The Huo mansion echoed with the angry clack of designer heels as Shenzhi's sister, Huo Lanying, stormed through the front doors.
"Huo Shenzhi!" she shouted, voice sharp and trembling with rage.
Jiaxuan had just stepped out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel, when her heart skipped. Yichen, who had been sketching on the floor with crayons, looked up in confusion.
Footsteps echoed from the staircase above. A few moments later, Shenzhi appeared, dressed in a sleek black silk robe, his hair damp from a recent shower. He looked every bit the cold, composed CEO—but his eyes sharpened at the sight of his sister's furious expression.
"Lanying?"
"Don't Lanying me!" she snapped, voice cracking. "How can you still let her stay in this house? After everything she's done to you? To Yichen?!"
"Lanying—"
"She cheated on you! You cried for her! Do you remember that? You begged her to stay! And all she gave you was tantrums and threats of divorce!"
Jiaxuan stepped forward cautiously. "Please… I know what I did—"
"Shut up!" Lanying turned to her, her voice like a whip. "You don't get to speak here. Not after you ignored my nephew for years—he was terrified of you! You were never his mother!"
Shenzhi's jaw clenched. "Lanying, not here. Not like this."
"No, exactly like this!" she snapped, her eyes glistening with tears. "She humiliated you, Shenzhi! She told you she wanted a divorce over and over again! She cheated on you with that bastard Chen Yuze, and you still let her walk around this house like she belongs?!"
"Stop," Jiaxuan said softly.
"You don't get to talk," Lanying snapped. "You don't get to talk! Not when you neglected Yichen so much that he wouldn't even let you hug him without flinching!"
The sudden rise in her voice made Yichen burst into tears, his small body trembling as he clutched his coloring book. Jiaxuan immediately rushed to him, wrapping her arms around him protectively, whispering gentle comforts. Her own eyes shimmered with pain.
Shenzhi's jaw clenched.
"Enough, Lanying," he said tightly. "Come with me. Now."
Without waiting for her reply, he turned and walked toward his study.
Lanying hesitated, then followed him, slamming the door behind her.
---
Inside the study, the room was dimly lit by sunlight through the tall windows. The air felt heavier.
Shenzhi stood by the desk, his back to her, fists clenched by his sides.
Lanying's voice trembled now, lower, laced with something more raw than rage.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" she asked softly. "Why are you hurting yourself all over again?"
Shenzhi remained silent.
"I was there, gege," she said, stepping closer. "I was there when you cried yourself to sleep. When you held onto me like a dying man in the dark, asking me what you did wrong… wondering why you weren't enough."
"I was there, Shenzhi. I was there, every night you came home drunk because she ignored you, every morning you smiled through the pain while she flirted with another man."
Still, he didn't move.
"I heard you crying in your room like a damn child! You—Huo Shenzhi, my big brother—the man who built a corporate empire from the ground up, curled in bed like a broken boy whispering, 'What did I do wrong?'"
She took a shaky breath.
"I was the one who cleaned up your mess when you collapsed at your desk. I was the one who watched Yichen crawl into my lap asking why his mother never kissed him goodnight!"
Her voice cracked.
"You hated how she looked at you. Like you were invisible. You told me how you tried to be perfect—how you planned your whole life around loving her, making a family with her. But she wanted someone else. She never looked back at you, not once."
Still, Shenzhi didn't turn.
Tears streamed down Lanying's cheeks.
"Do you remember when Yichen asked why Mama never hugged him? Why she never kissed him goodnight? I— I held him while he cried. I told him it wasn't his fault. But how long can we lie for her?"
She finally broke.
Her legs gave out and she sank onto the couch, sobbing into her palms.
"You gave her everything. And she chose another man."
A long silence.
Then, Shenzhi finally turned.
His face was unreadable—pale, stern, eyes tired—but not empty.
He walked to the desk and opened a drawer, pulling out a small video device. He placed it gently on the table and hit play.
Lanying looked up through blurred vision.
