His suit jacket was gone, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly disheveled. His eyes were dark, alert, locked on her the second she moved, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment. "Guo Min," he said quietly.
His voice cut through the panic like a blade. She froze. For a split second, her mind betrayed her again. Fear surged, sharp and irrational, and she recoiled slightly before recognizing him fully.
Zihan noticed. Something flickered across his face... pain, guilt, restraint. He stood slowly, deliberately, careful not to startle her. "It's me," he said, softer now. "You're home, you are safe."
Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Tears welled up suddenly, without warning. She tried to blink them back, but they spilled over anyway, sliding down her cheeks in silence. "I thought I was falling again," she whispered hoarsely. "I couldn't stop it…"
Zihan stopped a few steps away from her.
He didn't touch her. Not yet. "I know," he said, voice low.
And that did it. Her shoulders shook as a quiet sob escaped her, raw and unguarded. She wrapped her arms around herself, fingers digging into her sleeves as if holding herself together.
"I couldn't move," she continued brokenly. "I couldn't even scream loud enough… I really thought I ...". Her voice cracked.
Zihan closed the distance then. Slowly. Carefully.
He crouched in front of her, bringing himself to her eye level. "You're not there anymore," he said firmly. "No one is touching you. No one is taking you anywhere."
His hand hovered in the air between them, stopping just short of her knee. "Can I touch you?" he asked quietly.
She hesitated. Then nodded.
His hand settled gently over hers, warm, solid, real. Her fingers curled into his instantly, gripping him like an anchor. Her breathing began to slow, though her body still trembled. Zihan lowered his forehead to her knuckles, eyes closing briefly. "I won't let this happen again," he said, voice roughened by something dangerously close to rage. "I swear it."
Guo Min squeezed his hand weakly.
"…Okay," she whispered. Zihan looked up at her and settled her In his arms.
And for the first time since the cliff, Guo Min allowed herself to believe it... even if it's just a little... as she leaned forward and rested her forehead against his shoulder, letting herself shake while he stayed perfectly still, holding her together in the quiet darkness.
The next morning.
Guo Min woke to hunger and to the comforting scent of freshly steamed buns drifting through the air.
For a moment, she stirred, half-awake, the smell tugging gently at her senses. She turned over, burying her face into the pillow, trying to steal a little more sleep.
But her stomach betrayed her. With a soft sigh, she pushed herself upright. Her eyes scanned the room instinctively. Zihan wasn't in bed.
That was normal yet after last night, the emptiness beside her made her pause. She shook the thought away, climbed out of bed, and went to freshen up. Afterward, she slipped into an oversized T-shirt and leggings before stepping out of the bedroom.
She didn't get far. The sight in the living room made her stop short. People were already there.
Zihan's family. So early in the morning.
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides. She didn't want questions, or concern-filled stares, or that quiet pity people tried to hide behind kindness. Turning away, she walked toward the kitchen instead, hoping to avoid the gathering in the living room.
The clatter of utensils and the hiss of steam filled the space. "…Mom… good morning," she greeted softly.
Li Yan was standing by the stove, sleeves rolled up, completely focused on the food in front of her. At the sound of Guo Min's voice, she turned instantly. "Good morning, my child."
Her tone was gentle... too gentle.
Before Guo Min could say anything else, Li Yan pulled her into a tight embrace. She held her there for a moment longer than usual, then eased back, hands resting on Guo Min's shoulders as her eyes scanned her from head to toe, searching carefully for injuries that might have been hidden.
Guo Min offered a small smile. "I'm okay, Mom," she said quietly, trying to reassure her.
Li Yan's hands tightened just slightly. "…I'm sorry, my child," she said, her voice heavy with guilt.
Guo Min blinked, caught off guard.
"This family," Li Yan continued softly, eyes glistening, "has placed you in danger. You shouldn't have had to go through something like that."
Guo Min shook her head quickly. "It's not your fault."
Li Yan sighed, brushing Guo Min's hair back with a trembling hand. "But you are my daughter-in-law now," she said. "Your safety is our responsibility."
