The next morning, Yue Lianrui returned to the office, heels clicking on the polished floor.
Shen Kaizhe was already there, seated behind his massive desk, eyes scanning a mountain of papers. He didn't look up.
"Good morning," she said calmly, carrying her laptop.
"Morning," he replied, voice clipped, without lifting his gaze.
She set her things down and walked past him. Something about the way he ignored her made her blood simmer.
Half an hour later, a junior manager whispered across the room:
"She's pretending to know more than she does. Watch her fail in the next meeting."
Lianrui froze only for a second. Then, her lips curved into a cold smile.
When the meeting started, she spoke first. Her analysis was precise, insightful, cutting straight to the weaknesses in the rival company's plan. The room went silent. Everyone glanced at Shen Kaizhe.
He leaned back in his chair, expression unreadable. Then he said softly, only for her:
"You're full of surprises, aren't you?"
She met his gaze without flinching.
"And you're full of underestimations."
The words were sharp, but not mean—she wasn't attacking him. She was reminding him she wasn't a pawn.
He stared at her a long moment, then finally nodded, a subtle sign of respect—though he would never admit it aloud.
Later, when they were alone, Shen Kaizhe leaned against the doorway, arms crossed.
"You keep testing me," he said.
"And you keep underestimating me," she replied.
His eyes darkened, almost warning, almost… something else.
"Be careful. One day, your face-slaps won't amuse me," he murmured.
Lianrui smirked.
"Then I'll make sure the one day comes very soon."
The air between them shifted. Tension, unspoken understanding, and a hint of forbidden curiosity pulsed in the room.
And neither of them noticed that the contract on their marriage—meant to keep them apart—was already starting to feel like the thinnest of walls.