The retreat was in full swing.
Students buzzed through the studios set up across the resort grounds—pinning fabrics, draping mannequins, sketching like their lives depended on it. The mid-term design showcase would take place in two days, and it would determine scholarships, internships, and recommendations.
Su Nian worked late into the night, hunched over her sketchbook. Her theme: "Silence and Stars"—a collection inspired by the stillness of night and her childhood dreams of light in darkness.
She was so lost in thought she didn't notice the shadow fall over her desk.
"Burning the midnight oil again?" Ji Chen's voice came, light but laced with concern.
She looked up and smiled faintly. "It's hard to stop once I start.
He sat beside her, leaning on his elbow. "You're insanely talented, you know."
"I just work hard."
"Both." He hesitated, then said more quietly, "I meant what I said the other day."
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
He exhaled. "I like you, Su Nian. I know you're hiding something, and I'm not asking for the truth right now. But if you ever need someone who sees you—not your secrets—I'm here."
Her heart squeezed. "Ji Chen…"
Before she could say more, a new voice sliced into the silence.
"You're here late." Both turned.
Lu Cheng stood at the entrance, dressed in black slacks and a gray sweater, hair tousled, gaze locked coldly on Ji Chen.
"I'm talking to Su Nian," Ji Chen said calmly.
"And I'm talking to my wife."
Silence.
Su Nian paled. Ji Chen's eyes widened. "What… did you say?"
Lu Cheng stepped forward, deliberate and slow. "You heard me."
Ji Chen stood too, jaw tight. "You're married?"
Lu Cheng's hand found Su Nian's shoulder. "Yes. Secretly. And legally."
Su Nian's voice was a whisper. "Cheng—"
But Lu Cheng's hand tightened. "Stay out of her way."
Ji Chen's fists clenched. "Does she even have a say in this?"
"I've never forced her to do anything she didn't want." Lu Cheng's voice dropped lower. "Can you say the same?"
For a moment, it felt like the tension could snap like wire.
Ji Chen looked at Su Nian, pain in his eyes.
"Is this true? Are you… married to him?"
She swallowed hard, then nodded.
Ji Chen turned without another word and walked away.
Later that night.
Back in her villa, Su Nian sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the floor.
A knock came. She didn't look up. "Come in."
Lu Cheng entered, silent.
"I didn't want him to find out like that," she said softly.
"I know."
"I didn't want to hurt him."
"I didn't want to feel jealous," he replied.
She looked up then. He walked over, crouched in front of her, and took her hands in his.
"I said don't fall in love with me," he murmured. "But that night by the lake… I realized something."
She held her breath.
"I don't care if it started as a contract. I don't care if you never meant to stay. I just want you to look at me the way you looked at him when you laughed."
Tears brimmed in her eyes.
"I don't know how to feel," she whispered.
"I've never… I've never loved anyone before."
He kissed her then—not fiercely, not possessively. Gently. With the kind of emotion that made her heart tremble.
"You're doing just fine, Nian Nian," he murmured against her lips for the first time.
"You're already loving me, even if you don't know it yet."
Two days later.
Students displayed their collections across the main gallery. Teachers, critics, and visiting designers walked through each section.
Su Nian stood beside her three dresses—gossamer blue, moon-silver, and star-threaded midnight black. Each one spoke of longing, dreams, and quiet strength.
When it was her turn to speak, her voice was calm. "I created these to reflect the kind of beauty that exists even in silence. Even in darkness. When you don't have anything, you create light from your own soul."
There was a pause. Then a thunderous applause came.
Real. Warm. Admiring.
Even the head instructor gave a rare nod of approval.
From the far end of the gallery, Lu Cheng stood silently, watching and smiling.
That Evening, Su Nian returned to the private villa later, still glowing from the praise.
Lu Cheng greeted her with something unexpected.
"Pack your bag."
She blinked. "What?"
"We're leaving. Just for tonight."
"Where?"
"You'll see."
They drove in his private car to a secluded mountaintop cabin that overlooked the lake.
Inside was a cozy fire, rustic charm, and soft lighting. No staff. No noise. Just the two of them.
"Why bring me here?" she asked as she took in the view.
He stood behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist. "Because for the first time… I wanted to be selfish. I wanted one night where you're just mine. No school, no past, no secrets."
She turned in his arms, looked up at him.
"I am yours," she whispered.
That night, in that quiet cabin, under the soft glow of firelight, they gave into something unspoken for too long.
A touch. A kiss. A whispered name.
"Nian Nian," he breathed into her skin.
And she finally let herself fall.