Yichen's hands clenched into fists on the table. The story was more horrifying than he'd imagined. "So… why didn't Zhenlong kill her?" he asked, his voice low and tight. "And that enemy… who was he?"
Dr. Shen let out a long, weary sigh. "Zhenlong did kill him. The enemy. He hunted him down and wiped out his entire organization. As for Ruifen…" He shook his head. "Before that day Zhenlong wanted to. He wanted to wipe out Wenhao's whole family anyone who had stood by and done nothing, anyone who might be a threat. He was consumed by rage."
He took a sip of his now-cold tea. "But Wenhao stopped him. Wenhao said it was his fight, and he wanted to fight it lawfully. With evidence. In a courtroom. Wenhao… he was always afraid of bloodshed. He hated violence. He didn't want Zhenlong to 'dirty his hands' any further on his account. He believed in the system, even after what they did to him."
Yichen looked down, his heart pounding with a furious, helpless anger. "How… how could someone go this far? Just for money? For a company?"
Dr. Shen looked at the young man, seeing the same protective fire that had once burned in Zhenlong. After a moment of silence, he reached across the table and placed his hand over Yichen's clenched fist. His touch was firm.
"Yichen," he said, his voice solemn. "I want you to do something. I want you to take revenge. Not with the same cruelty. But with justice. For Zhiyuan. For Wenhao. And for… for the little life you both lost."
Yichen met his gaze, his own eyes blazing with determination. He didn't hesitate. He nodded, a sharp, definitive movement. "I will. I promise. I won't let what happened to Wenhao happen to Zhiyuan. She will pay for everything."
A sad, approving smile touched Dr. Shen's lips. He gave Yichen's hand a final pat before pulling back.
Then, Yichen's brow furrowed with a new thought. "Doctor, I just realized… I forgot to ask. You were Wenhao's friend right? But how are you so close to our boss? To Zhenlong? You seem to know him… very well."
Dr. Shen's expression became complicated a mix of nostalgia, pain, and something else. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, a surprisingly youthful gesture. "Ah… that… that's a very long story for another day, boy." He let out a soft, humorless laugh. "Maybe when all this is over."
Before Yichen could press further, Dr. Shen quickly stood up. He began gathering the empty dishes from the table, the clatter of porcelain effectively changing the subject.
"Now, let's clean up this mess. We have a patient to look after," he said, his tone shifting back to the practical doctor, neatly closing the door on the painful past for now. But the request he had made the mission for vengeance hung heavy in the air between them.
After they finished cleaning, Dr. Shen yawned loudly. "I'm turning in. It's cold tonight there's a heating pad in that drawer. Microwave it for a minute and put it on Zhiyuan's lower belly. The cold can make the cramps worse." He gave Yichen a knowing look before heading to his own room.
Yichen nodded with a soft smile. "Doctor, wait." He hesitated. "Can I... ask you for something?"
Dr. Shen paused, turning back. "Of course. What is it?"
A few minutes later, Yichen quietly entered the dark bedroom. Zhiyuan was asleep, his face peaceful in the moonlight. The sight made Yichen's heart feel so full it might melt.
He slipped under the quilt beside him as gently as possible. He carefully placed the warm heating pad over Zhiyuan's lower abdomen.
The warmth stirred Zhiyuan. His eyes fluttered open. "Mmm... how did you know it was hurting here?" he mumbled, still half-asleep.
Yichen hesitated, then whispered, "Because I love you so much I can feel your pain."
Zhiyuan gave a sleepy chuckle and snuggled closer. "You... love me? Or... you love me?" he asked, the question tentative.
Yichen chuckled softly. "What kind of question is that?"
Zhiyuan's smile faded. He began fidgeting with the edge of the quilt. Yichen, leaning on his elbow beside him, noticed but waited silently.
"I mean..." Zhiyuan's voice was barely a whisper, his face turned away. "Do you love me the way Meilin loves me? Or..."
Yichen's heart skipped a beat. He understood. He leaned down slowly, his face coming inches from Zhiyuan's.
Zhiyuan's breath hitched. He hurriedly covered his face with his hands, embarrassed.
Yichen smiled tenderly. He gently pulled Zhiyuan's hands away, pinning them lightly on the bed above his head, and hovered over him. "What do you think?" he asked, his voice low.
