivery? The dramatic cufflink-adjusting entrance? Or the part where I indirectly threatened your entire bloodline?"
"The last one," she said. "Very effective."
"I thought so."
She stared ahead, expression unreadable. "They'll retaliate."
"Let them try," Ming Hao said. "They have money, but we have… skills."
She raised a brow. "We?"
"Of course." He shrugged casually. "I said I'd help you."
"You never said that."
"I implied it."
"You implied it with intimidation and smirking."
"You understood the message."
She sighed, leaning back against the headrest. "You're insufferable."
"And yet," he said softly, "you let me drive you."
She didn't have a response to that.
Instead, she looked out the window again. The buildings passed in blurs of grey and gold. Her reflection stared back at her cold eyes, sharp posture, a woman shaped by betrayal.
The Black Rose.
The name whispered through the underground circles.
The girl who disappeared five years ago and returned as someone dangerous.
"Cheng Xiao," Ming Hao said suddenly.
"Hm?"
"You did well today."
For a moment, just one moment, her chest tightened.
"Don't compliment me," she murmured. "I don't react well to kindness."
"Good thing you barely get any then."
She glared fiercely.
He laughed quietly.
But somewhere beneath the banter, a spark of tension flickered something deeper than convenience or cooperation.
Something that scared her more than her enemies.
---
Meanwhile Back at the Cheng Mansion
Chaos.
Pure panic.
Cheng Hong paced the living room, clutching his phone with trembling hands. Sweat dripped down his temples.
"This can't be real," he muttered. "It cannot be real!!"
Dai Lihua sobbed on the couch, her makeup smeared. "All these years… all these years we tried to hide it, and she she SHE comes back now?!"
Meilin curled beside her mother, face blotchy, eyes red. "Father, do something! She'll ruin us!"
Cheng Hong slammed his fist into the table.
"She has Ming Hao behind her. What do you want me to do?! Attack the Ming family?! Do you want us DEAD?!"
Meilin flinched violently.
Silence filled the room like poison gas.
"What do we do…?" Dai Lihua whispered shakily.
Cheng Hong's jaw clenched. "We survive."
"How?" Meilin cried.
"We find someone more powerful than her," he said sharply. "Someone who fears no Ming family. Someone who wants Cheng Xiao dead as much as we do."
Dai Lihua paled. "You don't mean"
"Yes."
His eyes gleamed with desperation.
"We call him."
Meilin gasped. "Father, no! He—he's"
"He's the only one who worked with us before," Cheng Hong said. "He helped hide the debt. He helped bury the scandal. And he hates Cheng Xiao more than anyone."
Meilin swallowed hard.
"You mean… the man who was supposed to marry her?"
Cheng Hong's smile twisted into something monstrous.
"Yes."
---
Back in the Car Ming Hao's Apartment District
"You're unusually quiet again," Ming Hao said as they turned into a calm residential area.
"I'm thinking," Cheng Xiao said.
"I know. Your thinking face is extremely murderous."
"It's always murderous."
"True. But sometimes it's murder with intention. This one is murder with flair."
She stared at him flatly.
He didn't stop grinning.
The car slowed to a stop in front of a tall modern apartment tower dark glass, steel accents, a building that screamed wealth without needing to shout.
Cheng Xiao blinked. "Why are we here?"
"Because you're not going back to whatever cheap hotel you were staying in," he said. "You're staying in my guest suite."
"No."
"Yes."
"I said no."
"I ignored it."
She glared daggers at him. "I can take care of myself."
"I know," he said calmly. "But your enemies are restless. I saw Dai Lihua's face. She's the type who burns castles before surrendering."
"So am I."
"Exactly. That's why you need backup."
She hesitated.
Not because she needed help.
But because she appreciated it.
And she didn't want to.
"I don't want to owe you anything."
Ming Hao chuckled lightly. "You already owe me."
"For what?"
"For looking this good while standing next to you."
Cheng Xiao sputtered. "Are you"
"Kidding."
A beat.
"Mostly."
She rubbed her forehead. "You're impossible."
"Get out of the car."
"No."
"Fine," he said. "I'll carry you."
