Jiang Yuxi stormed out of the ballroom, her breath uneven, her pulse pounding against her ribs. The dazzling chandeliers and glittering gowns faded behind her as she stepped into the quieter corridors of the luxury hotel, each step echoing in the emptiness. The night had unraveled into a spectacle—one where she was not merely a participant, but the prize being contested.
Lin Cheng and Gu Zeyan—two men locked in a silent war, neither willing to step aside.
The oppressive weight of their gazes still lingered on her skin.
She needed air.
Yuxi pushed open the heavy doors leading to the terrace, stepping into the cool embrace of the night. The city skyline stretched before her, its endless lights flickering like distant stars. A soft breeze whispered against her exposed skin, a welcome contrast to the suffocating heat of the ballroom.
Her fingers curled around the stone railing as she inhaled deeply, trying to still the turmoil inside her. Had she made a mistake? Standing between them, refusing to be claimed by either? Or had she finally begun carving a space for herself?
A sharp click of shoes against marble shattered her fragile solitude.
She stiffened.
The presence behind her was unmistakable.
Gu Zeyan.
The weight of his gaze pressed against her back, a force so tangible it sent a shiver down her spine. She did not need to turn to confirm it was him—his presence was like a storm, silent yet overwhelming.
"You enjoy running from me, don't you?" His voice was a mixture of amusement and steel, smooth yet laced with something darker.
Yuxi clenched her jaw, refusing to let her emotions show. Slowly, she turned to face him. His expression was unreadable, his dark eyes scanning her as if searching for an answer to a question he hadn't voiced.
"And you enjoy pretending you own me," she shot back, her voice steady despite the storm inside her.
His lips curled at the edges, but there was no warmth in his smirk. He stepped forward, his movements deliberate, closing the distance between them until she had nowhere to go but backward.
"I don't pretend, Yuxi." His voice dipped lower, almost a whisper. "You are mine. Whether you admit it or not."
Her back met the cold railing. Trapped.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, but she lifted her chin defiantly. "No one owns me, Gu Zeyan."
His expression darkened, the amusement vanishing as something unreadable flickered in his gaze. Slowly, he reached out, his fingers brushing against her left hand—the one still adorned with the ring he had slid onto her finger the day they married.
"Then why are you still wearing this?" he murmured.
Yuxi swallowed hard, her pulse betraying her.
Why was she still wearing it?
Was it because removing it would mean severing every tie she had with him? Because as much as she wanted to believe she was free, a part of her still clung to the invisible chain that bound them.
"You could have left," Gu Zeyan continued, his voice softer now, yet no less dangerous. "Yet you're still here."
She opened her mouth to speak—but before she could respond, the terrace door swung open.
Lin Cheng.
The moment he stepped onto the terrace, the air between them shifted.
His gaze flickered from Gu Zeyan to Yuxi, and for a split second, something unreadable crossed his face. His presence was like a gust of fresh air, momentarily pushing back the oppressive energy that surrounded her.
"Are you alright?" His voice was calm but firm, directed solely at Yuxi.
Gu Zeyan let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "How noble of you, Lin Cheng. Always appearing at just the right moment."
Lin Cheng ignored him, his focus unwavering. "Yuxi?"
Yuxi exhaled sharply.
This—this was what exhausted her. The way both men treated her as if she was something to be fought over. Something fragile.
She met Lin Cheng's gaze and spoke, her voice steady. "I don't need you to save me."
A flicker of something—hurt, maybe—crossed his features before he schooled his expression.
Then she turned to Gu Zeyan, meeting his dark, expectant stare. "And I don't need you to control me."
The weight of her words hung in the air, thick and unyielding.
For the first time that night, both men were silent.
A strange sense of power settled over Yuxi.
She had spent too long being pushed and pulled by others, but not anymore.
Gu Zeyan watched her carefully, then, after a long pause, smirked. "Very well."
He stepped back, his movements controlled as he adjusted the cuffs of his suit. The picture of indifference—except Yuxi wasn't fooled.
This wasn't surrender.
It was strategy.
Lin Cheng, however, didn't back away so easily. His voice softened, sincerity bleeding into his words. "I only want you to be happy, Yuxi."
Something in her chest tightened.
Happiness.
It felt like an unattainable luxury, something she couldn't afford in the life she was living.
Without another word, she turned and walked away, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she disappeared through the terrace doors.
What she didn't see was the way they watched her leave—one with quiet longing, the other with a dark determination that promised he wasn't letting go.