The private corporate resort owned by Nova Consulting was nestled on a quiet, beautiful bay. It was a place of extreme luxury, but for Zhao Min, it felt like another high-priced cage.
He was there to review maintenance and expenses, but his primary job was simply existing within Han Qing's sightline.
The first evening, Han Yue arranged a large private dinner on the patio overlooking the water. She spent the entire meal discussing financial projections with Zhao Min, treating him like a brilliant business partner. She didn't realize that in treating him with such respect and intellectual equality, her carefully controlled feelings were shifting from pragmatic dependence to genuine admiration.
Han Yue's Internal Monologue: "He doesn't just look at the numbers; he sees the people they affect. He is the first person who has ever truly understood my goals. And he never asks for anything. He just is."
Han Qing, meanwhile, was quieter than usual. She wasn't just healthy; she was radiant, her beauty fully restored by Zhao Min's sustained presence. She watched him, not with the desperate fear of a patient, but with the quiet, intense focus of a girl experiencing something entirely new.
Han Qing's Internal Monologue: "He could have left me to die, or at least left me in the dust. But he chose to stay and protect me. He chose to take my pain. He is the only man in my life who ever gave me something precious and asked for nothing back. I want to keep him safe."
Later that night, the emotional complexity reached a breaking point.
Han Yue was reviewing the resort's land assets, pacing her massive suite. Zhao Min was at the desk, researching environmental impact reports.
"The resort is underutilized," Han Yue mused aloud. "We should sell off the unused land facing the coast. It's too expensive to maintain."
"You shouldn't," Zhao Min said quietly, without looking up.
Han Yue stopped pacing. "And why not, Mr. Zhao? It's a liability."
Zhao Min finally looked up, his face earnest. "It's the most beautiful part of the property. If you sell it, someone will build a concrete wall and ruin the natural peace. That land is worth more to the people who visit here than it is as a quick cash injection."
Han Yue stared at him. No one—not her parents, not her partners—had ever spoken to her about business with such pure, ethical concern. She felt a powerful, dizzying rush of respect. It was the moment her pragmatic admiration solidified into something much deeper.
Affection Level: +55 (Genuine Love, recognizing his moral worth).
"You are absolutely right," Han Yue whispered, realizing her heart was pounding. "We keep the land. We make it a public nature reserve."
She moved toward him, an impulse to touch him overriding her corporate cool. But the door opened just then.
It was Han Qing, in pajamas, looking pale. "I can't sleep," she mumbled, stumbling slightly. "The light... it's too bright."
Zhao Min immediately moved away from Han Yue to help the sister. "Come here, Qing. I'll make you some tea. We can talk about your classes."
Han Qing didn't need tea. She just needed him. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. The fear of relapse was real, but now it was mixed with the desire to simply be close to him, to possess that source of warmth.
Han Yue watched as Zhao Min gently led her sister away, a kind, worried look on his face. She felt a sudden, fierce pang of jealousy that was entirely new. It wasn't about the company's luck; it was about his attention.
The rivalry began subtly at breakfast the next morning. Han Yue brought a new report specifically designed to impress Zhao Min with her intelligence. Han Qing brought a drawing she had made for him—a simple portrait of the dolphin keyring he had lost, drawn from memory.
Zhao Min accepted both with genuine kindness. He praised Han Yue's sharp business sense and Han Qing's surprising artistic talent.
Han Yue looked at her sister's drawing, then at the look of pure, protective affection on Zhao Min's face. She understood the true nature of their competition.
Han Yue's Resolve: "He is mine. Not because he is lucky, but because he sees the good in me that no one else does. I will marry him, and I will win his heart. Qing needs him to live, but I need him to live."
Han Qing's Resolve: "Han Yue thinks he's a Partner. But he is my Guardian. I won't let her corporate coldness scare him away. I will use the truth of my illness to keep him close, and I will show him the pure devotion my sister cannot."
The Harmony Protocol was now fully complicated by the uncontrollable force of romantic love. Both sisters had stopped seeing Zhao Min as a resource and had started seeing him as a soulmate.