The applause lasted exactly twenty-three seconds.
Long enough for photographers to capture every angle.
Long enough for half the ballroom to witness Lu Shen kneeling to fasten the loose strap of his wife's shoe.
Long enough for rumors to be born.
By the time he stood again, conversations had already changed.
People who had been discussing investments only moments earlier were now whispering behind crystal glasses.
"Did you see that?"
"That's Lu Shen."
"He never touches anyone."
"I heard it was a contract marriage."
"It doesn't look like one."
Xiaoyu could feel every pair of eyes following them.
She wanted to step away.
Instead, Lu Shen calmly offered his arm.
Not because he looked at her.
Not because he asked.
Simply because he expected her to understand.
After a brief hesitation, she placed her hand on his arm.
Another wave of camera flashes exploded across the ballroom.
The host returned to the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for supporting the Han Foundation."
Soft music filled the room.
Waiters moved gracefully between guests carrying silver trays filled with champagne and sparkling water.
Lu Shen accepted two glasses.
He handed the sparkling water to Xiaoyu.
She looked at him.
"You always decide for me?"
"You don't drink."
"How do you know?"
"You've reached for tea every morning."
She blinked.
"You noticed?"
"I notice everything."
The answer was so natural that she didn't know how to respond.
Instead she took the glass.
It was easier than admitting that the comment had unsettled her.
Several influential guests approached one after another.
Each greeted Lu Shen with perfect smiles.
Each secretly measured the woman standing beside him.
One elderly chairman laughed warmly.
"So this is your wife."
Lu Shen nodded.
"Yes."
The chairman turned toward Xiaoyu.
"My granddaughter studied at the same university as you."
Xiaoyu smiled politely.
"I hope she graduated."
The old man laughed loudly.
"I like her."
Another executive joined.
"So do I."
Within minutes the conversation shifted away from Lu Shen.
People began speaking directly to Xiaoyu.
Her education.
Books she enjoyed.
The charities she supported.
The places she had traveled before her family's company collapsed.
She answered calmly.
Never too much.
Never too little.
Across the room several women watched carefully.
One whispered,
"She's nothing like the rumors."
Another nodded.
"She's intelligent."
"And surprisingly confident."
Lin Mei heard every word.
She quietly sipped her wine.
Her expression remained elegant.
But her eyes stayed fixed on Xiaoyu.
The auction began.
Rare paintings.
Ancient porcelain.
Luxury watches.
Every item sold for impossible amounts.
Xiaoyu leaned closer.
"Does anyone actually need these?"
Lu Shen didn't look away from the stage.
"No."
"Then why buy them?"
"They're purchasing relationships."
She frowned.
"That's expensive."
"It's cheaper than losing influence."
She stared at him.
"You really see the world differently."
"No."
He finally looked at her.
"I simply stopped expecting it to be fair."
For a brief second his expression changed.
It wasn't sadness.
It was something quieter.
Older.
A kind of exhaustion that couldn't be hidden by expensive suits.
Before Xiaoyu could say anything, applause interrupted them.
The next item appeared.
An antique music box carved entirely by hand.
The melody began softly.
Simple.
Gentle.
Beautiful.
The first notes echoed across the ballroom.
Xiaoyu froze.
Her fingers tightened around the glass.
The music...
felt familiar.
Very familiar.
A little girl laughing.
A woman singing softly.
A warm hand brushing through her hair.
The images flashed across her mind without warning.
She closed her eyes.
The ballroom disappeared.
She smelled jasmine.
Heard rain against old windows.
Someone was kneeling in front of her.
"Xiaoyu..."
a woman's gentle voice whispered.
"If you ever get lost..."
"...follow the music."
Suddenly—
The memory shattered.
Pain exploded behind her eyes.
The champagne glass slipped from her fingers.
It struck the marble floor.
Crystal shattered across the ballroom.
Every conversation stopped.
Every guest turned.
For one terrifying second Xiaoyu lost her balance.
Before she could fall—
a steady hand caught her wrist.
Lu Shen.
His grip was firm but careful.
"What happened?"
His voice was quieter than usual.
She pressed her free hand against her forehead.
"I..."
Another image flashed.
Fire.
Smoke.
Someone screaming.
Then darkness.
Her breathing became uneven.
Guests began whispering again.
"Is she sick?"
"Should someone call a doctor?"
Lin Mei stepped forward.
But Lu Shen moved first.
Without asking permission, he removed his suit jacket and draped it around Xiaoyu's shoulders.
Then he looked toward the host.
"The auction will continue."
His tone was calm.
Unshakable.
No one argued.
He turned back to Xiaoyu.
"We're leaving."
"I can walk."
"I know."
"Then let go."
"I will."
He didn't.
Instead he guided her through the ballroom while hundreds of eyes followed them.
No cameras flashed now.
No one whispered loudly.
They simply watched.
Because for the first time in years,
the legendary Lu Shen wasn't protecting a business deal.
He was protecting a woman.
Outside, cool night air greeted them.
The city lights stretched endlessly beyond the hotel entrance.
Xiaoyu inhaled slowly.
The headache was fading.
But the fragments remained.
Music.
Rain.
A woman's voice.
Fire.
She looked toward Lu Shen.
"Have we met before?"
He didn't answer immediately.
His gaze remained fixed on the traffic moving below.
Finally he spoke.
"Why would you ask that?"
"Because every time something familiar appears..."
"...you already know what I'm feeling."
Silence.
Long enough for doubt to grow.
Then his phone vibrated.
A single message appeared.
Memory response detected. Observation confirmed.
Lu Shen locked the screen before Xiaoyu could see it.
When he looked at her again,
his expression was perfectly calm.
But for the first time since signing the contract,
Xiaoyu realized something terrifying.
The man standing beside her wasn't hiding his feelings.
He was hiding the truth.
And somehow...
she had already become part of it.