"She can sell them, keep them—do whatever she wants. What matters is that they give her security and protection in a world that won't always be kind… when I'm gone."
At his words, Linlong's chest tightened. The doctor's words from yesterday echoed in his ears, leaving him helpless.
"Doctor, how long do I have to live?"
Han Yichen didn't look away as he asked, his fingers tightening around the edge of the desk. A faint tremor in his eyes betrayed the calm he maintained.
The doctor pressed his lips together, glancing down at the report before meeting Yichen's gaze again.
"If the tumor doesn't respond to treatment," he said evenly, "we're looking at around three months."
Linlong blinked once, forcing the sadness down as he returned to his usual composed self.
"Then… do you want me to inform Ms. Song?" he asked, a hint of hesitation in his tone.
"Not for now," Yichen replied.
"What about the Chen family?"
"No," Yichen snapped. "Why tell them?"
Linlong nodded once, unfazed. He knew Yichen's temper well.
"What about the things I asked you to handle?" Yichen asked, his gaze drifting beyond the glass window—to the quiet sky, to the trees swaying in the breeze, some branches still bent from last night's storm.
"Everything has been taken care of, just as you instructed," Linlong replied, his fingers tightening around the file before handing it to Yichen.
Yichen opened the file, eyes widening in brief surprise before settling back into a sharp, unreadable gaze.
…
Meanwhile, in H. City, inside Zheng Mengyao's apartment, tension hung heavy in the living room. The four girls sat in a quiet, uneasy circle. Xiuying's eyes were unreadable as they fixed on Mengyao, while Si Yu's gaze was sharp and cold, tracking her every movement, lips pressed tight.
Lina's eyes darted between them before settling on Mengyao, who stared out the window, her face tired. The silence pressed down on them, suffocating.
Unable to take it anymore, Lina finally spoke.
"Yaoyao, we're here because we need to know the truth."
Mengyao's gaze remained fixed on the window. Her grip tightened around her arm, as if pretending the others weren't there.
Lina stepped closer, placing her hands on Mengyao's shoulders and gently forcing her to look up.
"Manager Li said… you and Haoran just got drunk and slept in separate rooms. Nothing happened. She said the article is wrong," Lina said, words spilling out quickly, her eyes flickering with hope as she silently pleaded that Manager Li was telling the truth.
Mengyao's eyes widened for a brief moment, a pang of shame and guilt rising within her. It was a lie—she and Haoran had slept together. That night lingered in her mind, one she couldn't let go of.
But she forced herself back into her usual composed self. "Right. Nothing happened," she said evenly.
Lina's eyes faltered with relief—but Si Yu's voice cut through the fragile calm.
"Then why did you admit it when we asked you back at Meiqi's birthday?"
Mengyao lowered her head, gripping her arm tightly. Her voice trembled as she mumbled,
"B… because… I realized I love Brother Haoran."
The room froze. Shock and disbelief pressed down on them like a heavy weight.
"What?!" Si Yu's voice shook, as if she had misheard.
Mengyao lifted her head, meeting Si Yu's eyes. "I… I realized I loved Brother Haoran," she admitted, voice barely steady.
"I tried to stop it. I did… but Meiqi found out, and she broke up with him, thinking it was for the best," she confessed—half lie, half truth.
For a moment, everything went still. No one knew what to say. Lina's hands fell to her sides, and Xiuying's chest tightened, her eyes betraying a mix of shock, guilt, and the weight of responsibility she usually kept hidden. Even Si Yu's sharp gaze wavered for a moment, disbelief etched across her face.
In the end, love was the one thing that could break them all.
…
Later that day, the setting sun painted the clouds orange, casting a warm glow over the green grass as Meiqi rode her bike back to the Han Residence, unaware of the tension simmering among the other members.
When she entered the kitchen, she greeted Auntie Mei before placing the groceries she had picked up at the supermarket along the way.
"Auntie Mei, what are you preparing? Let me help," Meiqi said, noticing Auntie Mei beginning to chop the ingredients for dinner.
"Aiyoo… you don't have to. You're your master's niece—you should be doing other things," Auntie Mei replied.
"It's alright… I love cooking. Let me help," Meiqi said, knowing she'd just be bored otherwise, with nothing else to do.
Auntie Mei smiled, letting her. She had watched Meiqi earlier that morning and was impressed—not just by how good she was at cooking, but by how kind and pretty she was. Qualities like that were hard to come by these days.
An hour later…
Han Yichen stepped out of his painting room, his face tired, yet he still carried the air of a carefree middle-aged man.
He entered the dining room and paused, delighted by the array of dishes spread across the table. His eyes softened even more when he saw Meiqi waiting there for him, a quiet smile on her face.
Chopsticks clicked as they began to eat, the aroma of the food filling the room.
"Oh, right, Little Qi… do you have a boyfriend right now?" Yichen asked suddenly, his eyes flicking toward her with mild curiosity.