Zhiyuan couldn't meet his gaze. He looked to the side. "I don't know... You flirt with everyone. You get friendly with everyone. You're... really good with sweet words."
Yichen leaned closer, so close their lips almost brushed. He could feel Zhiyuan's heart hammering against his own chest. "But I don't kiss everyone," he murmured. "I don't cuddle with everyone. I don't touch everyone. And I definitely don't sleep with everyone. What do you think now?"
Zhiyuan finally looked into his eyes, searching for a long moment, before glancing away again, more confused. "But... it's 2026. A lot of people have one-night stands and call each other 'just friends' the next day..."
A slow smirk spread across Yichen's lips. "You think that night was just a one-night stand?"
Zhiyuan hesitated, then gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.
Yichen groaned and buried his face in the crook of Zhiyuan's neck. "Gege... how can you think that? You're breaking my heart."
Hearing the genuine hurt in his voice, Zhiyuan immediately felt worried. "No, I didn't mean it like that! I... I never thought of it as a one-night stand for me. I know it was a mistake... but I thought for you it might have been."
Yichen pulled back, and his expression shifted. A low, possessive growl rumbled in his throat. "You're making me mad, gege."
Zhiyuan's breath caught. It was rare to see Yichen like this intense, raw, his usual playfulness gone.
Yichen leaned in and nipped his earlobe, not hard, but with enough pressure to make Zhiyuan gasp. "Never. Ever. Think that our night was a mistake or a one-night stand." His voice was a fierce whisper. "I would never use you. I worshipped you that night."
Zhiyuan froze, his eyes wide. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Yichen continued, his words pouring out, a vow in the dark. "I might be friendly with others, but I will never be this close to anyone else. You can ask anyone in the world if I have ever touched another person the way I touch you. I lost my virginity to you. I devoted myself to you that day. You are my only owner."
His gaze burned with absolute sincerity. "If you don't like me getting close to others, you can kill me, and I'd die happy. I swear I'll never talk to anyone girl or guy like that again, except for work. You can put a leash around my neck. I'm ready to be your loyal dog. Mark my body. Write your name on it with fire."
He leaned back just enough to look directly into Zhiyuan's stunned, shining eyes. His voice dropped to a reverent whisper, each sentence a sacred promise.
"I don't love you the way Meilin loves you. Nor the way ordinary couples do."
"I worship you the way the sun worships the morning sky."
"I worship you with every heartbeat I have."
"I worship you the way oceans bow to the moon."
"I worship you like fire worships the air that feeds it."
"I worship you in every quiet moment, in every stolen breath."
"I worship you the way flowers turn to the sun helpless and devoted."
"I worship you like the night worships the stars silent, endless, unyielding."
"I worship you in thought, in touch, in everything I cannot say aloud."
"I worship you the way a poet worships the words they can never find."
"I worship you as if the world itself depends on it."
In the profound silence that followed, Zhiyuan could only stare, tears of overwhelming emotion welling in his eyes. No one had ever spoken to him like this. No one had ever seen him the real, scarred, confused him and offered not just love, but devotion so complete it felt like a new religion. And he was the only believer at its altar.
Yichen pressed his forehead against Zhiyuan's, their breaths mingling in the small space between them. The intensity of his confession still hung in the air like a sacred vow.
"I love you, gege," Yichen whispered again, his voice thick with emotion. "I love you more than you could ever possibly think."
With those words, he closed the last sliver of distance. His lips met Zhiyuan's in a kiss that was not hungry or desperate, but soft, reverent, and full of aching tenderness. It was a seal on every promise he had just made.
For a second, Zhiyuan hesitated, his mind reeling from the flood of devotion. But then, something inside him broke open a dam of loneliness, fear, and longing. He melted into the kiss.
A soft sob escaped him, and tears spilled from his closed eyes, tracing wet paths down his temples. But his arms came up, wrapping tightly around Yichen's neck, pulling him closer, deeper.
He kissed him back. Not with the frantic passion of their first time, but with a slow, deliberate intensity. Every press of his lips was an answer.
I believe you. (A gentle nip on Yichen's lower lip.)
I hear you. (A slow, deepening slide of his mouth.)
