Jiang Yuxi sat alone in her room, her mind a restless storm of thoughts. She couldn't shake off the feeling that lingered from her encounter with Gu Zeyan earlier at the café. Every glance, every word exchanged between them replayed in her head like a haunting melody she couldn't escape. He had been watching her too intently, his presence impossible to ignore. Even now, she could still feel the weight of his eyes on her.
What unsettled her the most was the way he had reacted when Lin Cheng appeared. It wasn't obvious, but she knew. The barely perceptible shift in his demeanor, the way his jaw tightened—small, telling details that spoke of something more than just casual indifference. He cared. Or at least, he didn't like the idea of Lin Cheng being close to her.
She told herself that it shouldn't matter. That she shouldn't care whether he was jealous or possessive. But deep down, it did something to her. It stirred emotions she didn't want to acknowledge.
Meanwhile, Gu Zeyan was also grappling with his own frustration. He had left the café with an unsettling tightness in his chest. He wasn't a man given to emotion, nor was he the type to act out of jealousy. And yet, when he saw Yuxi with Lin Cheng, it had been difficult to ignore the irritation that crept into his veins.
She was his wife. Even if the marriage was built on a contract, that fact remained unchanged. And yet, she continued to resist him, keeping him at arm's length.
Did she think Lin Cheng could protect her? That he could offer her something more?
The thought was absurd.
Gu Zeyan's grip on his glass tightened as he downed the rest of his whiskey, the burn doing little to ease his mood. If Yuxi thought she could pull away from him so easily, she was mistaken.
The following afternoon, Yuxi was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of the doorbell ringing. She wasn't expecting visitors, so when she opened the door and found Lin Cheng standing there, her eyes widened slightly.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, stepping aside to let him in.
Lin Cheng smiled, though there was a flicker of concern in his gaze. "I wanted to check on you. You seemed… off last night."
She hesitated before sighing. "It's just… everything. This situation. I feel like I'm suffocating."
Lin Cheng's expression darkened slightly. He had never liked Gu Zeyan, and hearing this only solidified his belief that Yuxi was trapped in a marriage that didn't serve her.
"You don't have to stay here, you know," he said carefully. "There are other options."
She blinked at him. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that if you ever decide you want to leave, I'll help you."
His words hung heavy between them.
Yuxi opened her mouth, but before she could respond, a voice cut through the air like a blade.
"How generous of you."
She froze.
Lin Cheng's gaze shifted past her, and his expression hardened as Gu Zeyan strode into the room, his presence sucking the air out of the space.
Gu Zeyan's eyes swept over Lin Cheng with cool detachment before settling on Yuxi. She could feel the weight of his gaze, but she refused to shrink under it.
"Mr. Lin," Gu Zeyan said smoothly, his voice devoid of warmth. "It seems you have a habit of lingering where you're not wanted."
Lin Cheng stiffened but forced a polite smile. "And it seems you have a habit of keeping your wife under lock and key."
Gu Zeyan's expression didn't change, but the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Yuxi quickly stepped between them. "Lin Cheng was just visiting," she said firmly, her eyes darting between them. "There's no need for hostility."
Gu Zeyan ignored her. His next words were directed at Lin Cheng, quiet but cutting.
"She's my wife. I suggest you remember that before overstepping."
Lin Cheng's jaw clenched, but he didn't retaliate. Instead, he turned to Yuxi and gave her a lingering glance, filled with unspoken words. Then, without another word, he left.
The moment the door closed behind him, Yuxi turned to Gu Zeyan, frustration burning in her chest.
"Was that necessary?" she snapped.
Gu Zeyan took a step closer, his eyes dark and unreadable. "Do you think he's helping you out of kindness?"
She glared at him. "Unlike you, not everyone sees relationships as transactions."
For a moment, something flickered in his eyes—something dangerous. Then, he smirked. "Believe what you want. But don't forget, no matter how much you resist, you're still mine."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, her heart pounding.
That night, Yuxi lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
She hated the way he spoke to her, the way he acted as if he had every right to dictate her life. And yet, what unnerved her the most was her own reaction to him.
Her heart still raced when he got too close.
She still felt his presence long after he had left.
And the worst part?
She wasn't sure if it was entirely fear or something else.
No matter how much she told herself she wanted to break free, a part of her knew that escaping Gu Zeyan wasn't going to be as simple as just walking away.
He wouldn't let her.
And maybe… just maybe…
She wasn't sure if she wanted him to.