The drive back to the Lu residence was silent.
Rain tapped softly against the windows, blurring the lights of the city into long streaks of gold and white.
Xiaoyu leaned her head against the glass.
Her headache had faded, but the melody from the antique music box refused to leave her mind.
It repeated over and over.
Gentle.
Familiar.
Almost comforting.
As if someone had once sung it to her before she fell asleep.
She closed her eyes.
A little girl ran through a garden filled with white flowers.
Someone laughed.
A woman's warm hands tied a ribbon into her hair.
Then—
Smoke.
The scent of burning wood.
Everything disappeared.
She opened her eyes immediately.
Her breathing was uneven.
Without looking away from the road, Lu Shen quietly slid a bottle of water toward her.
"Drink."
"I'm fine."
"You're lying."
She looked at him.
"You seem very experienced at recognizing lies."
"I've heard enough of them."
His answer ended the conversation.
---
The mansion was unusually quiet when they returned.
Most of the lights had already been turned off.
Only the entrance hall remained illuminated.
Madam Chen was waiting.
The moment she saw Xiaoyu, concern appeared in her usually calm expression.
"Mrs. Lu?"
"I'm alright."
Madam Chen looked toward Lu Shen.
He gave a small nod.
Only then did she relax.
"I'll prepare some tea."
"No."
Lu Shen removed his jacket.
"Warm milk."
Madam Chen blinked.
For a second even she seemed surprised.
"Yes, Mr. Lu."
Xiaoyu watched the exchange.
"You remember what I drink?"
Lu Shen walked toward the staircase.
"I remember everything inside this house."
She stood there for several seconds.
Somehow that answer felt heavier than a compliment.
---
Unable to sleep, Xiaoyu wandered into the library.
Moonlight entered through the tall windows, painting silver patterns across the wooden floor.
The room had become her favorite place.
It asked nothing of her.
She selected a random novel and settled into the chair beside the fireplace.
She didn't read a single page.
Instead she found herself thinking about Lin Mei.
Beautiful.
Confident.
Elegant.
A woman who belonged naturally beside Lu Shen.
Their conversations had been effortless.
Their silence comfortable.
Not once had Lin Mei looked intimidated by him.
Xiaoyu lowered the book.
Why did that bother her?
It shouldn't.
The marriage was temporary.
One year.
Three hundred and sixty-five days.
Then they would become strangers again.
So why did the thought leave an uncomfortable weight in her chest?
"You're overthinking."
She looked up.
Lu Shen stood at the doorway holding two cups.
He walked inside and placed one beside her.
Warm milk.
Exactly as Madam Chen had prepared.
"I'm not."
"You've been staring at the same page for ten minutes."
She glanced down.
The book was still open to the first chapter.
"I was distracted."
"I noticed."
He sat in the chair opposite hers.
The library became quiet again.
Not awkward.
Just peaceful.
Rain continued outside.
The fire crackled softly.
Xiaoyu wrapped both hands around the warm cup.
Finally she asked,
"Were you and Lin Mei close?"
Lu Shen didn't answer immediately.
Instead he looked toward the fireplace.
"Our families worked together."
"That's not what I asked."
"No."
"Were you engaged?"
"No."
"Did you ever like her?"
Silence.
Long enough for her to regret asking.
Then he spoke.
"She's someone I respect."
"And?"
"And nothing."
She searched his expression.
There wasn't hesitation.
Only certainty.
For reasons she couldn't explain, her shoulders relaxed.
"You ask many questions."
"I'm curious."
"No."
He looked directly at her.
"You're comparing yourself."
She froze.
Was she?
Before she could answer, he quietly continued.
"You don't need to."
His voice remained calm.
Matter-of-fact.
Yet those four words echoed inside her long after they were spoken.
---
The next morning arrived with unexpected sunshine.
For the first time since moving into the Lu residence, Xiaoyu decided to explore the gardens alone.
Morning dew covered the flowers.
Birds rested among cherry branches.
Everything felt peaceful.
Until she noticed someone standing outside the gates.
A man wearing a black cap.
The moment their eyes met—
he turned away.
Too quickly.
Xiaoyu frowned.
Perhaps she was imagining things.
Still...
an uneasy feeling remained.
---
Inside the mansion, Lu Shen's phone vibrated.
His assistant's name appeared on the screen.
"Mr. Lu."
"What is it?"
"We identified the same vehicle from last week."
Lu Shen's expression didn't change.
"Location?"
"Outside the east gate."
"Continue watching."
"Should we remove them?"
"No."
The assistant hesitated.
"Sir?"
"They're waiting for something."
"And if they make a move?"
Lu Shen looked through the window.
From where he stood, he could see Xiaoyu walking slowly beneath the cherry trees.
Sunlight filtered through the branches above her.
For the first time in many years, the mansion looked less empty.
His voice became quieter.
"They won't."
"But if they do..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
He simply ended the call.
---
Unaware of the conversation, Xiaoyu stopped beneath the oldest tree in the garden.
A gentle breeze carried loose petals through the air.
One landed on her shoulder.
Before she could brush it away, another hand reached first.
Lu Shen stood beside her.
He removed the pale pink petal and held it between his fingers.
Neither of them spoke.
The silence felt strangely comfortable.
Then Xiaoyu noticed something she had never seen before.
He was smiling.
Not the polite expression he used at business meetings.
Not the faint movement that disappeared in seconds.
A real smile.
Small.
Almost impossible to notice.
But undeniably real.
For a brief moment, the distance between them seemed to disappear.
And from beyond the mansion walls...
a camera shutter quietly clicked.
Someone had captured the moment.
Someone who intended to use it.
Neither Lu Shen nor Xiaoyu realized that before the week ended,
their photograph would become the most talked-about image in the city's business circles.
And with it,
the carefully controlled balance of their contract marriage would begin to change.