The next morning, Shen Zhi sat in his office, staring at a document he had been reading for fifteen minutes without absorbing a single line. His pen remained motionless above the page. His thoughts had drifted far from the cold walls of Shen Group headquarters.
They drifted to warm brown eyes. To messy ponytails. To plushies. To her shy smile when he said he would visit again. To the way his chest tightened when she looked at him with trust.
Shen Zhi had never been distracted in his life. Yet today, he could not focus.
He replayed the moment in her apartment: The soft light. Her flustered laughter. Her warmth filling such a small space. The way she looked at him, confused but hopeful.
He remembered the question she asked quietly.
"Why are you being so kind to me?"
He had answered honestly.
"I do not know yet."
But now, sitting alone with nothing but silence, the truth crept into his mind.
He knew.
He was beginning to care for her.
Deeply.
Irrationally.
Dangerously.
He removed his gloves slowly, turning them in his hands. He had touched her space. He had held her plushies. He had been near her without feeling the usual discomfort. She was the only person whose presence didn't suffocate him. Instead, she made him feel… safe.
The realization landed softly but powerfully.
He cared for her.
Before he could explore the thought further, his phone buzzed. Xu Chen's voice came through.
"Sir, there is a problem. Miss Gu… appears to be having a difficult morning."
Shen Zhi stood instantly. "Where is she?"
"At the gaming café she sometimes streams from. Lin Xu is with her."
A flicker of something sharp crossed his eyes.
"I will be there in ten minutes."
He didn't let himself question why.
He already knew.
.
.
.
At the café, Anqi sat hunched over a small table with her head resting on her arms. Her eyes looked puffy. Her usual sunshine energy had dimmed. Even the employees, who adored her, glanced at her with concern.
Lin Xu sat across from her, waving a straw dramatically in the air.
"I swear, if the Gu family scolded you again, I will walk into that mansion and release seventeen raccoons inside."
Anqi groaned. "Please don't. They would probably blame me."
"What happened, my pancake?"
She lifted her head slowly. "A troll came into my stream last night. They said I was stupid and embarrassing and only popular because people pitied me."
Lin Xu's eyes widened with rage. "Who? Who hurt you? Give me their username. I will hunt them. I will destroy their keyboard."
Anqi sniffed quietly. "Maybe they were right. Maybe I am just silly."
Lin Xu softened instantly. "You are silly, yes. But that is your charm. You are also kind. And smart in your own weird way. And brave."
Anqi sighed. "I do not feel brave today."
Lin Xu reached over, ruffling her hair gently. "Then today, I will be brave for both of us."
She smiled weakly.
Lin Xu hesitated before speaking again.
"I just… don't like seeing you sad. You mean a lot to me, Anqi."
She blinked. "You too, Lin Xu."
He smiled, but a faint hurt flickered behind it, one he didn't understand yet. Because Lin Xu didn't realize he loved her. He only knew he wanted her smiling again.
He pushed a drink toward her.
"Drink this. Sugar therapy."
She giggled softly.
And then the café door opened.
A tall figure walked in.
Silver hair.
Sharp eyes.
Black coat.
Presence like winter stepping into summer.
Shen Zhi.
Anqi sat up so fast she hit her knee on the table.
"Ow—"
He reached them in a few steps, lowering himself slightly to inspect her knee.
"You are hurt."
"It is just gravity being dramatic again," she whispered.
He exhaled slowly in relief.
Lin Xu stared at Shen Zhi with the expression of a cat hissing at a vacuum cleaner.
"You again."
Shen Zhi ignored him completely. His attention remained on Anqi.
"Xu Chen told me you were upset."
She blinked at him. "You came… because of that?"
"Yes."
Her heart wobbled.
Lin Xu squinted suspiciously. "Why are you here so fast? Do you have a tracking device on her?"
"No."
"Do you want one?"
"Lin Xu!" Anqi hissed.