I want you. (His fingers tangling in Yichen's hair.)
I choose you. (A full-bodied shudder as he pulled Yichen completely on top of him, erasing any space left between them.)
Yichen responded with equal fervor, swallowing his tears, tasting the salt and the surrender. He kissed him like he was drawing a map of worship on his lips, with every brush, every sigh, every shared breath.
The words "I worship you" were no longer just words. They were in the gentle scrape of Yichen's teeth, in the soothing swipe of his tongue, in the way his hands cradled Zhiyuan's face as if it were the most precious thing in the universe.
Zhiyuan kissed him back with everything he had, pouring all his fear, his hope, his newfound, terrifying trust into the connection. It was a silent conversation, a pact made in the dark, a beginning born from the ashes of their shared pain. And in that quiet room, with only the sound of their breathing and the distant sea, they both finally found the home they'd been searching for in each other.
In Shanghai - The Penthouse:
Aunt Xinyi was alone in Ruifen's cold, luxurious penthouse, tied tightly to a heavy chair. She struggled against the ropes biting into her wrists, twisting her body.
I have to get out. I have to warn someone.
She tried to rock the chair backward to reach a tall, ceramic vase on a side table behind her. She leaned too far.
THUD!
The chair tipped over, and she crashed to the floor on her side with a painful groan. Ignoring the ache, she used the momentum. She wriggled and slid her body across the polished floor like a worm until her back was against the table leg.
She looked up at the vase. Taking a deep breath, she slammed her shoulder against the table leg.
Bump. Bump. BUMP!
On the third hit, the vase wobbled, tilted, and fell. It shattered on the floor beside her with a loud crash.
"Good," she whispered through gritted teeth. She carefully grabbed a large, sharp shard of the broken vase, ignoring how it cut into her own fingers. She began sawing at the ropes around her wrists. The ceramic was clumsy and sharp, slicing her own skin as much as the rope. Blood smeared the white fibers, but she didn't stop.
Finally, with a last tug, the rope snapped. Her hands were free, but they were a bloody, stinging mess.
She scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding. Phone. I need a phone. She rushed around the penthouse, searching drawers, tables. Nothing. Ruifen had taken all communication.
She ran to the front door. Locked. A heavy electronic lock. She was trapped in a gilded cage, with no way to call for help
At Liang Group Headquarters:
Meanwhile, at the company, everything was going according to Ruifen's new, ruthless plan.
She was sitting in the CEO's chair Zhiyuan's chair in the grand office. She looked out over the city with a cold smile. She had called an emergency board meeting earlier.
Her story was simple and tragic. With tears in her eyes, she had told them, "We finally found him… in the wreckage. He was… so badly burned. But he was conscious for a moment. He told me… 'Auntie, take care of the company for me.'"
Now, with fabricated medical reports and the board in a state of shock, she had been "appointed" interim CEO.
Her loyal enforcer, Guo Lian (now bandaged but present), stood before her desk.
"We've turned the mansion upside down, Ma'am," he reported. "We've searched the company archives. We cannot find the original will papers. And the lawyer, the one Wenhao used… he seems to have vanished."
Ruifen's smile didn't reach her eyes. She steepled her fingers. "They are together. The real will and the 'treasure' my brother hid from me. They are in the same place. I am sure of it." Her voice was a low, determined hiss. "Keep digging. Check every safe, every secret compartment Wenhao ever used. It has to be here."
Back in the Penthouse:
Xinyi slumped against the locked penthouse door, her bleeding hands pressed together. She was trapped, but her mind was racing. Ruifen had moved too fast. She was claiming the company based on a lie. And she was desperately looking for something the real will and something else Wenhao had hidden.
Zhiyuan… where are you? she thought desperately. And what did your father leave behind that she wants so badly?
She had no phone, no key, and no way out. But she had information. And she had to find a way to get it to the right people before Ruifen's lies became the new, unchallengeable truth.
Later That Night:
Ruifen dropped Guo Lian off at his apartment building. He slowly got out of the car, moving stiffly from his injuries. He stopped and turned back, leaning down to the open window.
"Is it…" he began, his voice quiet. "Is all of this really necessary?"
