The grandfather clock struck ten, the deep chime reverberating through the silent halls of Leng Manor like a quiet storm brewing beneath calm waters. The heavy doors of the study were shut, sealing the tension inside with the scent of aged wood, leather, and the sharp bitterness of oolong tea left untouched on the table.
Leng Xuanmo stood near the floor-to-ceiling window, arms crossed, expression carved from stone. The moonlight edged the sharp angles of his face, catching in his cold eyes as he stared into the stillness of the night.
Three knocks echoed.
"Enter," he said, without turning.
The door opened and in stepped Leng Shiyan. Dressed in a black mandarin-collar coat, his tall frame carried a quiet pressure, the kind that followed men who had seen too much and spoken too little. He shut the door behind him and approached the desk.
"what is the problem?" he said simply.
Xuanmo finally turned, his gaze cutting sharp as a blade. "Sit."
Shiyan did. His eyes fell on the thick black file sitting on the desk.
" Lu family?," he asked "your wife?"
Xuanmo nodded. "Her family didn't fall. They were pushed."
Shiyan lifted the file. "I heard it was scandal—"
"Fabricated," Xuanmo snapped. "Finances were shattered overnight. Deals fell through without cause. Licenses revoked. Then the accusations against her father — charges that vanished once everything was gone."
Shiyan flipped open the file, silent as he scanned the pages. "You think it was orchestrated?"
"I don't think. I know." His voice held steel. "They were dismantled piece by piece like someone followed a blueprint. And they buried every trace of who gave the order."
A long silence stretched.
"You suspect someone close?" Shiyan asked.
"I suspect everyone." His tone was dry, lethal. "Including those under my own roof."
Shiyan leaned back, closing the file. "You want me to investigate."
"I want you to uncover everything. Start tonight. I don't care how many doors you break or how far this goes. Burn through the dirt until you find the architect."
"This will cost you. Loyalty. Reputation. Maybe blood."
Xuanmo met his cousin's eyes. "Let it."
He moved to the decanter and poured himself a glass of whiskey. "For three years, she never asked me why. Never demanded retribution. But I saw it in her eyes. She was drowning quietly."
Shiyan stood. "She matters that much?"
"She's my wife," he said, voice low, deadly. "And I won't let her bleed for the sins someone else committed."
"Why didn't you give the job to Li Zeyan?"
"He tried. But couldn't find anything"
"Which means. Someone higher up did it'
"And the person is ridiculously good at hiding their tracks"
"No wonder Li Zeyan couldn't find anything. And you need me to do it for you?"
"Leng Shiyan. This is about my wife. And I would do everything for her. Everything" Leng Xuanmo said.
Shiyan looked at his cousin and he realized this is the first time he would do something for someone he loved and not out of duty.
"Fine"
Leng Xuanmo turned away again, toward the window, glass in hand.
"Get to work, Shiyan."
"Alright. But in return you do something for me" Leng Shiyan said
"I will give back everything to Meixuan. And release my mother"
"You sure do know what I want"
Without another word, Leng Shiyan tucked the file under his arm, gave a crisp nod, and disappeared into the shadows — the storm finally set in motion.