Xiamen didn't sleep that night.
Hong Yi's words echoed through her mind—soft, restrained, far too honest.
By the time dawn finally slipped into the sky, she was exhausted, unsure whether it was clarity or chaos keeping her awake.
She dressed quietly, made breakfast for Haoyu, and smiled as he ran off to play.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Until she returned to her room.
The door was slightly open.
Not how she left it.
Her pulse jumped.
Someone was inside.
She pushed the door open slowly—and froze.
A man she didn't recognize stood near her drawer, flipping through her belongings as if he had every right in the world. When he noticed her, he straightened sharply and bowed his head.
"Miss Xiamen," he said with calm professionalism, "I'm with security. Routine check."
Routine check.
Her stomach tightened.
That wasn't routine at all.
And nothing about his stiff manner felt casual.
Before she could respond, he brushed past her and left without waiting for permission.
Xiamen stood there, heart pounding.
Someone had been searching her room.
Searching her life.
And there was only one reason anyone around Hong Yi would do that.
Haoyu.
She pressed a hand to her chest, steadying her breath.
I can't let them see him. I can't let anyone connect anything.
Not now.
Not with Hong Yi this close.
Not with her father circling like a vulture.
She cleaned up the room with trembling fingers, then stepped outside, determined to clear her head.
She didn't expect to run into Mr . Lin Hong Yi's old friend—waiting in the courtyard garden.
He was leaning casually against a stone railing, smiling politely when he saw her.
"Miss Xiamen," he greeted with too-smooth warmth. "Do you have a moment?"
Her heart tugged with warning.
Men like Lin didn't "just happen" to talk.
"Of course," she said calmly, masking everything.
He walked beside her, hands behind his back like someone taking a stroll—but his eyes never left her face.
"You've been staying here for a while now," he said lightly. "Hong Yi usually doesn't bring people close. Rare, really."
She said nothing.
Lin continued, "I saw a little boy earlier. Cute kid. Is he your son ?"
Her entire body went still.
But she forced a faint smile. Yes my son you forget ..
"Ah." Lin nodded slowly. Too knowingly. "How old is he?"
She saw it immediately—what he was trying to do.
Evaluate.
Calculate.
Connect timelines.
Do I look like some pitiful little fool?
No. I can't let him see I'm aware. But I can't be naive either.
So she tilted her head, pretending to think.
"five ," she said gently.
Lin raised his brows. Didn't expect you to have a child with another man
Xiamen smiled, but there was steel beneath it. "Life happens."
He hummed. "May I ask… who's the father?"
There it was.
The real question.
She felt a tiny flicker of anger in her chest.
"I'm sorry," she said with polite coldness. "I don't mean to be rude, Mr. Lin, but that's personal."
He hesitated—just a second—before lowering his voice.
"I'm not trying to pry. It's just… Hong Yi i don't want his enemy take advantage . I'm looking out for his interests."
Of course you are.
Her voice softened, but her eyes remained steady.
"I understand. Truly. But I don't want to be involved in my father's business… or Hong Yi's. I'm just here temporarily. When I sign what I need to sign, I'll leave."
Lin blinked, surprised by her clarity.
Then he sighed, embarrassed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I just—Hong Yi is important to me."
"I know," Xiamen said quietly. "And my son is important to me."
That shut him up.
Lin cleared his throat. "If you need anything… you can ask."
"Thank you, Mr. Lin."
When he finally walked away, she exhaled the breath she'd been holding.
They were starting to notice Haoyu.
And that meant danger—for him, for her, for everything she was trying to protect.
She looked up toward Hong Yi's study window, the sunlight reflecting off the glass.
She wasn't running anymore…
but she wasn't stepping blindly into a trap either.
Not again.
Not this time.