The mansion hadn't changed.The marble floors gleamed under the chandelier, the familiar scent of sandalwood filled the air, and the silence was as heavy as ever.
But for Yuexi, stepping inside again was like crossing a battlefield littered with memories.
She paused near the doorway, clutching her bag. She had sworn never to return here. Yet here she was, dragged back not by love, not by choice, but by fear.
Behind her, Chenxuan removed his coat, tossing it carelessly on the sofa. His movements were efficient, but his eyes never left her.
"You can stay in the guest room if you prefer," he said finally, his voice rough. "I'll have the staff prepare it."
Yuexi blinked, caught off guard. She had expected him to insist she return to their bedroom, to slip back into the charade of being Mrs. Lu. But instead, he offered space. Distance.
She nodded stiffly. "Thank you."
That night, Yuexi unpacked in the guest room. The bed was soft, the sheets crisp, the décor modern and cold. Nothing about the room felt lived-in. It screamed of transience, as if every guest here was only ever passing through.
And wasn't that what she was? A guest in his world.
She lay awake, staring at the ceiling, until a faint knock came at the door.
Her heart skipped. "Who is it?"
"Me."
Of course.
She opened the door to find Chenxuan leaning against the frame, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly tousled. He looked less like the untouchable CEO and more like a man frayed at the edges.
"I just wanted to check…" His gaze flickered to her face, searching. "Are you sleeping?"
"Obviously not," she said dryly.
For a moment, silence stretched. Then he exhaled. "I'll increase the guards. No one will get close again."
Something in his tone made her chest tighten. Beneath his commanding façade was guilt, raw and heavy.
"Chenxuan…" she began hesitantly. "Why are you doing this? You could've just ignored me, let me handle it."
His jaw clenched. He stepped closer, the distance between them shrinking. "Because the thought of you being hurt—" His voice broke, just slightly. "—is unbearable."
Her breath caught.
For years, he had been the man who controlled her life, who signed contracts as casually as he breathed. But now, standing under the dim light of the hallway, he wasn't her captor. He was simply a man terrified of losing her.
The next day, news of the attempted attack leaked to the press.
Headlines blared across entertainment sites:"Ex-Starlet Lin Yuexi in Danger: Mysterious Stalker on the Loose!""Lu Corporation Heiress in Peril—CEO Lu Responds?"
Yuexi scrolled through the articles, her hands trembling.
Chenxuan entered the room just as she slammed the tablet shut.
"Don't read those," he said curtly.
She glared at him. "How can I not? It's my life they're talking about!"
"It's noise." His eyes darkened. "Let me handle the threat."
Yuexi wanted to argue, to tell him she wasn't some fragile porcelain doll. But deep inside, a part of her—the part still shaken by the man's grin in the alley—wanted to believe him.
That night, Yuexi found herself in the kitchen, craving something simple. She rummaged through the fridge, pulling out eggs and vegetables. Cooking grounded her, reminded her of ordinary days before her world became a stage.
She was chopping scallions when a shadow fell over her.
Chenxuan leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "I didn't know you still cooked."
She stiffened. "I didn't forget how."
His lips quirked faintly. "You used to make tomato noodles after late rehearsals. I remember."
Her knife froze mid-cut. She turned to him slowly. "You remember that?"
His gaze was steady. "I remember everything."
For a moment, the kitchen felt smaller, warmer. The distance between them wasn't just physical—it was years of pain, pride, and silence. Yet in that moment, Yuexi felt the faint flicker of what they once had, buried beneath the ruins.
But as she placed the noodles on the table, her phone buzzed.
Another anonymous message.
"You think hiding behind him will save you? You're wrong. He can't protect you forever."
Her appetite vanished.
She looked up, meeting Chenxuan's eyes across the table. His expression hardened as he read the text over her shoulder.
"Whoever this is," he said darkly, "they've just made the worst mistake of their life."
And Yuexi knew then: the stalker wasn't just a shadow in her world. It was about to become a war in his.