Recap:
Qin Yue has begun to glimpse cracks in Li Feng's icy façade. His control over her daily life only grows, but so do the moments where his gaze lingers too long, his words slip into something softer, and his carefully constructed world feels like it might shatter. Yet with Meilin's shadow and the constant whispers in the company, Qin Yue finds herself caught between truth and illusion, safety and danger.
---
The night before still lingered in her bones. Qin Yue lay awake long after the city lights had dimmed, staring at the ceiling of her cramped apartment as Li Feng's words echoed in her mind.
"You're not allowed to disappear without my permission."
It was absurd. Arrogant. Borderline tyrannical. And yet, instead of anger, the memory of his voice—low, calm, threaded with something that felt almost… vulnerable—had rooted itself inside her.
By morning, she forced herself out of bed, shaking off the haze. This was her life now: contracts, conditions, and a man who didn't seem to understand what it meant to simply let go.
The streets were already buzzing with the chaos of commuters by the time she reached the company. Her heels clicked against the marble lobby floor, and she braced herself for another day of whispered gossip.
Sure enough, the moment she stepped into the elevator, two women glanced at her and smirked.
"She's lasted longer than I thought," one whispered.
"Probably because she does more than just take notes for him," the other murmured with a cruel laugh.
Qin Yue's spine stiffened. She kept her eyes forward, refusing to rise to the bait, but her heart pounded. She wasn't naïve—she knew what they implied.
When the doors slid open at the top floor, she stepped out quickly, refusing to let them see the flush on her cheeks.
Li Feng's office door was ajar, and the sound of his voice slipped into the hallway.
"…I said no. The board will not dictate my decision. If they have an issue, they can bring it to me directly."
Even angry, his voice was controlled, each word sharp as a blade. Qin Yue hesitated, unsure whether to enter, but before she could knock, his tone dropped lower.
"No. Don't mention her name again."
Her breath caught. Her name?
The pause was heavy, his silence laced with something dark. Then, almost abruptly, "This conversation is over."
She quickly stepped back as he hung up, not wanting him to catch her eavesdropping. But when his door swung open a moment later, she nearly collided with him.
Li Feng's eyes swept over her, unreadable. "You're early."
"I—yes. I wanted to get a head start."
"Good." He walked past her, the crisp scent of his cologne lingering in the air. "Follow me."
---
They ended up in the conference room, papers already laid out. Qin Yue scrambled to take notes as he dictated, his words coming fast, precise, his mind clearly two steps ahead of everyone else.
But she couldn't stop thinking about the phone call. Who was he talking about? Who was the woman he didn't want mentioned?
The hours stretched, her hand cramping from writing. When he finally dismissed the team, she lingered behind, gathering the documents.
"You're distracted."
His words made her freeze. She looked up to find him watching her, his gaze sharper than usual.
"I—no, I was just—"
"You heard something this morning."
Her stomach dropped. How does he always know?
She tried to cover. "I didn't mean to—"
"Don't." His tone softened, strangely. "Don't lie to me."
For a moment, the office fell silent, the air charged. His eyes were dark, unreadable, and Qin Yue felt like she was standing on the edge of something dangerous.
"I won't ask again," he said finally, leaning back in his chair. "Forget what you heard."
But forgetting wasn't possible. Not when his expression—usually so carefully controlled—had flickered with something raw, something that looked suspiciously like pain.
---
By lunchtime, the whispers had only grown louder. Qin Yue carried a tray to the corner of the cafeteria, but a group of women blocked her path.
"You think you're special, don't you?" one sneered. "Walking around like the CEO's shadow."
"I'm just doing my job," Qin Yue replied evenly.
"Sure. That's what they all say."
Heat rushed to her face, but before she could retort, a cold voice sliced through the air.
"Is there a problem here?"
The group stiffened, turning to see Li Feng standing in the doorway. His gaze swept over them like frost.
"No, sir," they muttered quickly before scattering.
Qin Yue's pulse hammered as he approached. He didn't say a word, simply plucked the tray from her hands and set it down on the table in the corner. Then, with an authority that brooked no argument, he gestured.
"Sit."
She obeyed, heart racing. He sat across from her, ignoring the stares around the room. For the first time since she'd started working here, Qin Yue realized just how much weight his presence carried.
The cafeteria, once buzzing with chatter, fell silent.
"You don't have to—" she began, but he cut her off.
"Don't waste your energy on people who don't matter."
She looked at him, startled. His expression hadn't changed, but his words… for a fleeting moment, they almost sounded protective.
Almost.
---
The afternoon dragged, and Qin Yue buried herself in tasks. But when the day ended, Li Feng didn't dismiss her. Instead, he said, "Follow me."
She trailed him to the private elevator, nerves knotting in her stomach. The doors closed, and the silence pressed in.
"Where are we going?" she asked carefully.
His gaze flicked to her. "To see the truth."
Her brows furrowed. "What truth?"
"You've been asking questions you shouldn't. It's time you understand what you've stepped into."
The elevator descended lower than she thought possible, stopping at a floor she'd never seen. When the doors opened, a cold draft brushed her skin.
The hallway was dim, lined with locked doors. Li Feng walked with purpose until he stopped before one and unlocked it.
Inside was a room filled with files, photographs, and documents stacked high. Qin Yue's breath caught as she stepped closer.
On the wall, pinned beneath glass, was a photograph of a woman. Elegant. Poised. Her eyes carried the same sharpness as Li Feng's.
"Who is she?" Qin Yue whispered.
His jaw tightened. "My mother."
She blinked, startled. "But… the way you said—"
"She's gone." His tone was flat, but his hands curled into fists at his sides. "And Meilin is the reason why."
Qin Yue froze. Pieces of the puzzle clicked together, the whispered name, the board's pressure, the unspoken tension.
She looked at him, but his face was unreadable, a mask of steel. Yet beneath it, she saw the faintest crack.
For the first time, Li Feng didn't look untouchable. He looked human. Wounded. Dangerous in a different way.
---
The car ride home was silent. Qin Yue stared out the window, her mind spinning.
She shouldn't care. He was her boss, her tormentor, her captor in a gilded cage of contracts and conditions.
And yet, seeing that flicker of vulnerability, hearing the name spoken like a curse—it had changed something.
When the car finally stopped at her building, she hesitated. "Li Feng…"
His name slipped out before she could stop it. He turned, his gaze locking onto hers.
"Why tell me?" she asked softly. "Why me?"
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, in a voice so low she almost didn't hear it, he replied, "Because you're the only one I can't control."
Her heart lurched, but before she could speak, he turned away.
"Go. Be ready tomorrow."
And just like that, the walls went back up.
Qin Yue stepped out, her chest tight, her thoughts a storm.
---
That night, she lay awake again, staring at the ceiling. His words echoed in her mind, replaying again and again.
The only one I can't control.
What did it mean? Why her? And most of all—could she trust anything he said, or was she just falling deeper into a trap she couldn't escape?
---
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Readers, do you think Qin Yue should trust the side of Li Feng she just saw, or is he still hiding a darker truth from her?