"You are always on your phone, tablet, or laptop. Don't you ever get tired?" Xiang complained, shooting him a sideways glance as Zhao Feng slipped further into his digital world.
Zhao Feng didn't even bother to look up. His fingers moved with quiet precision, eyes sharp behind his glasses. "When you stop dragging me to places like this, maybe," he replied flatly.
Xiang scoffed. "Tch."
When they arrived at Paradise Celeste, the car rolled to a smooth stop. Instead of heading toward the main building, Xiang led the way to a discreet elevator tucked behind a security panel. A fingerprint scan. An iris check. The doors slid open silently and descended deep underground.
The screams hit them before the doors fully parted, muffled, raw, and desperate.
"You guys are late," Yufan drawled. He was seated comfortably, one leg crossed over the other, an ice-cold drink resting in his hand as though this were nothing more than a casual meeting. His gaze flicked up lazily.
"Had things to settle at the office," Xiang replied evenly before adding, "Zihan's already at work, I see."
Yufan nodded toward the glass wall. "He's been here a while."
Behind the one-way glass, Zhu Zihan stood in silence. His posture was relaxed, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable. The man tied to the chair opposite him was anything but relaxed... bloodied, shaking, eyes wide with terror.
Zihan tilted his head slightly, observing.
"That's what scares them," Yufan added casually. "He doesn't raise his voice."
As if sensing their presence, Zihan's eyes lifted, locking briefly with Xiang's reflection in the glass. A subtle acknowledgment.
Inside the room, the heavy dark curtains slid shut, sealing Zihan and the captive man away from the rest of the underground level. The screams dulled, swallowed by thick walls and secrecy. Zihan stood slightly aside, watching without interference as his bodyguards did what they were trained to do, hands moving with brutal efficiency, blood splattering the floor, the air thick with pain and iron.
He didn't flinch. Didn't blink. Only when the man's cries broke into incoherent sobs did Zihan finally speak.
"Enough." His voice was calm, almost bored.
"Let him go. Lock him up."
The bodyguards froze instantly, then obeyed without question. The man collapsed in the chair, half-conscious, barely alive.
Zihan stepped out as the curtains parted. He stripped off his bloodstained shirt without a word and tossed it aside. A clean one was already waiting, pressed into his hands the moment he finished washing the blood from his fingers. He dried them slowly, methodically, then changed and joined the others as though nothing had happened.
He sat.
"…So," Yufan finally broke it, leaning back slightly, eyes sharp. "What did he say? Why was he after Guo Min?"
Zihan picked up a glass, swirling the liquid once before answering. "A meaningless family grudge. Old history between his father and mine. He wanted to revive it, turn it generational."
"Anyway," he continued coldly, "I'll have him dead before any of that nonsense takes root. Once the mafia head is gone, the puppets will sleep."
"…Well, that settles it then." Yufan rose to his feet, adjusting his jacket. "I'm heading home. I need to get ready for Guo Ji's wedding."
Zihan merely nodded.
Xiang stretched and suddenly turned toward Zhao Feng, eyes gleaming with mischief. "You're coming too."
Zhao Feng looked up slowly. "…Coming where?"
"Home. Wu Mansion. You need to experience life beyond screens for once."
Zhao Feng frowned. "No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are," Xiang cut in smoothly, already grabbing his arm. "You will. You must."
Before Zhao Feng could protest further, Xiang was already dragging him toward the exit, keys in hand, laughter echoing faintly as he shoved him into the passenger seat and roared the engine to life.
Zhao Feng sighed, rubbing his temples.
Xiang grinned.
One by one, the others left Paradise Celeste, the underground facility sinking back into silence cleaned, locked, and buried beneath layers of secrecy.
Above ground, the city lights glittered on, unaware that another threat had just been quietly erased.
Guo Mansion.
The car rolled to a smooth stop beneath the glowing chandeliers of the Guo residence. As Zihan cut the engine, he glanced sideways at Guo Min. She sat quietly, gaze lowered, fingers loosely intertwined in her lap, unusually withdrawn.
His brows creased. "Is something wrong?" he asked softly.
She shook her head after a brief pause. "No. It's nothing, I'm just feeling easily drained these days."
Understanding flickered across his face. He reached out instinctively, fingers brushing through her hair with a gentleness that didn't match his reputation. He pressed a light kiss to her temple. "Alright. Stay close to me."
Her lips curved into a small smile.
They stepped out of the car together and walked into the grand hall, where laughter, music, and soft golden lights filled the air. The wedding celebration was already in full swing.
Ruoxi spotted Guo Min instantly. "Min'er!"
Before Guo Min could react, Ruoxi was already bouncing toward her, arms wrapping tightly around her in an enthusiastic hug.
Guo Min laughed softly. "You're still the same."
Ruoxi pulled back, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Guo Min, look, look!" She grabbed her wrist and pointed dramatically across the hall at a man with tousled chestnut-colored hair and glasses. "Isn't he cute?"
Guo Min barely had time to process before Ruoxi dragged her forward, Zihan watching the scene unfold with a faint, amused exhale.
They stopped in front of the visibly startled man.
"His name is Zhao Feng," Ruoxi announced brightly.
Zhao Feng flinched almost imperceptibly, Ruoxi had been relentlessly disrupting his peace ever since they were introduced.
"And this," Ruoxi continued, pushing Guo Min gently forward, "is Guo Min."
Guo Min offered a polite, composed smile.
Zhao Feng adjusted his glasses, nodding slightly. "Nice to meet you."
Ruoxi beamed, clearly pleased with herself, while Zihan observed from a short distance away, eyes calm, sharp, and quietly assessing, already noting every subtle interaction around the woman at the center of his attention.
Ruoxi, Lixi, and Guo Min sat together, forming a small circle around the only man in their midst, an unmistakably awkward presence. Zhao Feng sat stiffly, shoulders slightly hunched, as if he wished he could blend into the couch. Parties were clearly not his element, and being surrounded by three women only made it worse.
Ruoxi tilted her head, openly studying him. "So… Zhao Feng," she began, her tone casual but curious, "what do you do for a living? You look loaded, but I've never seen you around, especially not among the elite families."
Zhao Feng blinked, clearly unprepared for the directness. For a moment, he simply stared at them, as though weighing how much he should say. Finally, he spoke, voice low and reserved. "…I deal with computing. Cybersecurity work. Mostly for… big shots."
Ruoxi's eyes lit up instantly, sparkling with interest. "Wow. So you can code? Hack too?" she asked, leaning forward slightly.
"…Hmm." He gave a small nod, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.
Ruoxi slowly turned her head toward Guo Min, her lips curling into a grin. "He's my type, MinMin. Totally my type."
Guo Min glanced at her, unimpressed. "Why are you telling me this?" she replied calmly. "He's sitting right in front of you."
Ruoxi froze.
"…Ohhh." Realization hit her all at once. She immediately stood up and moved to sit right beside Zhao Feng, closing the distance between them. The sudden shift made him flinch, his back stiffening as his ears turned a noticeable shade of red.
Ruoxi leaned closer, resting her chin on her palm as she looked at him with blatant curiosity. "So," she said softly, eyes locked on his face, "what do you think of me?"
Zhao Feng swallowed, fingers tightening slightly on his glass as he struggled to find an answer, any answer, while three pairs of eyes waited.