Yichen's POV:
Furious.
That's what I am.
Furious to the point my blood feels boiled, my pulse pounding like it wants to punch its way out of my veins.
Why does this evil Cerbère insist on ruining every second of happiness I manage to steal with Hua?
Why does he keep crawling back into our lives, tearing joy apart like it personally offends him?
My jaw clenched so hard I could feel the pressure in my ears. I didn't even bother putting on clothes—I stormed toward the front door dripping wet, wearing nothing but my boxers, water still running down my back from the interrupted shower.
Hua was still in the bathroom. Vulnerable. Naked.
And that bastard was pounding on the door like he owned the world.
I swung the door open violently.
"What?!" I barked.
Yiran pushed past me immediately, shoving me with one hand like I was nothing more than furniture blocking his path. I stumbled back a step, stunned by his nerve.
Who the hell does he think he is?
"Where is she?!" he demanded, voice sharp, shaking with this deranged desperation I'd heard too many times before.
I forced myself to breathe. Losing control now would only make things worse.
"Who are you talking about…" I said, faking ignorance so hard I could've gotten an Oscar.
"Don't play dumb with me," he hissed, eyes darting around the room like a predator sniffing out prey. "Someone told me a girl looking like Hua entered this hotel."
Ice slid down my spine.
I followed his gaze—
Right to the sofa.
And Hua's purse sitting right on top of it.
Cursing internally, I dove for the couch, flopping onto it dramatically so I could hide the bag under me, pretending like I was simply…stretching? Napping? Dying? Whatever.
"So you're not hiding your stalker nature anymore," I said, dropping my head back against the cushions with a long, slow exhale. "Great progress."
"Shut up," he spit out, but the tremble in his voice betrayed him. He was spiraling.
Then he moved toward the bedroom.
My blood froze.
Fuck. Her clothes. Her perfume. Her warmth still lingering in the sheets.
Everything screamed Hua was here.
I sprinted after him.
He stepped into the room, halted abruptly, and stared.
Blanket and pillows on the floor. My shirt tossed aside. Her clothes scattered in chaos.
And then—
He noticed it.
The small scrap of black fabric near the bed.
A bra.
Hua's bra.
He bent down slowly, like he'd just found a piece of evidence in a crime scene. He picked it up with trembling fingers, staring at it like it sliced open his soul.
"What did you do…" he whispered.
Barely audible. Fragile. Dangerous.
I stood still. Watching him. Watching the wheels fall apart in his mind.
This was the moment I hated the most about him—
Not the anger.
Not the entitlement.
But the part where he looked heartbroken.
Though everything about him was twisted—possessive, controlling, obsessive—I still knew…
In his own warped, toxic way…
He actually loved Hua.
I hated that part.
Because it made me feel guilty.
And I didn't want to.
So I broke the silence.
"You caught me, brother," I said lazily, throwing myself into the role with a mocking grin just to break his tension before it exploded.
He turned around, eyes glossy, heartbreak visible in every line of his face.
I almost sighed.
Damn it.
I didn't want to pity him. I didn't owe him that. And yet—
Maybe I couldn't stab him in the heart like that.
Not fully.
Not today.
So I inhaled and lied.
"I like trying female clothes on."
Dead silence.
His brows knitted together. His lips parted.
"…what?" he whispered, a strangled half-laugh escaping him.
"You heard me," I said, stepping closer with full commitment. "Everyone's got their weird hobbies. And mine is… that. So can you please—"
I put a hand on his shoulder, slowly guiding him out of the bedroom and back toward the living room.
"—keep your mouth shut about it?" I added with a soft, pleading tone. "I know you don't love me, but at least give me some dignity."
He blinked at me, completely thrown off balance.
Good.
We kept walking toward the door. He was still processing, brain fried.
"And if you do happen to find Hua in this hotel—" I continued, lowering my voice dramatically, "don't be a douche. Warn me. I don't want her to know about… you know."
I opened the door for him.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
I plucked the bra from his hand with a quick snatch.
"I'll need that."
His face twisted into something between shock and confusion.
I smiled one last time and closed the door slowly, savoring the look on his face.
Then I exhaled loudly.
"Tiring…" I muttered. "This man is something else."
I leaned closer to the peephole, watching him.
He stood frozen in the hallway, staring at nothing. Processing.
A few seconds passed.
Then he finally left.
I turned around—
And almost screamed.
Hua was standing right behind me.
Wrapped in the hotel robe, hair slightly damp, eyes wide like a startled deer.
She looked so cute I forgot how to breathe.
But then the guilt hit me.
Like a punch in the stomach.
Did I just steal something from Yiran?
Even if he was wrong, obsessed, sick—
Did I just break him in some irreversible way?
Her arms wrapped around me before my mind spiraled too far.
Warm, soft, grounding.
I inhaled.
Her scent, sweet and warm, filled my lungs.
Her tiny hands on my back eased every tight muscle I didn't know I had.
God, I love her.
This embrace—her softness, her comfort, her everything—it was exactly what I needed to drown the doubt.
But a new fear crept up.
What if she feels guilty too?
What if she feels sorry for him?
What if that twisted part of her heart—the one that always forgives—folds under his manipulations?
I couldn't let her go to that stupid company trip.
If Yiran cornered her…
If he whispered his lies…
If she hesitated, even for a second—
I couldn't risk it.
"Maybe…" I started weakly.
She pulled back, looking directly into my eyes.
Her gaze was gentle. Too gentle. Dangerous to my resolve.
"What is it?" she asked softly.
I swallowed.
Why was I nervous?
Why did she have this effect on me?
"You—" The words stuck for a moment.
Her presence, her warmth, her trust made it both easier and harder to say it.
"Maybe you shouldn't go to that trip."
She blinked. Once. Twice.
Fuck.
Maybe that was the wrong move.
Maybe I sounded insecure. Controlling. Jealous.
Everything I wasn't supposed to be.
But then—
She smiled.
A huge, bright, heart-melting smile that made my chest feel warm and stupid.
"Why did you suddenly change your mind?" she teased, tilting her head.
Like she knew exactly why.
Her cold hands cupped my face softly.
My eyes fluttered shut involuntarily from the comfort.
"But I have to go," she said quietly, firmly. "If I don't, your father might ruin your plan."
My jaw clenched.
Damn it.
"But—" I tried again.
She cut me off gently, thumbs brushing my cheeks.
"Don't worry, okay? I can handle myself. Nothing bad will happen."
She was petting my face like I was some worried puppy she needed to calm down.
It wasn't working.
I couldn't accept it.
"Do you trust me?" she asked softly.
I looked at her.
Really looked.
Her eyes were confident.
Bright.
Certain.
She believed what she was saying.
"I do," I said honestly.
But in my mind…
I don't trust my brother.
Not for a second.
Not with her.
Not with anything.
To be continued...