The knock echoed softly against the wood. For a breath, nothing stirred. Then came the slow shuffle of slippers, the cautious creak of the door.
An elderly woman appeared first, her silver hair pinned back in a tidy coil, her gaze sharp despite the late hour. Behind her, an older man leaned on his cane, his brow knitting as his eyes landed on Jinhai.
On Lily, asleep in his arms.
"Oh heavens." The grandmother's hand flew to her mouth, her voice trembling. "Lily…"
The grandfather's frown softened instantly, concern displacing suspicion. "Is she—?"
"Asleep," Jinhai said, adjusting her carefully against his chest. His voice came out hushed, reverent, like speaking too loud might fracture her peace. "She nodded off on the way. I didn't want to wake her."
The grandmother's gaze flicked from Lily's face to his arms around her. Something unreadable glinted there—curiosity, suspicion, almost amusement. For a fleeting, suffocating moment, Jinhai feared she saw everything. That she could glimpse the secret coiled in his chest like a venomous snake.
But instead, she gave a small hum. "Bring her in, boy. Don't let her catch cold."
Jinhai stepped inside, the air warm and heavy with the scent of old books and jasmine tea. The kind of home Lily had described to him as her only safe place. He followed the grandmother's quiet gesture toward the sofa, kneeling to lower Lily gently down. Her head lolled against the cushion, her lips parting in a soft sigh, but she didn't stir.
The grandmother pulled a blanket over her, smoothing her hair with a tenderness that made Jinhai's throat ache. She deserves this kind of love every day, he thought bitterly. Not cages dressed as duty. Not chains disguised as marriage.
The grandfather's cane tapped against the floor as he cleared his throat. "And you are…?"
Jinhai hesitated. His name, his blood, his brother's shadow—it all pressed at the back of his teeth, begging to be spoken. He wanted to confess, to pour it all out before he drowned in it.
But Lily shifted then, murmuring something soft in her sleep, and the sound unraveled his resolve. He couldn't. Not while she rested so peacefully. Not while one truth from him could shatter everything.
"My name's Jinhai," he said at last, forcing calm into his voice. "I'm… a friend."
The word lodged in his chest like splintered glass.
The grandmother's eyes lingered on him, sharp and knowing, her lips curving with the faintest trace of a smile. "A good friend, then," she said softly. But the way she said it—warm, teasing, almost indulgent—made his pulse falter. As though she suspected there was more.
The grandfather gave a small nod, though his gaze lingered on the way Lily's hand had curled against Jinhai's sleeve even in her sleep. "She's always had an eye for keeping good company," he said mildly.
Heat crawled up Jinhai's neck. He wanted to speak, to deny, to untangle himself from their gentle suspicion—but the words curdled on his tongue. Because wasn't that exactly what this looked like? Him, carrying her home in his arms, guarding her like she was precious.
He dipped his head, guilt pressing down until it was hard to breathe. "It was nothing," he murmured.
But it wasn't nothing. Carrying her, protecting her, savoring her trust while burying the truth—it was everything. Poison and salvation all at once.
He stepped back toward the door, stealing one last glance at Lily—sleeping soundly, wrapped in warmth, her grandparents' love, her innocence intact.
And as he left under their quietly watchful eyes, the guilt clung to him, heavier than ever, a shadow he could not shake.
----------------
THE NEXT MORNING
The warmth of a knitted blanket and the faint smell of jasmine tea greeted Lily when she woke. She blinked against the sunlight streaming through her grandparents' curtains, disoriented.
Her grandmother was seated across the room, sipping tea with the smallest smile on her lips. "Sleep well, Lily?"
Lily stretched, rubbing her eyes. "Mm… I did. But… wait—how did I even get here? Last I remember, I was in the car…"
Her grandmother's smile widened. "Because a young man carried you inside."
Lily froze. "...Carried me?"
Her grandfather appeared in the doorway, leaning on his cane. "Yes. Straight from the car to the sofa. You didn't stir once. Poor boy looked exhausted, but he wouldn't put you down."
Lily shot upright, the blanket slipping from her shoulders. "He WHAT?!"
Her grandmother chuckled at the sheer horror written across her face. "Don't look so scandalized, child. He was very careful with you—like you were made of porcelain."
"O.H. M.Y. G.O.D.!" Lily face palmed her forehead in horror, her face flaming, "you should have made him put me down. Im embarassed."
Her grandfather's brow arched, unimpressed. "That's besides the point dear." She giggled and continued, "Friends don't carry each other across thresholds like brides."
"It wasn't like that!" Lily's voice cracked as she scrambled to defend herself, though the heat climbing up her neck betrayed her. "He was just being polite. I-I must've fallen asleep in the car, and… and he didn't want to wake me, that's all."
Her grandmother leaned forward, her voice lilting with mischief. "You really expect us to believe that China's national crush, 'Jinhai Su' carried you into our home like the heroine of a drama—and you want us to think it meant nothing?"
Lily's blush deepened until it felt like her skin was on fire. "Grandma, I swear we're just friends!" she pleaded, shaking her head. "And don't—don't make it sound so absurd. It wasn't like that!"
Her grandmother exchanged a nonchalant glance with her grandfather, then looked back at Lily, eyes twinkling with suspicion. "Sweetheart, we swear we wont say anything if you tell us ."
Grandpa winked at Lily.
Lily shook her head violently, her ears scarlet. "No. He's just a friend. That's all. End of story."
But she was interrupted by the ring of the bell.
And then it dawned on her—like ice water poured down her back—the memory of tonight hit her. The dinner. Nine o'clock. The Shulong family.
Her fiancé's family.
The warmth that had been creeping into her chest curdled instantly into dread.
Her blush remained, but it was no longer soft—it burned with the crushing reminder of her reality. What was she even thinking? Entertaining thoughts about Jinhai—when she was hours away from sitting across the table from the man she was promised to?
Her fingers tightened on the blanket until her knuckles went white. "It doesn't matter," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to her grandparents. "None of it matters. I'll just get this over with once and for all."
Her grandfather pulled open the door to be greeted by the sight of the Liang family maid.
" Mr. Liang, Miss Lily Liang's presence is requested at the Liang family manor to prepare for dinner at the Shulong Manor."