It was Jiaxuan, slipping a file into a folder. Then a soft camera shift. Chen Yuze receiving the folder, clueless. The sound was muted, but Lanying could see her calm face. Cold. Calculated.
"She gave him a decoy," Shenzhi said softly. "She knew someone was following her. She knew someone would tell me. She was proving herself."
Lanying blinked rapidly.
"She knew this file would decide the direction of the company's new project. She could've betrayed me. But she didn't."
He let the words settle between them before walking around the desk and lowering himself to her level. "I won't ask you to forgive her. But she's trying now. And that's more than she's ever done before."
Lanying stared at him, broken and confused. "Do you… still love her?"
His silence was answer enough.
She wiped her eyes, slowly nodding, heart reluctant but mind understanding.
"I just don't want to watch you get destroyed again."
"I know," he whispered, placing a hand over hers. "But this time… I think we're all trying to rebuild."
Outside the study door, Jiaxuan stood quietly, holding a sleepy Yichen. Her ear wasn't pressed against the door—but her heart heard everything.
The heavy door to the study creaked open.
Jiaxuan stood up quickly from the hallway chair where she had been sitting with Yichen asleep in her arms. Her eyes met Lanying's—sharp, glistening, unreadable.
Shenzhi stepped out behind his sister, pausing briefly. "Jiaxuan…"
But Lanying raised a hand, not turning toward her brother. "Let me speak to her."
He nodded, giving Jiaxuan a long look before heading down the hall.
For a moment, there was only silence between the two women.
Lanying took a slow step forward. She glanced down at Yichen in Jiaxuan's arms, then back up again.
"I was wrong," she said suddenly, flatly, as though the words burned her throat. "Not about what you did… but about what you're doing now."
Jiaxuan didn't respond. She adjusted Yichen gently in her arms, her heart pounding, waiting for the real blow.
"You changed. I see that now," Lanying went on. "But that doesn't erase the nights my brother couldn't breathe from crying. It doesn't fix the mornings he looked me in the eye and asked if he was simply unlovable."
Jiaxuan's eyes welled up with tears. "I know. And I won't ask you to forget it."
Lanying stepped closer, her tone rising like a quiet tide. "He was everything to you. And you threw him away. You don't know what it took to build him back."
"I know," Jiaxuan said softly. "I saw it too… I saw what I did. And I hate myself for it."
Lanying blinked, caught off guard.
"I was selfish. I was blind. I hurt him because I didn't even know who I was anymore." Jiaxuan swallowed the lump in her throat. "But I'm not here to excuse myself. I'm here to stay—not because he forgave me, but because I want to be someone worthy of his forgiveness. Of Yichen's love. Of this family."
She looked down at the child in her arms, then back up, voice trembling.
"I know you loved him when I didn't. Thank you for that. Thank you… for protecting him when I couldn't."
For a long second, Lanying didn't move.
Her face twisted, unreadable—pain, fury, grief—all colliding in her features. Then, something cracked beneath the surface.
She let out a shaky breath. "Do you love him now?"
Jiaxuan's eyes didn't flinch. "Yes. So much it terrifies me."
Lanying looked away, swallowing hard. She folded her arms, then reached out, hesitating—before brushing a hand through Yichen's soft hair.
"He still flinches sometimes," she said quietly. "You'll have to earn him back too."
"I know," Jiaxuan whispered. "And I will. No matter how long it takes."
Another pause.
Lanying turned, but not before her voice dropped again—soft, wounded, but less biting this time.
"If you break him again… I won't just hate you. I'll become your worst nightmare."
Jiaxuan managed a tearful smile. "That's fair."
As Lanying walked away down the corridor, Jiaxuan stood still, her arms tightening around her son, the weight of everything settling in her chest—but this time, it wasn't shame.
It was hope, bruised and tentative, but finally real.
The house had fallen into a rare kind of peace.
After bathing Yichen and drying his soft curls with a towel, Jiaxuan had watched him drift off to sleep in her arms, his tiny fingers still clutching the collar of her robe. His face, so innocent and calm, reminded her of what she was fighting for. Slowly, she pulled the blanket over him, placing a light kiss on his forehead.