Ruifen's hands clenched on the steering wheel. She stared straight ahead, refusing to look at him or answer.
Guo Lian stood there in the cool night air, waiting. When no answer came, he just gave a small, resigned bow. "Goodnight, Ma'am." He turned and walked inside.
Ruifen sat frozen in her car. His words echoed in her head. Is it necessary?
After a long minute, she drove off, the question haunting her all the way home.
Back at the Penthouse:
Ruifen entered her penthouse, tossing her key card and purse onto the entryway table. Something felt off. The air was different. She walked slowly towards the room where she had left Xinyi tied up.
She pushed the door open. The chair was empty. The ropes lay cut on the floor, next to broken vase shards and smears of blood.
Her blood ran cold.
She turned to run, but it was too late
From behind the open door, Xinyi lunged out. She swung a heavy frying pan with all her might.
CLANG!
The pan connected with the side of Ruifen's head with a sickening thud. Ruifen cried out, stumbling forward, dazed. Xinyi shoved her, and Ruifen fell hard onto the polished floor.
Her head throbbing, Ruifen scrambled to her feet, rage overriding the pain. She saw Xinyi making a desperate dash for the key card on the table.
"NO!" Ruifen shrieked. She caught Xinyi by the hair and yanked her back violently, dragging her away from the exit.
Xinyi cried out but fought back. She kicked out, connecting with Ruifen's legs, and they both tumbled to the ground again. Xinyi rolled on top, pinning Ruifen down.
"WAKE UP, RUIFEN!" Xinyi yelled into her face, her own tears mixing with the blood on her hands. "Wake up! Don't go chasing money blindly like this! You know what happened to your mother! The same thing will happen to you!"
"DON'T YOU DARE DRAG MY MOTHER INTO THIS!" Ruifen screamed, struggling. "It was your father's fault! All of it!"
Xinyi's anger broke into a desperate plea. She hugged Ruifen tightly, even as she held her down. "Please, Ruifen! I'm begging you! Don't do this! I'll give you everything I have! But don't go down this path! You'll regret it so badly! Please… I don't want you to end up like this!"
For a split second, Ruifen froze. She was thrown back in time to high school, when Xinyi, the good, kind sister, would always cover for her, get her out of trouble, share secrets.
But then the other memory crashed in. Her mother's tear-streaked face. The promise she had made at her mother's grave. I will ruin the Liang family.
She pushed Xinyi off with a surge of renewed fury. "You're one of them too! You're all monsters!"
Xinyi got up slowly, looking at her sister with heartbreaking sadness. "Then… I have no choice."
The fight turned physical, brutal, and desperate. They grappled, knocking over a side table. Ruifen's hand found a fruit knife that had clattered to the floor. She lunged.
But Xinyi was quicker. She grabbed Ruifen's wrist, and in the struggle, the blade sliced deeply across Ruifen's forearm.
"AH!" Ruifen screamed, dropping the knife and clutching her bleeding arm.
Xinyi picked up the knife, her hands trembling violently. She pointed it at her kneeling sister. "Don't… don't force me to stab you."
Ruifen knelt on the floor, holding her wounded arm, looking utterly defeated.
Xinyi's voice shook with a grief deeper than anger. "You're so pathetic. I always wanted a sister. Someone to share everything with. I never thought… I'd get one like you."
With a sob of disgust and despair, she threw the knife clattering across the room. She turned, grabbed the key card from the table, and stumbled toward the door, her own body aching and bleeding.
Ruifen watched her go. The pain in her arm, the sting of Xinyi's words, the ghost of their mother, the decades of jealousy it all swirled into a tornado of black, blinding rage in her head.
She didn't think.
Her hand flew to her hair. She pulled out the long, sharp decorative hairpin she always wore.
As Xinyi reached for the door handle, Ruifen surged to her feet.
She lunged forward and plunged the hairpin deep into Xinyi's back.
Xinyi gasped, a sound of pure shock. Her eyes widened. The key card slipped from her fingers. She staggered, then crumpled to the floor, a dark stain rapidly spreading across her blouse.
Ruifen stood over her, breathing heavily, the ornate hairpin now a bloody weapon in her hand. The penthouse was silent except for the ragged sound of her own breath and the terrible, final quiet from her sister on the floor.