The door slammed open so violently it struck the wall.
Shen Yu stood there, chest rising sharply, fury barely contained beneath his tailored suit.
Behind him, Ting Ting hovered, pale and shaken — but watchful.
Always watchful.
His eyes went straight to Shen Gu.
"What exactly is going on?" Shen Yu demanded.
His voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
Authority dripped from every syllable.
Shen Gu didn't answer immediately. He simply adjusted his cufflinks, unhurried, composed — as if his younger brother's anger was background noise.
I stepped forward before either of them could escalate.
"There's no misunderstanding," I said calmly. "Our engagement is over."
Shen Yu's gaze snapped to me.
"You don't get to repeat that like it becomes real."
"It already is."
Ting Ting clutched his sleeve gently. "Yu… maybe Mei Mei is just emotional tonight—"
"Don't," I said, cutting her off softly.
The room chilled.
"You have him," I continued evenly. "Isn't that what you wanted? You should be comforting him right now."
Ting Ting's face drained of color.
"Xie Mei!" Shen Yu barked. "Watch your words. Ting Ting is your best friend. Don't imply disgusting things."
Disgusting.
I almost smiled.
Best friend.
In my last life, she held my hand while I cried over wedding preparations — and sent our financial records to Shen Yu behind my back that same night.
I opened my mouth to answer—
But Shen Gu spoke first.
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
Cold.
"Shen Yu," he said, "lower your voice."
The command wasn't loud.
But it carried weight.
Shen Yu turned sharply. "Stay out of this."
Shen Gu's gaze hardened.
"You're speaking to my wife."
Silence.
Absolute.
Ting Ting froze.
My breath stalled.
Even Shen Yu looked as though the ground had shifted beneath him.
"What did you just say?" Shen Yu asked slowly.
Shen Gu didn't look at him.
He looked at me.
Then back at his brother.
"I said," he repeated evenly, "you will not speak to my wife like that."
Wife.
The word echoed.
It didn't sound rushed.
It didn't sound accidental.
It sounded decided.
Ting Ting's fingers slipped from Shen Yu's sleeve.
"W-wife?" she stammered.
Shen Yu let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "This isn't funny."
"No one is joking," Shen Gu replied.
"When?" Shen Yu demanded. "When did this happen?"
Shen Gu adjusted his jacket calmly.
"Just now."
The audacity of it.
The confidence.
The finality.
My pulse began to race — not with fear.
With something far more dangerous.
Shen Yu looked at me sharply. "You agreed to this?"
His tone had changed.
Not angry now.
Threatened.
I met his gaze steadily.
"Our families wanted an alliance," I said softly. "They'll still have one."
"With him?" Shen Yu's composure cracked for the first time. "You'd choose him?"
The question wasn't political.
It was personal.
"Yes," I answered without hesitation.
Ting Ting's lips trembled. "Mei Mei… you can't be serious…"
I turned to her slowly.
"You should be happy," I said gently. "Now no one is in your way."
Her expression faltered.
For a fraction of a second, guilt flickered.
Then it vanished.
Shen Yu stepped forward, jaw tight. "Brother, you think this is clever? You think you can take what's mine?"
Mine.
There it was.
Possession.
Shen Gu's eyes went glacial.
"She was never yours," he said quietly.
The tension between them was no longer subtle.
It was territorial.
Years of rivalry compressed into a single room.
"I won't allow this," Shen Yu said flatly.
Shen Gu took one slow step forward.
"You don't have the authority to allow or disallow my marriage."
The air felt too thin to breathe.
Ting Ting looked between them in panic.
She hadn't expected this.
She wanted Shen Yu.
Not a war between brothers.
I stood there, watching.
In my past life, Shen Yu destroyed me without resistance.
In this life—
He was losing control in front of everyone.
"Xie Mei," Shen Yu said, softer now, almost dangerous, "you're acting out of emotion. Think carefully."
Emotion.
I almost laughed.
There was nothing emotional about this.
This was calculation.
And survival.
Before I could answer, Shen Gu moved.
Not dramatically.
Not violently.
He simply stepped beside me.
Close enough that his presence was undeniable.
Protective.
Claiming.
"This discussion is over," he said calmly.
Shen Yu stared at him.
Then at me.
Then back at him.
For the first time—
He looked uncertain.
And that was the most satisfying sight of all.
Because in my last life—
He never once doubted himself.
Now?
He was no longer the only one in control.
And this time—
I wasn't the one cornered.