Guo Min raised a brow slightly. "Don't involve me."
Wang Ruoxi groaned, throwing her head back dramatically. "When will you ever be a good elder sister? Can't you help me get out of this?"
Guo Min lifted her cup, sipping calmly. "Why would you want to? Marriage is a good thing."
That did it. Ruoxi sat up straight, eyes narrowing. "Yeah, I see that. That's why you're not living with your husband."
A pause.
Then Guo Min choked lightly on her drink, coughing once before setting the cup down.
"How dare you?" she said, eyes narrowing in mock offense. Then she leaned forward, grabbing Ruoxi's ear. "You spoiled brat. Are you trying to talk back to me now?"
"Hey, ouch!" Ruoxi winced, trying to pull away. "I'm not a little kid anymore!"
"Tsk." Guo Min finally released her.
Ruoxi rubbed her ear, glaring. "All of you are weapons fashioned against me." She grabbed her bag dramatically. "I'm off to bed."
Without waiting for a reply, she stormed off toward the stairs, leaving the three of them behind.
Silence settled in the living room again.
Guo Min let out a quiet sigh, picking up her cup once more.
"Mom," she said more gently now, "if Ruoxi doesn't like the guy, we should let her be for a while. I'm sure she'll find someone when the time is right."
She placed the cup down and stood, ready to head upstairs...
"MinMin, wait." Yun Ai's voice stopped her.
Guo Min paused, turning back. "Yes?"
Yun Ai looked at her carefully now, the earlier excitement replaced with something more observant.
"What about you and Zihan?" she asked. "Are you still fighting?"
The room grew quieter.
Even her father looked up this time.
Guo Min held their gaze for a second… then smiled faintly.
"Oh, no. Not really," she said lightly. "I guess I just need some space for a bit."
Yun Ai studied her daughter's face.
"…Space," she repeated slowly.
Guo Min nodded once. "Yes."
Another pause.
Then her mother sighed softly, leaning back against the sofa. "Marriage isn't something you run from every time it becomes difficult, MinMin."
Guo Min didn't respond immediately. Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides… just for a second. "I'm not running," she said finally, her voice calm. "I'm just… thinking."
Her father spoke up this time, his tone gentle. "Does he know that?"
Guo Min didn't respond and Yun Ai didn't press further.
Instead, she nodded slowly. "Just don't think too long," she said softly. "Sometimes, when you take too much time… the other person gets tired of waiting."
Guo Min's expression didn't change, but something in her eyes flickered. She gave a small nod. "I understand." Then she turned and walked upstairs.
The night passed with everyone else asleep except Zihan who was running every machine in his brain to finally come up with an idea that would bring his wife back home and Guo Min who was feeling a little guilty thinking she might be a harsh person, but just a few bloodied flashbacks and she was back to normal.
By the midnight Guo Min finally slept but pitiful Zihan all alone in his bedroom was tossing and turning till a few hours close to dawn.
Early Morning, Yufan's Penthouse.
The sky was still pale when Yang Yufan's car rolled quietly into the underground garage, the engine shut off, then he stepped out, moving to the passenger side.
Carefully, gently, he helped Wu Lixi into the wheelchair before pushing her toward the elevator.
The ride up was quiet. Not tense. Just… unfamiliar. "Welcome back home," Yufan said as the doors opened.
Lixi looked around slowly. "…Thank you," she replied softly.
He pushed her into the apartment, unlocking the door with a card. The space was clean, quiet and still.
" A nurse will be with you anytime I'm not at home," Yufan said as he closed the door behind them.
"…Okay. Thank you."
He nodded once. "I won't leave your side for long," he added. "But duty calls. I've been neglecting some things for a few days now."
Lixi looked up at him. "…Is work that busy?"
Yufan gave a faint nod as he began pushing her further inside.
"The presidential election is around the corner," he said. "Things get tighter for us around this time."
They reached the stairs, he stopped, looked at the steps then at her. Without another word... He bent down and lifted her into his arms effortlessly.