She froze. "You wouldn't."
He unbuckled his seatbelt.
"I WOULD."
She scrambled out of the car on her own, slamming the door shut.
Ming Hao stepped out leisurely. "Thought so."
She pointed at him. "One day I'll stab you."
"Make sure it's symmetrical. I like balance."
She inhaled sharply. "Unbelievable."
He waved her toward the lobby.
"Come on. I'll show you your room."
"But"
"No more arguing," he said firmly. "You need security. I have it. End of story."
She followed him reluctantly.
Reluctant but grateful.
Not that she'd ever say it out loud.
---
The Penthouse
The elevator opened to a spacious penthouse apartment.
Glass walls.
Soft lighting.
Minimalist furniture.
Cityscape glittering beneath the night sky.
Cheng Xiao stopped walking.
"It's… nice," she admitted.
"Of course it's nice," Ming Hao said. "I live here."
She rolled her eyes.
He led her past the living room to a second hallway and opened a door.
"This is your room."
She stepped inside.
It was elegant.
Soft grey tones, a large window overlooking the city, a queen-sized bed, clean lines, warm lighting.
Comfortable, but not overwhelming.
Unfamiliar warmth squeezed her chest.
It had been years since she'd slept somewhere safe.
Somewhere peaceful.
"It's temporary," she reminded herself.
"Make yourself at home," Ming Hao said. "We'll start planning tomorrow."
She turned. "Planning what?"
"Your full return," he said, leaning against the doorframe. "Your public comeback. Your legal takeover. Your revenge."
"You make it sound like a business plan."
"It is."
His eyes flickered slightly.
"I take your life seriously, Cheng Xiao."
She froze.
For a moment, she felt that comment slip under her armor and hit something tender.
"Ming Hao…"
He pushed off the doorframe. "Sleep. We'll talk in the morning."
He started to leave.
But she spoke before she realized she was speaking.
"Wait."
He paused.
She swallowed.
"Why are you helping me?"
His back tensed.
A long silence stretched between them.
Finally, he answered without turning around.
"Because someone should have helped you the first time."
Her breath hitched.
He continued, voice low.
"And because five years ago… I watched you walk into hell alone. I won't make that mistake again."
She stared at his back, heart pounding, unable to speak.
Then he walked away.
The door closed gently behind him.
The room fell silent.
But her thoughts did not.
---
Flashback Five Years Ago
Rain poured from the sky like a punishment.
Cheng Xiao stood outside the Cheng mansion gates, suitcase in hand, clothes drenched through. Her father screamed at her from behind the bars, face twisted with hatred.
"You are no daughter of mine!"
The gates slammed shut.
She stood alone.
Cold.
Terrified.
Destroyed.
A black car stopped near her.
Its tinted window rolled down.
A young man sat inside handsome, sharp-eyed, aura powerful even back then.
Ming Hao.
He frowned.
"Do you need help?"
She forced a trembling smile.
"No. Thank you."
He stared at her for a long moment.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
He hesitated.
Then his car door opened.
"I don't believe you," he said, stepping out with an umbrella. "You look like a kicked puppy."
"I'm fine."
Her voice cracked.
"Please go."
He stared.
Then something flickered in his eyes recognition? Curiosity? Concern?
"You're Cheng Xiao," he said suddenly. "Cheng Corporation's daughter."
"Ex-daughter," she whispered.
That moment those two words etched themselves into him.
He could have insisted.
He could have forced help on her.
He could have stayed.
But she'd looked at him with eyes full of devastation and pride.
And he had stepped back.
"Alright," he said quietly. "If you ever need something… find me."
She nodded.
He left.
She disappeared.
He regretted it.
For five years.
---
Back to the Present
Cheng Xiao lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
She remembered everything.
His umbrella.
His hesitant eyes.
His regret.
She let out a long, shaky breath.
"Ming Hao…" she whispered to the empty room.
"You should not care."
But maybe…
Part of him already did.
She closed her eyes.
Sleep didn't come easily.
But she tried.
Tomorrow, a new war would begin.
And she would not fight it alone.
TO BE CONTINUED…