The car ride was silent at first.
Li Zhenkai's hands were steady on the steering wheel, his posture composed as ever, but Jiang Yue noticed the faintest tremor in his right hand when the headlights cut across his features. His jaw was tight, too tight, as though he we holding back words he didn't want her to hear.
Jiang Yue hugged her phone to her chest, still rattled from the elevator incident. Her pulse hadn't slowed even after he dragged her from the brink. "You don't have to take me anywhere. I can go home myself"
"No." His tone was sharper than usual, but when his eyes flicked to her, there was something else there: raw, unguarded fear. He quickly looked away. "You're coming with me. I don't trust the safety systems in your building anymore."
Jiang Yue blinked, startled. It wasn't a command so much as an admission, an admission that tonight had shaken him more than he let on.
So she stayed quiet, watching him drive. The city lights streamed across the windshield, painting fleeting shadows across his face. He didn't let go of the wheel even when the car came to a smooth stop in front of his company's towering headquarters. His hand lingered there, gripping leather, before he exhaled slowly and finally released it.
"Come."he said and she silently followed him inside but his word was softer now,
It was past midnight, but the Li Corporation tower buzzed with a different kind of energy. Security guards snapped to attention. Staff moved briskly, summoned at this ungodly hour by urgent calls.
Jiang Yue trailed behind Li Zhenkai as he strode through the lobby, his long coat brushing the floor like a general entering his battlefield. For the first time, she wasn't the star of the scene, he was. She could feel the authority radiating from him, the unspoken pressure that made people move faster, breathe quieter, look sharper.
They entered the top-floor boardroom. Waiting there were three men, his closest friends.
Qin Yuze was sprawled lazily on a chair, legs crossed, laptop open and glowing. Despite the casual pose, his fingers flew across the keyboard with unnerving speed.
Beside him, Xu jainyu adjusted his glasses, cool and sharp, eyes flicking to the documents spread across the polished table. Every movement screamed precision.
The third, fang Zixuan leaned against the window, phone pressed to his ear. His deep voice carried the weight of negotiation, barking orders to someone on the other end, jaing yue has never seen both of them so serious before
And then there was Li Zhenkai at the head of the room, calm, collected, unreadable, as usual But Jiang Yue noticed the way his gaze darted to her once before he spoke, as if to reassure himself she was still there.
Xu jianyu broke the silence first. "We found the mole." He slid a file across the table, pages crisp and damning. "Zhou Meili planted someone in our PR department. He's been feeding her information, twisting narratives, and preparing to leak falsified financial documents."
Qin Yuze snorted without looking up. "Amateur work. His firewalls are weaker than my coffee machine's password. I'm already inside his files."
Fang Zixuan ended his call and turned smoothly. "I've set up the counter trap. If he sends out those documents, the trail will lead back to him and Meili. We'll have leverage to bury her."
Jiang Yue blinked, overwhelmed. She'd seen Li Zhenkai's brilliance in quiet moments, but this, this was war strategy disguised as business. Her fingers itched to jot down lines, to capture the surreal electricity of the room.
And then she muttered without thinking, "My God… this is hotter than my poetry."
The room went dead silent.
Xu Jianyu choked on a laugh. "Did she just ? Oh, I like her."
Qin Yuze lips twitched. Fang Zixuan actually let out a low chuckle.
But Li Zhenkai's expression didn't change, at least not outwardly. Only the faintest quirk of his brow betrayed him before he turned back to the table, voice cool as ever. "Focus."
Yet, Jiang Yue swore his ears were slightly red.
"Yuze," Li Zhenkai said, his tone clipped. "What do we have?"
The hacker's grin widened. "Our mole has three offshore accounts, two burner phones, and exactly zero talent for hiding his tracks. He's scheduled to send the fake documents at 3 a.m. I can intercept and reroute everything. By dawn, he'll be drowning in evidence that he's the forger."
"Jaiyu?"
Xu jaiyu slid another file across the table. "We'll announce an internal audit before he even makes his move. Our board will see it as proactive damage control. By the time the story breaks, we'll have proof it originated from him. Zhou Meili will look desperate."
"Good." Li Zhenkai turned to Fang Zixuan
"I've secured the right ears," Zixuan said smoothly. "By tomorrow morning, key media outlets will already have the real story. Even if she screams, no one will listen."
It was flawless, each piece clicking into place like gears in a clock. Jiang Yue felt her breath catch. This wasn't just business; it was artistry. Ruthless and precise artistry.
The meeting stretched on. Plans solidified. Every man in the room played his part seamlessly, but Jiang Yue's attention kept drifting back to Li Zhenkai.
The way he leaned forward slightly when Xu Jianyu spoke, sharp but trusting. The way he tapped a finger lightly against the table, not out of impatience but calculation. The way he seemed utterly unshakable, even though she knew his heart had nearly stopped hours ago in that elevator.
And then, in the middle of a tense silence, his hand brushed against hers beneath the table. Just once. Just enough for her to feel the warmth, the weight of it.
Her eyes snapped to him. He didn't look at her, didn't break stride in his orders, but the faint pressure of his fingers against hers said everything.
He was still scared. Still angry at what had almost happened. Still unwilling to let her drift even an inch away.
Her lips parted, but she stayed quiet. Somehow, the silent claim felt louder than any words.
Finally, Yunze snapped his laptop shut with a flourish. "Done. Our mole is about to hang himself with his own rope. It'll be beautiful"
Xu jaiyu nodded in satisfaction. Fang Zixuan smirked.
Li Zhenkai stood, the others following his lead. "Good work. By morning, this ends." His gaze swept the room before landing, finally, on Jiang Yue.
She straightened, caught in the intensity of his stare.
"Stay here tonight," he said simply. "It's safer."
Xu Jianyu coughed, deliberately loud. "Wow. Straightforward, aren't we?"
Qin Yunze rolled his eyes. Fang Zixuan just laughed.
But Jiang Yue, her heart thumped, that traitorous and loud heart of hers. She wasn't sure if she was stepping deeper into his world, or if he was stepping into hers. Maybe both.
And as dawn crept closer, she realized one thing: the battlefield wasn't just his boardroom. It was between them too.