Lixi stiffened slightly at first, caught off guard. "…Yufan".
"The wheelchair can't go up," he said simply. But his hold on her was steady, he carried her upstairs slowly, making sure every step was firm, every movement controlled.
Lixi's fingers instinctively curled slightly into his shirt. She felt different, they felt different... almost new.
When they reached the bedroom, he gently placed her down on the bed, adjusting the pillows behind her back. "Rest," he said quietly.
Lixi watched him. "…Yufan."
He paused. "Yes?"
She hesitated. "…Thank you."
Yufan looked at her for a second longer than usual then nodded. "…Get some sleep." He turned to leave.
Serene Hotels (Head Office).
The large office was quiet. Sunlight filtered softly through the floor to ceiling windows, casting warm light across the sleek minimalistic space.
Guo Min sat behind her desk, head leaned back against the chair as she let out a long sigh.
She closed her eyes briefly, thinking she might finally get a few minutes of peace.
Knock.
The door opened almost immediately. "…Boss, we have a meeting with Li Airlines in thirty minutes."
Her eyes remained shut.
Of course, Xiao Mei walked in holding another stack of files, placing them neatly onto the desk with far too much enthusiasm for Guo Min's liking.
"…Mm," Guo Min responded weakly, sounding half alive.
She looked exhausted. Not just physically but mentally too.
Xiao Mei noticed immediately. "Tired, Boss?" she asked, lips twitching slightly like she was holding back a smile.
One eye slowly opened. "…Are you even supposed to be asking me that?"
Xiao Mei coughed lightly, immediately straightening up. "I'm just concerned."
Guo Min scoffed softly.
"Don't worry, President," Xiao Mei continued sweetly. "The rewards of your hard work will be great." She turned gracefully on her heels, then paused dramatically by the door. "Oh, and those files there…" she gestured toward the fresh pile on the desk.
Guo Min's brows twitched already.
"Investment deals," Xiao Mei explained innocently. "They need to be finalized before tomorrow morning."
Silence.
"I believe in you, Boss." The smile on her face grew brighter, then she opened the door. And walked out immediately.
A second later. A file flew across the office. "XIAO MEI!". Outside the office, Xiao Mei jumped slightly before bursting into quiet laughter as she hurried away.
Inside, Guo Min stared at the mountain of paperwork in complete disbelief. "Ahhhh…". She groaned dramatically, dropping her forehead lightly against the desk.
The files looked endless.
Contracts.
Investment proposals.
Meeting summaries.
Budget reports.
At this point, even the papers were beginning to look at her mockingly.
"…I should've stayed home," she muttered under her breath. Unfortunately for her, work did not care about emotional distress.
The moment the clock struck 2 PM, Guo Min finally pushed herself up from the chair with another exhausted sigh.
She slipped on her blazer, packed her tablet and documents into her bag, then reached for her phone.
Buzz.
A message appeared, from Zhu Zihan. "I've sent Li to deliver your lunch. I'm a little busy, so I can't come myself."
Guo Min stared at the message for a few seconds, then another one came in almost immediately. "Try not to overwork yourself." She paused, her brows lifted slightly before a smile slowly appeared.
She let out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head lightly. "…This man."
Knock... The office door opened before she could put her phone away. "Boss, lunch." Xiao Mei walked in carrying a neatly packed lunch box in both hands.
But the moment her eyes landed on Guo Min's face, noticing her smile, she raised a brow, her lips curved teasingly. "…Boss."
Guo Min looked up calmly. "What?!". Eyes glaring, as she could already figure out what was coming.
Xiao Mei sighed dramatically before retreating. "Fine, fine. Enjoy your romantic lunch."
The door shut and silence returned. Guo Min stared at the lunch box for a moment before finally opening it.
Inside were all her favorites neatly arranged... Fried rice, Kung Pao chicken, Sweet and sour shrimp, Stir-fried vegetables and beside it… a cup of strawberry-flavored boba tea.
She blinked... then laughed softly under her breath again. "…He really did his findings".