Chapter 7: Breakfast With a Wolf
The sun had barely risen, yet Bai Xueqing's estate buzzed with the quiet rhythm of staff preparing breakfast. She stepped into the kitchen, expecting peace, coffee, and solitude.
Instead, she was greeted by the sight of Mo Chen—shirt sleeves rolled up, flipping eggs in a pan like he owned the place.
She froze. "Why are you in my kitchen?"
He glanced at her over his shoulder, annoyingly casual. "You didn't eat dinner last night. Thought I'd cook."
"You cook?" She raised an eyebrow.
He flipped the egg effortlessly onto a plate. "Don't look so surprised. A man has to survive somehow."
She narrowed her eyes. "You also broke into my estate."
"Technically, Auntie Mei let me in," he said with a sly smile. "She seems to like me."
"She thinks you're my secret boyfriend," Xueqing muttered, grabbing a coffee mug.
Mo Chen didn't deny it. He just handed her a plate with toast, scrambled eggs, and something that looked suspiciously like truffle oil. "I'm not above bribing old ladies."
She stared at the plate. "Is this... gourmet?"
He smirked. "I had a Michelin-starred chef teach me during my Europe phase."
"Of course you did."
She took a bite, and despite herself, she moaned softly. The eggs melted on her tongue, buttery and seasoned just right.
Mo Chen's eyes darkened as he leaned on the counter. "Careful, Xueqing. Make that sound again, and I might forget we're in a kitchen."
She choked on her coffee. "Are you flirting with me while holding a spatula?"
"Multitasking," he said smoothly.
For a moment, the tension between them shifted. The pressure that had weighed on her shoulders since her return lightened slightly. It wasn't just his words—it was the way he looked at her. Like she wasn't alone. Like someone was on her side.
She hated how comforting that felt.
But the warmth vanished the moment her phone buzzed again.
Another message. Another threat.
Unknown Number: "You've been warned. This is the last time."
She showed it to Mo Chen. He didn't even flinch.
"We need to trace it," he said, all humor gone. "This isn't random. Someone in your inner circle is leaking information."
She nodded. "I thought the same."
Mo Chen's eyes narrowed, calculating. "Let's play this smart. You pretend to pull back from the project. Give them false security."
"And you?" she asked.
"I'll draw them out. I've done this before."
"You're not my bodyguard."
He smirked. "No. But I am someone who won't sleep knowing you're being hunted."
There was something in his voice—a quiet fury. And beneath it, something even deeper.
Possession. Protection. Obsession.
She didn't say thank you. She didn't need to.
Instead, she turned back to her coffee, cheeks pink, pretending his presence wasn't messing with her peace.
But in her heart, something stirred—something ancient and warm.
He had always protected her.
Even in another life.