"Goodnight, baby," she whispered, brushing a hand over his hair. "Mama's here now. For real."
With the faintest of sighs, she rose, tiptoeing toward the hallway. She didn't bother changing out of her cotton pajamas. Instead, she padded barefoot into the kitchen, where she brewed a simple cup of black coffee—just how he liked it.
It wasn't grand. It wasn't romantic. It was just something small—something real.
She carried it upstairs and paused at the bedroom door.
Shenzhi's voice could be heard through the crack—low, serious, immersed in a conversation with his assistant. "Yes. The Meng deal will require a contract revision. I don't trust Chen Yuze's legal team. Get me everything by morning."
His back was to her as he stood near the open window, the moonlight casting a sharp line down the black fabric of his button-up shirt. She quietly walked in, placing the cup of coffee gently on the nightstand beside his side of the bed.
Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Jiaxuan climbed onto the bed—not lying down, just sitting cross-legged and watching him.
With a soft, bright smile.
When he ended the call and turned to face her, he froze slightly, thrown off by the look in her eyes. It wasn't teasing. It wasn't desperate.
It was warm.
"...What are you doing?" His voice was even, though touched with confusion.
"Looking at you," she said honestly, her head tilting slightly as her smile deepened. "And waiting for you to come lie down."
He stared at her for a long second, eyes narrowing slightly. "You don't have to pretend, Jiaxuan. I won't be fooled so easily."
Her smile didn't falter. "I'm not pretending."
He walked slowly toward the bed, glanced at the untouched coffee. "You made this?"
She nodded. "Yes. I know you haven't had anything since lunch."
He picked up the cup and took a sip, his eyes briefly flickering with an emotion too quick to read. "Why are you doing all this? If you're tired, you can stop pretending"
Her smile softened into something more vulnerable. "Because… I want to. Because I miss us. Because I want you to remember how it felt to come home and feel wanted."
He blinked, stunned for a beat.
"And," she added quietly, "because tonight… I just wanted to watch you and be near you. Even if you don't hold me. Even if you still push me away."
Shenzhi's throat tightened. Her words didn't feel like manipulation—they felt like quiet truth. A far cry from the woman who once threw tantrums and disappeared for days.
Still… he was cautious.
"You really think all of this," he said, gesturing subtly to the coffee, the softness in her voice, the gentle glow in her eyes, "can make up for what happened?"
"No," she whispered. "But I'm still going to try every day anyway."
Silence stretched between them for a moment.
Then, surprising himself more than her, Shenzhi sat on the edge of the bed. He didn't lie down. He didn't lean into her. But he placed the coffee back down and… stayed.
That was more than he had given her in months.
And Jiaxuan, sensing that small victory, said nothing else. She just reached out, pulled the blanket over both their legs, and sat beside him quietly—like old times. Like hope trying to grow in the cracks of something broken.
And for the first time in a long time…
They simply sat together...,...
The morning sun filtered softly through the half-drawn curtains, painting the room in golden light. The smell of fresh coffee lingered faintly in the air, mingling with the subtle scent of Shenzhi's cologne.
Jiaxuan stirred in the bed, still tucked beneath the thick duvet, her arms wrapped loosely around the warm space he had just vacated. A sleepy smile curled her lips. She hadn't even noticed when he got up—perhaps because last night, for the first time in a long while, she had drifted off with the weight of his presence nearby.
The door burst open without warning.
"I thought you'd be up by now, Shenzhi—" Rouluan's honeyed voice broke the peace like shattered porcelain. "Oh…"
There she stood.
Perfectly curated from head to toe—long legs displayed in a tight skirt, a low-cut silk blouse hugging her frame, red lipstick freshly applied. Rouluan looked like she had walked off the cover of a high-end fashion magazine, seductive and calculated.
But her smirk faltered slightly when she saw Jiaxuan.
Still in bed.
