Hua's POV
The car ride after the wedding was… suffocating.
Silence hung between us like fog — thick, unbreakable.
I kept sneaking glances at Yichen from the corner of my eye. He was leaning back, head resting against the seat, his expression unreadable as always.
The only sound in the car was the low hum of the engine and the faint rustle of my ridiculously huge wedding dress swallowing the entire backseat. Even he was half-buried in tulle.
I tried not to stare. I failed miserably.
His profile was sharp against the dim light — that Roman nose, those faintly flushed cheeks (thank you, champagne), and those perfectly shaped lips that could probably ruin lives. But what got me the most was that tiny mole under his left eye.
How dare a man look this good after emotionally traumatizing me with a surprise wedding??
And then, just as I was about to mentally scold myself, he spoke.
Without even opening his eyes.
"Are you done staring at me? It's creepy."
My whole body froze. "Y-You weren't sleeping?!"
One of his eyes opened slowly, teasing. "Hard not to notice when someone's burning holes into my face."
My cheeks burst into flames. I whipped my head toward the window. "I wasn't staring."
"Sure." He closed his eyes again, clearly amused. "Aren't you tired? You worked hard for this wedding."
"I could ask you the same thing," I snapped. "You were busy hiding, plotting, lying!"
He sighed softly. "Exactly. That's why I'm trying to rest."
Ugh. I hated that his voice could sound both irritating and soothing at the same time.
I shut my eyes, trying to relax, but my brain refused to cooperate. Questions kept piling up until I couldn't take it anymore.
"How—"
"Okay," he cut me off, sounding resigned. "Let's make a deal."
"A… deal?"
"You can ask all the questions you want during this ride." His voice was calm, almost gentle. "But once we're on the flight, you let me sleep."
My thoughts screeched to a halt.
Wait.
Flight?!
"Flight?!" I turned to him, horrified. "Where are we going?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out his phone and tilted it toward me. Pictures flashed on the screen — a seaside villa, infinity pool, wooden deck, canopy bed, tropical flowers everywhere. It looked straight out of a luxury honeymoon ad.
My eyes widened as I read the caption.
"Hawaii?!" I yelped. "Why are we going to Hawaii?!"
"Honeymoon," he said flatly.
The way he said it — like an office memo — killed me inside. "Can you, I don't know, sound more human when you say that?"
He looked over briefly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Didn't you have questions about the wedding?"
Right. I'd almost forgotten.
"Okay, first question." I crossed my arms. "Did Zhou Yue know about all this?"
He nodded, completely calm. "I couldn't have done it without her help."
I blinked. Wait, what?
"She—what? But she likes you!" The words slipped out before I could stop them.
"No, she doesn't."
"How can you be so sure?!"
He gave me a confused look, like I'd just accused him of eating rocks. "Why would my cousin be in love with me? That's gross."
My jaw dropped. "C-Cousin?!"
I'm so dumb.
He nodded again, totally unfazed. "From my mother's side. Her family doesn't have much money, so I hired her as my assistant. She works hard — I wanted to help her out."
I just stared at him. All this time I'd been jealous of his cousin?!
I sank a little deeper into the seat, face burning. "Okay, but why did she act so weird with me then?"
"Was she?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"Yes! I mean… I think so…"
He smiled faintly. "Maybe you should ask her. I didn't tell anyone before hiring you, so she was probably just surprised."
That actually made sense. With a family as complicated as his, anyone new would seem suspicious. I sighed, feeling oddly lighter.
Then another question popped out. "And what about the tranfer? What happens to my job now? Do I have to work with Yiran?"
Yichen's voice went firm, businesslike. "My father granted me equal power to Yiran. So even if he tries to transfer you, I can take you back."
I frowned. "So you two are just going to play corporate frisbee with me until someone gives up?"
He chuckled. "Maybe you should just quit."
"Very funny." I pouted. "You think quitting is an option?"
His expression softened a little. "My father still refuses to name me his successor. My next move is to convince the shareholders that I'm capable of running the company — that I'm indispensable."
For once, I didn't interrupt. He was actually opening up.
He continued quietly, "After that, I can guarantee you a stable position. But until then, you'll have to trust me and be patient."
It was strange — the way he said it wasn't cold or manipulative. It almost sounded like… reassurance. Like I was part of his plan, not just a pawn in it.
Still, something didn't add up.
If he already got what he wanted — public marriage, his father's acknowledgment — why drag me to Hawaii?
"Um…" I began carefully.
"We're almost at the airport," he said, glancing at his phone. "You should hurry up."
"Don't rush me, you evil robot!" I muttered under my breath.
Then, louder: "Why the honeymoon? Is it really necessary?"
He inhaled deeply before answering. "You'll understand sooner than you think."
Cryptic. Annoying. Typical Yichen.
___
We pulled into the airport parking lot, and I realized too late that I'd used my last question for no actual answer.
Unfair. So unfair.
Yichen got out first, adjusting his jacket before opening my door like a gentleman. The driver handed him a single suitcase. One.
I blinked. "Where's mine?!"
He raised an eyebrow. "You didn't pack?"
"I didn't know about this trip!"
He smirked, walking off. "Then I guess you'll have to improvise."
I wanted to strangle him with my veil.
We were halfway across the parking lot when a car screeched to a halt right in front of us. Headlights flared, blinding me.
I instinctively grabbed Yichen's arm. "What the—"
He didn't even flinch. He just glanced at his watch. "Perfect timing."
"Perfect—are you serious? We're about to die!"
But he didn't move, didn't panic. He stood there like he'd expected it.
The driver's door opened. A figure stepped out, silhouette sharp against the light. My stomach twisted.
When he came closer, I saw his face.
Yiran.
Yichen's tone stayed eerily calm. "Brother, we're on our way to our honeymoon. You're going to make us late."
Yiran's gaze was fixed on me. Cold. Hurt. Intense.
"Don't worry," he said quietly. "Because you're not going."
The air crackled.
Yichen's hand found my shoulder, pulling me closer. I could feel the warmth of his arm around me, the steady beat of his heart. His scent — clean, dark, maddening — wrapped around me. My face turned red instantly.
"You can't stop us," he said evenly. "The law is on my side. She's my wife now."
The way he said it — "my wife" — made my heart skip a violent beat.
Yiran's fists tightened. I could see the storm in his eyes, but he didn't move.
Yichen guided me forward, and we walked past him, step by step. My pulse was racing so fast I could barely breathe.
Then Yiran's voice cut through the silence.
"What do you want, Yichen?"
We both stopped.
I turned slightly, catching the small, dangerous smile on Yichen's face.
Oh no. He planned this.
"I'll give you anything," Yiran said desperately, "just don't touch her."
My heart slammed in my chest. Why did that sound… sincere? Why was I blushing again?!
Yichen's voice was calm, measured. "Cancel the transfer. And in the future, stop making selfish decisions about Hua's career."
So that's what this was about.
The honeymoon wasn't about beaches or romance — it was bait. He'd used it to corner his brother.
To protect… me?
Yiran hesitated, then nodded. He stepped closer, extending his hand like a truce. But the second Yichen reached for it, Yiran grabbed me instead — pulling me away from him.
"You better keep your word," he warned. "And keep your distance from her."
Yichen only smiled, that unreadable, dangerous smile of his.
For a moment, I didn't know who scared me more — the man who'd kidnapped me into marriage…
or the one who still called me his first love.
And as Yiran's hand tightened around mine, a single thought echoed in my head:
Was Yichen really willing to give up everything — even our fake marriage — just to protect me?