Paradise Celeste.
The sprawling villa sat in stillness, its marble walls echoing faintly with the low hum of the evening. In the living room, the glow of warm amber lights cast shadows across the sleek furniture, where three of the city's most powerful bachelors sat together.
Wu Xiang lounged back against the sofa, jaw tense, eyes flicking from one man to the other. He knew what was coming, he could practically taste the storm brewing between his best friends, and then it erupted.
"No, Zihan, why did you do this?" Yufan's voice boomed, shattering the calm. His fists clenched at his sides, veins bulging across his temples. "I just told you I love her a few days ago!"
Zhu Zihan sat opposite him, perfectly composed, one leg crossed lazily over the other. His posture was regal, his expression carved from stone, unbothered. The only movement was the slight tilt of his wrist as he swirled the glass of wine in his hand.
"I also remember telling you," Zihan said smoothly, his tone edged with steel, "to shoot your shot if you didn't want her taken."
The casualness of his words stoked Yufan's fury further. His face flushed red, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. "Stop acting all mighty here! You betrayed me!"
Wu Xiang straightened, ready to intervene, but Zihan cut him off before he could speak.
"…I did not betray you." Zihan's voice was low, deliberate, and dangerous in its calmness. He leaned forward just slightly, his gaze piercing. "I took action. You did not." A pause, sharp and cold, before the final strike, "Tell me...how is that my fault?"
The silence that followed was suffocating. Yufan's jaw tightened, his fists trembling as though he might lunge across the table. Wu Xiang leaned in quickly, raising his voice just enough to cut the tension.
"Enough. Both of you." Wu Xiang's tone cracked through the tension like a whip. It carried the authority of someone who had been the reluctant mediator too many times.
The room is still for a moment, even the air seemed to stop moving.
Then, Zihan set his glass down with measured calm, rose to his feet, and adjusted the cuff of his suit. His expression never changed. "I'm going home," he said flatly, his voice cutting the silence. Without sparing Yufan another glance, he walked toward the door.
As he stepped outside into the Night, he pulled his phone from his pocket and typed a single message.
Zihan: Meet me in front of Wang Mansion.
Minutes later, his sleek black car purred to a halt just outside the Wang estate. He didn't bother driving through the gates, he wanted her to come to him. He leaned back against the leather seat, one hand draped casually over the steering wheel as he sent a second text.
Zihan: I'm here.
Not long after, the soft echo of heels clicked against the pavement. Zihan's gaze sharpened when he saw her approach.
She emerged under the streetlights like a vision of steel and fire, black leather jacket hugging her frame, a white inner tube beneath, paired with wide-legged leather pants that swayed with her stride. Accessories glinted against her flawless skin, her makeup bold but refined, the smokey shadow around her eyes making them sharper, more dangerous. A medium-sized black bag hung casually in her grip. Every click of her heels spoke of command. An alpha woman. That was Guo Min.
She pulled open the passenger door and slid inside, crossing one long leg over the other with effortless grace. Her sigh was soft, but her tone carried steel. "What do you want? I'm a little busy today."
Zihan's eyes lingered, shameless and deliberate. He didn't glance away, didn't pretend to be courteous. He studied her like a man appraising rare art he already considered to be his. The faint curve of his lips barely betrayed his amusement. "…At night?"
Guo Min turned her head toward him, one brow lifting, unimpressed. Her lips parted in a dry, mocking laugh. "Yes. Why?" The word dragged, heavy with sarcasm, before she leaned back against the seat, arms folding with practiced indifference.
The corner of Zihan's mouth twitched, a flicker of satisfaction breaking through the marble mask of his face. "Even I, the CEO of Zhu Empire, am not busy at this hour," he replied smoothly. He reached for the ignition, his voice as calm as if he were discussing quarterly reports. The engine roared to life. "…And besides, I picked you up from your home, not your office."
She didn't bother arguing. Instead, she slid her seatbelt into place with a sharp click and shifted her gaze to the road ahead. The car glided forward, its hum filling the silence between them.
"Where are we going?" she asked after a beat, her tone light, almost mocking. "Night date?"
His answer was immediate and casual. "My house."
The simplicity of it disarmed her for a second. "Ah… ok."
But then realization struck. She whipped her head toward him, eyes widening in horror. "…Wait. Your house?!" Her voice rose a pitch. "Don't tell me...you're going to introduce me to your parents?"
"Yes." His tone didn't waver.
Guo Min nearly choked on her own breath. "Didn't you say you'd wait until I accepted your proposal?"
"I'm sure you will accept it," he answered, as though her resistance was nothing but a minor delay.
She let out a sharp scoff. "You're so full of yourself. What if I don't?"
For the first time that night, something shifted in Zihan's expression. A smile. Small, rare, unsettling in its quiet confidence. He slowed the car, letting it roll to a halt beneath the glow of a street lamp. Turning his head, his gaze locked onto hers.
"You're already sitting in my private car, Guo Min," he said softly, the words deliberate but laced with possession. "That alone is proof."
Her breath hitched despite herself.
Without waiting for her reply, he turned the engine back on, the smile lingering faintly at the edge of his lips as the car slipped back into motion.