Still warm in Shenzhi's sheets.
Still here.
Shenzhi, standing by the full-length mirror while adjusting his cuffs, barely spared her a glance. "You should knock next time, Rouluan. This isn't your room."
Her eyes didn't leave Jiaxuan. "Oh… I thought you'd be alone," she said sweetly. "I brought something for you before you head to the office."
"I'm already running late," he said, voice clipped. "Excuse me."
And with that, he grabbed his briefcase and walked out, leaving the room cloaked in thick silence.
The moment the door clicked shut, Rouluan's carefully constructed sweetness cracked.
She turned slowly, arms folded across her chest, dark eyes settling on Jiaxuan with mocking amusement. "Well, well. You're still here."
Jiaxuan yawned lazily and sat up, brushing her hair from her face as if Rouluan were no more than a nuisance fly. "Mm. You're here early."
Rouluan's smile tightened. "You didn't answer my question."
Jiaxuan blinked, feigning innocence. "I didn't hear one."
"You know what I mean," Rouluan said, stepping closer, her heels clicking against the floor. "Did you sleep with him?"
There it was—sharp and cold, the question edged with insecurity she was trying so hard to hide.
Jiaxuan tilted her head and stretched with an exaggerated sigh, letting the sheet slide down just enough to reveal the bare curve of her shoulder. "Why?" she purred softly. "Would it kill you if I said yes?"
Rouluan stiffened.
Jiaxuan gave a coy, slow smile. "Let's just say… I slept well."
She didn't need to say anything else.
The insinuation was enough. The picture painted in Rouluan's head was more powerful than any truth.
Rouluan's fingers curled into fists by her sides. Her tone dropped to a bitter whisper. "Don't play games you can't win, Jiaxuan. You think a few sweet words and a night in his bed will erase everything you've done?"
Jiaxuan leaned back against the headboard, eyes never leaving hers. "I don't need to erase anything. I'm building something new."
Rouluan glared at her, face contorted with the bitterness of a woman losing ground.
Jiaxuan smiled wider. "And if you'll excuse me… you're standing in my room."
It was Rouluan's turn to blink in disbelief—then spin on her heel and storm out, heels echoing like the sound of a defeated retreat.
Jiaxuan's smile faded slowly as the door shut. She drew the blanket back over herself and sank into the pillows, eyes drifting toward the window.
She knew the war wasn't over.
But she had just won this round.
Rouluan's heels stabbed against the marble floor as she stormed out of the Huo mansion, every step fueled by humiliation and barely restrained fury. Her perfectly styled curls bounced with each movement, but beneath the glamorous facade, her thoughts were venomous.
She fumbled with her phone the moment she reached her car, slamming the door shut before locking herself inside.
Her reflection in the rearview mirror only enraged her further. That smile on Jiaxuan's face. That smug expression. The way she laid in bed like a queen reclaiming her throne.
Rouluan clenched her jaw, her painted nails tapping rapidly on the screen.
> Rouluan: We need to meet. Urgently.
She stared at the message for barely a second before hitting send, directing it to a number saved under a cryptic name—"X".
No name. No details. Just a history of well-coordinated darkness.
Her phone buzzed almost immediately.
> X: Where?
Rouluan typed back furiously.
> Rouluan: Same rooftop bar. 30 minutes. No delays.
She didn't wait for a response before tossing her phone aside and breathing hard.
Her hands were shaking.
She had done everything—helped raise Yichen when Jiaxuan disappeared, kept the house calm during her absence, stayed close to the family, gained their trust… she had been right there. For him. For them.
And now? That woman had the audacity to lie in his bed and taunt her?
A twisted smile crept up her lips.
No. She wasn't going to let this go.
Her phone buzzed again.
> X: Understood. I'll bring the draft.
She grinned. That was all she needed to hear.
If Huo Jiaxuan wanted to pretend she was innocent, if she wanted to play the devoted wife and saintly mother, fine. Let her.
Rouluan would turn her into a scandal so ugly, not even Yichen would call her "Mama" again.