Xiaoyu did not sleep.
She lay on the enormous bed with her eyes fixed on the ceiling, listening to the unfamiliar silence surrounding the mansion. There was no traffic outside, no neighbors arguing through thin apartment walls, no sound of rain leaking through an old window.
Only silence.
The kind of silence that belonged to people who had everything.
It made her uncomfortable.
Sometime after midnight, she finally got out of bed and walked barefoot toward the balcony.
The gardens below were illuminated by warm lights hidden among trimmed hedges and ancient trees. A fountain stood in the center, the water moving in endless circles.
Beautiful.
Perfect.
Lifeless.
She rested her hands on the cold railing.
Three years ago, she had believed her future would be simple.
Graduate.
Take over part of her father's company.
Grow old in the house where she had spent her childhood.
Instead...
her family disappeared.
Her home was sold.
Her surname became something people whispered with pity.
And now she had married the man she blamed for everything.
She laughed quietly.
"If Dad could see me now..."
The wind carried her words away.
---
At exactly seven o'clock, someone knocked on the door.
Three gentle knocks.
Not too loud.
Not too soft.
Professional.
Xiaoyu opened the door.
Madam Chen stood outside with the same calm expression she always wore.
"Good morning, Mrs. Lu."
"You've already decided I belong here?"
Madam Chen smiled politely.
"I simply address people according to their position."
"I'm still getting used to it."
"That is understandable."
A servant entered carrying breakfast.
Fresh fruit.
Toast.
Tea.
Nothing excessive.
Everything balanced.
"Mr. Lu asked me to inform you that breakfast will be served downstairs in thirty minutes."
"He gives orders even when he's not here?"
"He is downstairs."
Xiaoyu looked surprised.
"So early?"
"Mr. Lu starts working at six every morning."
"And when does he sleep?"
Madam Chen considered the question.
"I've never asked."
---
The dining room was almost absurdly large.
Sunlight streamed through tall windows overlooking the eastern gardens.
A table long enough for twenty people stood in the center.
Only one chair was occupied.
Lu Shen.
A black tablet rested beside his coffee.
Several documents were already neatly organized.
He looked as though he had been awake for hours.
Xiaoyu pulled out the chair opposite him.
"So this is breakfast."
He looked up.
"It usually is."
"I expected something colder."
His eyes remained on hers.
"This is only tea."
She almost smiled.
Almost.
Madam Chen served the meal and quietly disappeared, leaving them alone.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
The silence between them was strangely comfortable.
Not because they enjoyed each other's company.
But because both had become experts at hiding behind it.
Finally Xiaoyu placed her cup down.
"I have a question."
"You usually do."
"Why me?"
He continued reading.
"You've asked before."
"And you didn't answer."
"I did."
"No."
She leaned slightly forward.
"You said you needed a wife."
"Correct."
"That's a business answer."
"It is a business arrangement."
She watched him carefully.
"There are hundreds of women who would happily marry Lu Shen."
"Yes."
"They're beautiful."
"Yes."
"They're wealthy."
"Yes."
"They wouldn't argue with you every five minutes."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"They would become boring."
Xiaoyu blinked.
Had he...
just made a joke?
She searched his expression.
Nothing.
Completely serious.
She shook her head.
"I can't tell if you're arrogant or socially awkward."
"I've been called both."
For the first time since meeting him, she let out a quiet laugh.
The sound surprised both of them.
Lu Shen lowered his eyes to his coffee.
But Xiaoyu noticed something unusual.
The corners of his mouth had softened.
Only for a second.
Then they returned to their usual calm line.
---
After breakfast, Madam Chen gave Xiaoyu a tour of the mansion.
"The west wing belongs to you."
"The east wing?"
"Mr. Lu's office and private study."
"And the third floor?"
"Guest rooms."
"What about the garden?"
"You may go there whenever you wish."
Everything was organized with military precision.
Every servant knew exactly where to stand.
Every flower seemed perfectly placed.
Nothing was accidental.
Nothing felt alive.
They entered the library.
Thousands of books covered the walls from floor to ceiling.
Xiaoyu's eyes widened.
"You actually have novels."
Madam Chen looked confused.
"Of course."
"I thought he only read financial reports."
A quiet voice answered from behind.
"I read both."
Lu Shen had entered without making a sound.
He walked toward the shelves and selected a worn hardcover book.
Unlike everything else in the mansion, the edges were slightly damaged from use.
"You've read this many times."
It wasn't a question.
He glanced at the book.
"Some stories deserve another reading."
"What is it about?"
"A woman who spends years hating someone before discovering she never knew the truth."
Xiaoyu stared at him.
"Convenient choice."
"I thought so."
She folded her arms.
"Does it have a happy ending?"
He looked at the cover for a long moment.
"I stopped reading before the last chapter."
"Why?"
"I wasn't ready for the ending."
She couldn't explain why, but that answer stayed with her long after he walked away.
---
The afternoon passed quietly.
Xiaoyu explored rooms she would probably never use.
A music room.
An indoor garden.
A sunlit reading lounge.
Everywhere she looked, traces of discipline remained.
Yet she noticed something strange.
There wasn't a single photograph.
No childhood pictures.
No family portraits.
Nothing personal.
It was as if Lu Shen had erased every memory from the walls.
Standing beside one of the windows, she whispered to herself,
"What kind of person lives like this?"
From somewhere behind her came the calm reply.
"The kind who doesn't enjoy looking backward."
She turned.
Lu Shen stood in the doorway, jacket over one arm.
He had returned from a phone call.
Their eyes met.
For the first time since signing the contract, neither looked away immediately.
Seconds passed.
Then a servant hurried into the hallway.
"Mr. Lu."
He shifted his attention.
"What is it?"
"The board meeting has been moved to tomorrow evening."
Madam Chen appeared.
"There is also the Han Charity Foundation Gala."
Silence.
Lu Shen seemed to consider something.
Then he nodded once.
"Cancel the meeting."
The servant looked surprised.
"But the directors—"
"I said cancel it."
The servant bowed and left.
Xiaoyu watched the exchange carefully.
"You skipped an important meeting."
"Yes."
"For a charity dinner?"
"No."
His gaze settled on her.
"For my wife."
Before she could respond, he walked away.
Leaving Xiaoyu standing alone in the quiet hallway, completely certain of one thing.
She still didn't understand Lu Shen.
And that frightened her far more than hatred ever had.