Su Nian didn't move.
She kept her posture calm, face neutral, as if she wasn't standing on the edge of a cliff.
Li Sheng's smile remained polite, but his eyes watched her with a hunger that wasn't physical. It was the hunger of someone who recognized a rare resource.
Yichen shifted slightly beside her—not protective in an obvious way, but positioned so that if Li Sheng moved, he would meet Duan steel first.
Su Wan, oblivious or pretending to be, chirped, "Sister, don't be rude. Mr. Li came all this way."
Su Nian's father nodded, eager. "Yes. The Li family is generous."
Yichen's voice cut through, cool as ice. "Generous people don't bring black qi to someone else's doorstep."
The courtyard went silent.
Su Wan's eyes widened. "Black… what?"
Her father stiffened, confused but alarmed by Yichen's tone.
Li Sheng's smile didn't falter. "Young Master Duan is known for being… direct."
Yichen's gaze stayed locked on him. "And you're known for being careful."
Li Sheng chuckled softly, as if amused by the accusation. "Careful is how we survive."
Su Nian felt it then—subtle, almost delicate—the black qi from Li Sheng stretching outward, probing. It slid along the air like a thin thread searching for purchase.
It touched her skin.
Her vision tightened.
The world sharpened too much, edges crisp, sounds distant.
She felt a cold pressure against her chest, as if a hand pressed over her heart.
Li Sheng spoke gently, "Miss Su, you have a gift. Gifts are often misunderstood by small families."
Su Wan frowned. "Small families?"
Li Sheng's smile widened slightly. "No offense."
Su Wan flushed, but she couldn't argue. The Li family sat above the Su family in every possible hierarchy.
Su Nian's throat tightened. The pressure on her chest grew.
Yichen noticed instantly. "Su Nian."
She blinked, grounding herself.
Li Sheng's eyes gleamed. "Ah. You feel it too."
Yichen stepped closer. "If you're doing something to her—"
Li Sheng raised a hand lightly. "Relax. I'm only greeting her."
"I don't shake hands," Su Nian said, voice steady.
Li Sheng smiled. "I didn't offer my hand."
That's when Su Nian realized it.
He wasn't using touch.
He was using proximity.
Black qi moved like intention.
And his intention was to mark her.
Su Nian exhaled slowly, forcing her inner senses open—not wide, not enough to expose herself fully, but enough to resist.
The black qi thread snapped back like it had been burned.
Li Sheng's smile flickered for the first time.
Interest sharpened into certainty.
"So you do know," he murmured.
Su Nian's voice was calm. "I know you're not here to help me."
Li Sheng's eyes warmed falsely. "Help is relative."
Yichen's tone turned colder. "Leave."
Li Sheng laughed softly. "Young Master Duan, you're recovering. Congratulations." His gaze slid to Su Nian again. "But you're still in a fragile position."
The implication was clear.
You can't protect her forever.
Su Nian's father finally found his voice again, nervous laughter bubbling up. "Now, now, everyone—let's not be dramatic. We're all friends here."
Yichen turned his gaze on the man. "You disowned her."
Her father's face tightened. "That was… a family matter."
"And now you want to borrow her," Yichen replied, voice flat. "To impress the Li family."
Su Wan's smile returned, eager. "Sister should be grateful."
Su Nian looked at her half-sister. "For what? For being traded?"
Su Wan's eyes narrowed. "Watch your tone."
Su Nian's voice stayed even. "Or what? You'll lock me in the pantry again?"
Su Wan's face flushed.
Li Sheng watched the exchange with visible enjoyment, like a man watching animals fight before choosing which to buy.
Then he spoke, voice smooth. "Miss Su. Come with me."
Su Nian didn't move. "No."
Li Sheng's smile thinned. "You misunderstand. This isn't a request from the Su family." His gaze shifted to Yichen. "It's a request from mine."
Yichen's posture tightened. "You don't get to request her."
Li Sheng's eyes gleamed. "Oh? But your family requested her first, didn't they?"
Su Nian's stomach sank.
He was right.
The Duan family had brought her in because they needed her.
The Li family now wanted her because they feared what she could do.
Li Sheng tilted his head slightly. "We can be civilized. A discussion. A contract. A partnership." His smile returned. "Or we can be… old-fashioned."
The black qi around him thickened subtly, darkening the air.
Su Nian felt it—pressure building, like a storm forming.
Yichen stepped in front of her fully now. "Try," he said quietly, "and I'll break your hand even if you don't offer it."
Dr. Fang—who had insisted on coming "for medical support" and was now standing behind the Duan bodyguards like a frightened sparrow—whispered, "This is why I wanted to be a dentist…"
No one laughed.
Li Sheng's smile widened again, almost delighted. "Interesting."
He turned his gaze back to Su Nian. "Miss Su, you have two choices."
Su Nian met his eyes. "I'm not a thing to choose."
Li Sheng's voice stayed gentle. "Everyone is a thing to someone."
Su Nian's chest tightened again—black qi pressing, probing—
And this time, something inside her answered.
A warmth.
A pulse.
Not fear.
Not weakness.
A force that rose like a tide.
Li Sheng's eyes widened slightly.
He felt it.
Su Nian's voice was quiet. "Stop."
Li Sheng's black qi thread snapped back violently, as if yanked.
The air shuddered.
Su Wan screamed suddenly, stumbling back—because the decorative lantern beside her exploded into black smoke.
Chaos erupted.
Bodyguards moved. Madam Duan's voice snapped orders. Su Nian's father shouted uselessly.
And Li Sheng—
Li Sheng laughed.
Not surprised.
Not angry.
Pleased.
"Beautiful," he murmured, eyes fixed on Su Nian like she'd just confirmed every suspicion he'd carried. "You're awake."
Su Nian's heartbeat thundered.
Yichen turned to her sharply. "What did you just do?"
Su Nian swallowed, shocked by herself. "I… I don't know."
Li Sheng bowed slightly, polite as ever, even as the smoke curled around them.
"Welcome," he said softly, "to the real world, Miss Su."
Then he stepped back, vanishing into the gate's shadow like he'd never been there.
But the black smoke didn't fade.
It crawled along the ground, curling toward Su Nian's feet like it wanted to cling.
Yichen grabbed her wrist, pulling her back—firm, protective, furious.
And Su Nian realized with cold certainty:
The Li family hadn't just found her.
They had confirmed her.
And now they would not stop.