Guo Min and Ruoxi stepped into the Wang mansion. The house was unusually quiet. Guo Min lifted a brow, and Ruoxi answered the unspoken question before it could be voiced.
"Mom and Dad flew to Europe," she said. "They wanted a week or two alone. Said they needed a break from their troublesome daughters."
Guo Min let out a soft chuckle, a sincere smile finding its way onto her face. "I don't blame them. Aunt and Uncle probably wanted some peace for themselves."
Still, a small part of her felt relieved they weren't home. Explaining what had happened between her and Zihan felt… heavy. Too heavy for tonight.
"Min, let's freshen up and grab something light to eat," Ruoxi said gently. "Then we'll head to the hospital to see Lixi." She immediately noticed the shift in Guo Min's mood.
A few minutes later, they came back downstairs.
Guo Min had her hair tied into a neat ponytail, dressed in a white summer dress patterned with soft, colorful prints. Sneakers on, bag in hand, simple, comfortable. Ruoxi, in contrast, wore a two-piece long skirt and tube top, her hair flowing down her back. A small handbag rested at her side, and though hidden beneath the skirt, she wore a pair of kitten heels.
Ruoxi looked at her and smirked. "You suddenly look youthful," Ruoxi teased. "Trying not to look like a married woman anymore?"
Guo Min shot her a glare. "And you look overdressed."
Ruoxi only smiled. "Hmm. I'll branch off to the office for a while later. I haven't checked in for days."
Guo Min hummed softly, the corner of her mouth lifting.
They stepped out together, the quiet of the Wang mansion trailing behind them.
The drive to the hospital was quieter this time. Not suffocating, but heavy in a different way. Both of them knew what they were about to walk into.
By the time they arrived, the familiar sterile scent greeted them.
The hallway outside the ICU was less crowded than before. Two bodyguards stood outside the VIP ward. They straightened at once, giving slight bows as they stepped aside to let the women in.
"Don't tell me she's been alone," Guo Min asked one of them.
"Young Madam, Young Master Yang left at dawn," he replied. "Young master Wu also came earlier this morning, but he left not long ago."
Guo Min nodded and pushed the door open.
Ruoxi exhaled quietly. "I didn't expect to come back to China and face something like this… I really didn't." Her gaze moved to Lixi lying on the hospital bed as she sank onto the couch.
Guo Min followed her eyes. "Some things are never planned."
After an hour of quiet chatter and soft whispers between them, Ruoxi finally rose to her feet.
"Office?" Guo Min asked, glancing up.
"Yeah. I'll be back by lunch," Ruoxi replied. She paused at the door. "Anything you want me to get for you?"
"…Pineapple juice. And pizza." Ruoxi raised a brow at the combination but nodded anyway before leaving the room.
Silence settled in once more.
Guo Min sat there, facing Lixi's still body, the steady rhythm of the machines filling the space. Minutes stretched into something heavier. Just as the quiet began to press down on her chest, the door opened again.
Elder Master Wu and his wife stepped in.
Wu Zhiyu and Qin Fen offered gentle smiles when they saw her sitting there.
"We heard what happened," Qin Fen said softly before Guo Min could speak. "It isn't your fault, dear. You can't control everything."
She stepped forward and pulled Guo Min into a warm embrace. "Give her time. She'll be fine soon."
Guo Min nodded slowly, accepting the comfort without words.
Meanwhile.
The gory sight of blood splattered across the floor made even the bodyguards avert their eyes. Their boss had not been calm since morning. The culprit had been captured the night before, and what followed had been nothing short of torture, for the man, and for anyone forced to witness it.
It turned out to be Shinomiya Ryuji. Even after being caught, he had still managed to pass along an order to go after Guo Min.
The men who carried it out were punished first... acid ensuring they would never forget their mistake. The traitor within Zihan's ranks who allowed Ryuji's command to slip through was executed on the spot. As for Ryuji himself, he was bound to a wheelchair and dragged to the water's edge… then slowly lowered into a shark-filled river.
A mirror of what he had almost done to Guo Min.
By the time he tried to beg, it was already too late.
Zihan wasn't listening.
Yet even after all of it, the fury inside him hadn't eased.
He stepped into the shower, letting the water wash the blood from his skin. When he emerged, he was composed again, dressed in a fresh suit, expression cold and unreadable.
He walked out of Paradise Celeste and into the garage without a word. The driver opened the car door.
"Zhu Empire," Zihan said. The car pulled away. On getting to the office he headed straight to the top floor and started to work. At first coffee was brought in, then files later.
Just as his secretary was about to leave the office floor, Zihan's voice cut through the air. "…How do you coax a woman?"
Secretary Lin stopped mid-step, slowly turning back as if he'd misheard. "Huh?"
"…You heard me."
Lin blinked. "Ah… flowers? Jewelry too… or dresses."
Zihan stared at him, expression flat. Bored.
"Are you sure? You sound very unsure."
Lin forced a laugh that died halfway.
Zihan leaned back in his chair. "If any of these makes her more angry than she already is, that's half your payment for this month."
Before Lin could even process the threat, Zihan shoved him out of the office and shut the door.
Secretary Lin stood in the hallway, jaw hanging open. "…Half my salary for love advice?". He contemplated quitting.
Meanwhile.
Ruoxi stepped into a western restaurant to pick up Guo Min's food. She ordered takeout and waited by the counter, scrolling through her phone. When the order was ready, she thanked the cashier and turned to leave...
Then paused.
Her brows knitted slightly.
At a corner table sat Wu Xiang.
Several unfinished beer bottles cluttered the table. His head rested on his arm, shoulders slumped, hair messy like he'd run his hands through it too many times.
"…Brother Xiang."
He stirred slowly. "Who are you… Ruoxi?"
A small smile appeared on his face when his vision cleared. "Ah… Ruoxi."
"You're drunk," she sighed.
He didn't deny it.
She set the takeaway bag aside and walked over, tugging lightly at his sleeve. "Come on. You can't stay here."
He tried to stand and almost stumbled.
Ruoxi caught him.
For a brief moment, his weight leaned into her, warm, solid, unsteady. His arm instinctively wrapped around her shoulders for balance. They froze like that for a second longer than necessary.
He smelled faintly of alcohol… and something clean beneath it.
"Careful," she muttered softly, though her voice had gentled.
He looked down at her, eyes unfocused but lingering. "…You are back?."
"Yes I am," she replied. "And the first thing I see is you drinking yourself to death in a public place."
He chuckled quietly. "Not death. Just… needed quiet." Something in his tone tugged at her.
She guided him outside and toward his car. The evening air was cooler. He leaned against the car door while she fished his phone from his pocket and called his chauffeur.
When she finished, she looked up... only to realize he was already looking at her.
Not the usual playful glance. Something softer. Tired. "…You shouldn't frown," he said suddenly. "Doesn't suit you."
She blinked. "You're drunk."
"Still, I'm ...right."
She huffed, but a faint smile slipped out anyway.
As she reached to open the car door for him, his hand moved first, gently catching her wrist. Not tight. Just enough to stop her.
"Ruoxi."
It was the first time he'd said her name that quietly.
She looked up.
"Thank… you."
For once, Wu Xiang sounded sincere.
Her expression softened. "…You're family. So of course."
He held her gaze a moment longer than usual. Then slowly let go.
When the chauffeur arrived, they eased him into the backseat. Before the door closed, he leaned slightly toward her.
"You'll visit Lixi again tomorrow, right?"
"…Of course."
"Thank... you." The door shut.
Ruoxi stood there for a second, watching the car pull away. Something unfamiliar lingered in her chest. She picked up Guo Min's food and headed back to her own car.