Shen Zhi finally looked at Lin Xu. "I do not need a tracking device."
Lin Xu puffed up like a protective goose. "Well, I am here to comfort her. So you can go back to your cold kingdom."
"I am capable of comforting her," Shen Zhi said calmly.
"No, you are capable of scaring bankers. Comforting is my domain."
Shen Zhi stepped closer. "She is distressed."
Lin Xu stepped closer too. "She has me."
Shen Zhi's jaw flexed.
Anqi waved her hands frantically. "Please stop fighting! I cannot handle testosterone battles before lunch."
Shen Zhi looked at her, expression melting instantly. "You have not eaten?"
Lin Xu blinked. "Wow. He changes tone fast."
Shen Zhi sat beside her, closer than necessary. "Tell me what happened."
She hesitated. "Just… someone said I was stupid."
He frowned sharply. "They are wrong."
She looked down. "Sometimes I feel like I am."
"You are not," he said firmly. "You are warm. You are honest. You are brighter than you think."
Her eyes lifted slowly. She had never heard him speak like this. Lin Xu stared at Shen Zhi, understanding nothing, but recognizing the danger.
"Why do you sound like that?" she whispered.
"Like what?"
"Gentle."
He inhaled softly, startled by the word. Then he leaned closer.
"Maybe you bring that out of me."
Her breath caught.
Their faces were close now, close enough that she felt his breath warm against her cheek. Her heart pounded. His eyes softened with something deep, something unguarded.
They might have kissed.
They almost did.
But—
Lin Xu launched himself between them like a flying cat.
"STOP. NO KISSING IN FRONT OF ME. I AM TOO YOUNG FOR THIS."
Anqi flailed backwards. Shen Zhi's jaw tightened in irritation so sharp that the café air temperature dropped.
"Lin Xu," he said coldly, "move."
"No," Lin Xu said, spreading his arms protectively. "I will stand here until I understand what is happening. Do you like her? Do you hate her? Do you want to steal her? Because she is my best friend and I love her too!"
Anqi froze.
Shen Zhi froze.
Lin Xu froze.
Then Lin Xu blinked. "Wait. Did I say that out loud?"
"Yes," Anqi whispered.
"I do not mean romantic love. I think. I mean… I love her as a person. Or maybe more. Or maybe I don't know. Someone give me a manual."
He genuinely looked confused.
Shen Zhi looked at Lin Xu with the expression of a man trying very hard not to throw someone out a window.
Before the argument could continue, the café door opened again.
A tall woman in a sleek black suit stepped inside. Her eyes were sharp. Her posture perfect.
Shen Zhi stiffened.
It was his company's PR director Ren Xin.
She froze when she saw them together.
"President Shen," she said slowly. "What are you doing… here?"
Her gaze slid to Anqi. Recognition sparked.
"You are the girl from the banquet."
Anqi's stomach dropped.
The woman continued, voice tightening.
"There are already rumors online. And now this? President Shen, you understand how dangerous this is, correct?"
Shen Zhi's eyes darkened.
Anqi's heart raced.
The woman stepped forward.
"Miss Gu," she said carefully, "for the sake of the company, I need to request that you stay away from him until this situation can be handled."
Anqi froze.
Stay away? From him?
She felt something twist painfully inside her.
Shen Zhi stood slowly, towering, cold, and calm.
"No."
The room stilled.
The PR director blinked. "President Shen, this could cause a scandal."
"I understand."
"Then you agree she should keep her distance."
"No."
The PR director stared. "Sir. You cannot be serious."
Shen Zhi looked at Anqi.
Not cold.
Not controlled.
Not distant.
Soft.
"I am serious."
Lin Xu looked between them, eyes widening.
Anqi's breath trembled.
Ren Xin exhaled shakily. "Then we have a problem, President Shen."
Her eyes slid to Anqi again, colder this time.
"A problem that is about to get worse."
A new threat had begun.
And Anqi had no idea how much danger she was really in.