It was 2 a.m. The entire penthouse was wrapped in a blanket of silence, broken only by the ticking of the clock.
Aanya couldn't sleep. Hunger finally forced her to get out of bed.
The Open Door
She tiptoed into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Taking out some spicy salad, she began eating it while standing there. That was when her gaze fell upon the large glass balcony door—it was slightly open, and cold air was drifting inside.
Curiosity stirred within her.
She stepped closer and peeked outside.
On the garden bench, beneath the pale moonlight, a shadow sat alone.
It was Zain.
Zain sat in the moonlight, holding an old, faded family photograph in his hand. In the picture, a little Zain stood smiling beside his elder sister Jia, his father, and his mother, Zhao Qi.
His fingers lingered over his mother's face.
Zain (in a low, trembling voice):
"Mother… I found a new family. My adoptive father, Zhenyu, and his wife, Xuyan… they, and Fengning, treated me like their own son… but I still miss you."
He took a deep breath. A fire of revenge flickered in his eyes.
"I introduced my wife to you… but I still haven't found your killer. Where is he hiding? I searched everywhere, yet I couldn't find a single trace of him."
---
Aanya stood silently behind him.
She was far enough that she hadn't heard everything Zain had said, but she had seen him talking to the photograph.
As she took a step forward, the faint sound of her footstep made Zain startle.
With lightning speed, he slipped the photo into his pocket. Within seconds, his face turned cold again—hard as stone.
Zain (flatly):
"What are you doing here? I told you to go to sleep."
Aanya did not answer.
She walked quietly and sat down right beside him on the bench. Only a few inches separated them.
Aanya (looking straight into his eyes):
"When the heart is heavy, sleep doesn't come, Mr. Wolf. Who were you talking about?"
Zain averted his gaze and stared at the grass in the garden.
Zain:
"You're mistaken. I just came out for some fresh air."
Aanya (taking his hand):
"Lying doesn't suit you. I saw you remembering someone. Was that your real family?"
Zain's body stiffened.
He didn't try to pull his hand away. Instead, he felt the warmth of her grip.
Zain (sharp, bitter voice):
"Some memories only bring pain, Aanya. There's no use digging them up."
Aanya gently rested her head on his shoulder.
Aanya:
"But sharing pain makes the burden lighter. I am your wife… not just on paper."
For a moment, Zain closed his eyes.
His heart wanted to tell her everything, but the secret of the killer still stood between them like a wall.
---
In the quiet of the night, moonlight fell softly across their faces. A playful thought crossed Aanya's mind, and she cast a sideways glance at him to lighten the mood.
Without her glasses, her eyes looked deeper than ever, and her open hair—falling to her shoulders—moved gently with the breeze.
Questions and Silent Longing
Aanya (smiling, hiding a hint of jealousy):
"Tell me the truth… she was your first love, wasn't she? The one whose photo you were looking at so intensely?"
Zain remained silent.
His eyes fixed on the stars above.
Aanya noticed a painful line appear across his face at her question.
Aanya (softly):
"It's okay… if you don't want to tell me, I won't force you."
Her eyes were helplessly searching for his answer. She wanted to understand him—to break the wall he had built around himself.
Zain knew that the killer he was searching for was none other than Aanya's own uncle, Li Kang.
And the most bitter truth of all was that Aanya herself was his first and last love—the one tied to both his hatred and his love.
---
Zain (looking at the sky, voice heavy):
"My first love… that's where my hatred began."
For a moment, Aanya's heart forgot to beat.
She looked at him carefully.
When Zain turned his head and looked into her eyes, he noticed something new in them—a different kind of light. Perhaps Aanya was beginning to realize that she was falling in love with this "wolf."
Aanya (in a low voice):
"I… I don't understand."
Zain didn't answer.
He simply kept looking into her eyes.
Their gazes locked—on one side, Zain's buried secret; on the other, Aanya's growing love.
---
Breaking the silence, Zain raised his hand and gently caressed her cheek. Then, deliberately, he messed up her carefully arranged hair.
Aanya (annoyed, shaking her head):
"Hey! What was that? I had just fixed my hair!"
Zain (with a faint mischievous smile):
"So? You messed up my hair on the sofa like I was a little kid. Consider the score settled, Mrs. Yan."
Aanya began fixing her hair again, but there was peace on her face. She felt that even if Zain wasn't saying everything openly, the bitterness in his touch was no longer there.
Zain glanced at his watch and stood up from the bench.
"It's very late. We should go to sleep."
But as soon as he started walking, Aanya couldn't hold back her laughter. She covered her mouth and burst into giggles. In the quiet garden, her laughter echoed.
Zain stopped and turned back, frowning.
Zain:
"What's so funny? Did I say something amusing?"
Aanya wiped the corners of her eyes as she laughed and pointed at him.
Aanya:
"No… I just remembered what you said earlier—'Come to my bed!'"
For a moment, Zain's face hardened again, though this time embarrassment flickered across it. He adjusted his coat irritably.
Zain:
"Why does your mind always go in the wrong direction? I clarified that I only meant go to sleep."
He stepped closer to her and raised a finger in mock warning.
Zain:
"This is the effect of all those K-dramas you watch all day. You make everything too 'romantic' and 'dramatic.' You should watch less of them—they're affecting your brain."
Aanya blinked playfully.
As she passed by him, she leaned near his ear and whispered:
Aanya:
"The dramatic one wasn't me, Mr. Wolf—it was your choice of words. Next time, choose them carefully."
Laughing mischievously, she ran inside.
Zain stood there watching her go.
A smile spread across his face—a smile he himself didn't fully understand.