Just as Guo Min thought she was about to receive full princess treatment from her mother-in-law this time, she realized she was very, very wrong.
"Since you said you're fine," Li Yan chirped, instantly reverting to her usual self, "help me serve." Before Guo Min could react, plates were pressed neatly into her hands.
"Mom, you can just call the maids," Guo Min tried, already stepping back in retreat.
"No," Li Yan said firmly, already dishing food. "I want you to do it." She smiled, amused. "My daughter-in-law is beautiful, but so lazy. What have you been feeding my son?"
Guo Min's forehead instantly broke into a thin sheen of sweat. "Ehm…" she stalled, eyes darting. "The maids are the ones who usually..."
Li Yan's hand froze mid-motion. "You haven't cooked anything since you got married?" she asked slowly.
Guo Min swallowed. "…I made him ramen."
Silence.
Li Yan turned to look at her. "…Ramen?".
Guo Min nodded weakly. "Instant...".
"Good," Li Yan cut in, handing her an apron. "Then time to learn, I'm sure you will learn faster."
Guo Min stared at the apron like it was a death sentence.
So much for princess treatment.
Finally done cooking, Guo Min was forced to serve and on top of that, she had to prepare a separate dish... dessert.
Tofu pudding.
By the time everyone gathered around the dining table, her shoulders ached and her patience was hanging by a thread.
Li Yan, however, was in excellent spirits.
"Zixuan," she complained cheerfully as she took her seat, "Guo Min can cook, but she refuses to. She's been feeding him ramen."
"That's not it, Mom," Guo Min quickly defended herself. "I'm just usually busy."
"If you're both always busy," Elder Zhu cut in, voice raised but unmistakably sulky, "then when exactly am I supposed to see my great-grandchildren?"
Guo Min nearly choked on air. Li Yan only smiled, amused, before her gaze shifted to the quietest person at the table. Zihan.
He hadn't said a word since sitting down, his attention fixed solely on the bowl in front of him. Li Yan frowned. "You don't want the baozi, Zihan? You're only eating the tofu pudding. That's dessert."
Zihan scooped another spoonful, unbothered.
"…Everything goes into the stomach," he replied calmly. "There's not much difference."
Guo Min stared at him. Li Yan stared harder.
Zixuan coughed, clearly holding back laughter.
Elder Zhu snorted. "So my grandson survived kidnapping scares, corporate wars, and family pressure… just to grow up obsessed with tofu pudding."
Zihan finally lifted his gaze only to glance briefly at Guo Min. "It's light," he said simply. "She made it." Guo Min's fingers tightened around her chopsticks, warmth creeping up her ears.
Li Yan's expression softened instantly. "…Then I suppose dessert can come first," she said, pushing the baozi closer to Guo Min instead. "You need to eat properly. You look thinner."
After breakfast, the maids cleared the table, but the family remained seated in the dining room. "Do you still wish to attend your stepsister's wedding or not, Min?" Li Yan asked, her tone careful.
"…I'm going," Guo Min replied without hesitation.
Li Yan frowned slightly. "You don't have to force yourself, Min. Your sister isn't worth it." She softened. "And you need rest."
"…I'll go, Mom."
Li Yan studied her for a moment longer before sighing. "…Alright then."
The conversation drifted to lighter topics, but the atmosphere never fully relaxed. Eventually, Zihan's parents stood to leave. After a few reminders to rest and eat properly, they headed out, leaving the villa quiet once more. Guo Min exhaled softly.
"Zihan, I'm going to take a nap," she said, turning toward the bedroom and Zihan only nodded, eyes fixed on his laptop, fingers moving steadily across the keyboard.
She paused for a split second, as if expecting him to say something but he didn't. So she walked away. The bedroom door closed. The moment it did, Zihan's fingers stopped.
The faint tapping of keys died down, replaced by a heavy silence. He leaned back slightly, removed his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose. The calm mask he wore in front of everyone cracked.
His screen still glowed.
Files. Names. Locations. Surveillance. timestamps.
The wallet lay beside the laptop, opened. Zihan stared at it for a long moment before closing it with deliberate slowness.