The night air was thick with silence. Liu stood by the window in Xia's room, her arms folded across her chest, watching the moonlight spill across the floor like liquid silver. Xia sat in his chair, shirtless again, the brace across his chest catching the light.
He looked at her—not with mockery this time, but with something softer. Something almost… regretful.
> Xia (quietly): "I like you, Liu. I really do."
She turned, brows raised.
> Liu: "That's a surprise. You usually express affection by insulting me."
> Xia (smiling faintly): "But my heart… it belongs to someone else."
The words hit her like a cold wind.
> Xia: "She's someone I couldn't reach. Not with all my wealth. Not with all my power. That's why I turned to your family. I needed someone… anyone."
Liu's throat tightened. She didn't know why it hurt. She barely knew this man. He was arrogant, cruel, unpredictable. And yet…
She forced a laugh.
> Liu (mocking): "So there are things the crippled fool can't reach. Even with his billions."
Xia chuckled, but his eyes didn't sparkle.
> Liu (grinning): "Must be hard. All that money, and still a mediocre love life."
> Xia (dryly): "You're cruel."
> Liu: "You started it."
Silence settled between them. Heavy. Lingering.
Liu turned to leave, her voice soft.
> Liu: "Good night, Xia."
> Xia (quietly): "Good night, Liu."
---
The War of Pettiness
The next morning, Xia left early for work, wheeled out by Jin with his usual stoic silence. The moment the front doors closed, the house shifted.
Min and Don were already plotting.
> Min (whispering): "She thinks she's clever. Let's see how she likes brushing her teeth with her fingers."
They stole Liu's toothbrush.
Liu found out. And retaliated.
She stole every toothbrush in the house and hid them in Min's closet. Even the maids were affected.
> Don (growling): "She's insane."
> Min: "She's brilliant."
Then came the food sabotage.
Min dumped salt into Xia's lunch. He scolded Liu for it.
Liu didn't argue. She simply smiled—and poured an entire container of pepper into Min and Don's dinner.
> Don (gasping): "My tongue! It's melting!"
> Liu (sweetly): "Oh dear. Maybe you should try brushing it."
The week was chaos. Pranks. Sabotage. Silent wars waged in hallways and kitchens. But Liu never lost her smile. She was raised in fire. This was just smoke.
---
Saturday Morning: The Lover Appears
Liu descended the stairs in a soft cream robe, her hair cascading down her back in loose waves. She was humming to herself, ready for another day of petty warfare.
But then she saw him.
Xia.
And beside him, a woman.
She was stunning. Tall, elegant, dressed in a pale blue dress that clung to her like water. Her eyes were soft, her smile gentle. Xia was laughing—laughing—like a boy seeing sunlight for the first time.
Liu's heart clenched.
> "So this is her."
She walked over, her steps slow, deliberate.
> Liu (smiling): "Good morning. I didn't know we had guests."
Xia looked up, surprised—but not displeased.
> Xia: "Liu. This is—"
> Liu (cutting in): "Let her introduce herself. I'm sure she has a lovely voice."
The woman blinked, caught off guard.
> Woman (softly): "I'm Aiko. I—"
> Liu (grinning): "Aiko. What a delicate name. Like a breeze. Or a sneeze."
Xia coughed to hide a laugh.
Liu stepped closer, casually rubbing Xia's chest with one hand.
> Liu (to Aiko): "You know, Xia's chest is surprisingly firm. For someone who sits all day."
She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Aiko's smile faltered.
> Aiko: "I didn't realize you two were… close."
> Liu (smirking): "Oh, we're very close. I'm his wife, after all. Legally. Emotionally? That's a work in progress."
Xia said nothing. He simply watched, amused.
> Liu (to Xia): "You didn't tell me your little crush was so… shy."
> Xia (calmly): "I didn't think you'd be so territorial."
> Liu: "I'm not. I just enjoy watching people squirm."
Aiko stood, her composure cracking.
> Aiko: "I should go."
> Liu (sweetly): "Already? But we were just getting started."
Xia didn't stop her. He simply watched her leave, his smile fading.
Liu turned to him, her own smile slipping.
> Liu (quietly): "She's beautiful."
> Xia: "She is."
> Liu: "And she doesn't want you."
> Xia: "I know."
They stood in silence.
> "Why does that make me feel like I won?" Liu wondered.
---
Liu pouted, arms crossed, her lips forming a perfect little curve of defiance.
> Liu: "Why do you still chase me, fool?"
Xia raised a brow, amused. Before he could answer, she stepped forward and pressed a finger to his lips.
> Liu (softly): "Don't answer. I don't care."
She leaned in, her breath brushing his ear.
> Liu (whispering): "Let's make an arrangement. Since you don't love me—but need a wife to play the part—I'll do it. I'll kiss, I'll hug, I'll… do what needs to be done."
Her voice trailed off, her cheeks blooming pink. She looked away, flustered.
Xia's smile deepened. He reached out, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close until her knees brushed the edge of his chair.
> Xia (teasing): "And what do you want in return, my dear cunning wife?"
> Liu (serious now): "I want my medical license. I want to finish what I started. I want you to enroll me in the Tokyo Imperial Medical Academy."
Xia's eyes narrowed slightly, impressed.
> Xia: "Ambitious. I like that."
He paused, then added with a smirk:
> Xia: "I'll do it. But only if you bathe with me tonight."
Liu blinked. Then laughed.
> Liu: "That's it? A bath? You're easier to bargain with than I thought."
> "Or so I thought…"
---
Later That Night
The bath chamber was more like a private spa—walls of black marble, golden lanterns casting warm light across the surface of a steaming pool that stretched like a miniature lake.
Jin helped Xia into the water, his movements careful and practiced. Liu stood nearby, arms folded, watching.
> Liu: "I'll take it from here."
> Jin (hesitant): "My lady, Lord Xia's condition—"
> Liu (firmly): "Out."
Jin bowed and left.
Liu turned, slowly untying her robe. She stepped into the water, the heat wrapping around her like silk. She moved toward Xia and, without a word, settled herself between his legs, her back against his chest.
His arms slid around her waist.
> Xia (low): "Comfortable?"
> Liu (blushing): "Shut up."
His hands moved, slow and deliberate, tracing the curve of her waist, the dip of her hip. Her breath hitched.
> Liu (half-laughing): "You're a playboy. How are you this skilled?"
> Xia (smirking): "Thirty-six hearts. Give or take."
> Liu (teasing): "That's why you're crippled now. Karma, you animal."
He chuckled, his lips brushing her shoulder.
> Xia: "You're trembling."
> Liu (muttering): "I'm not."
> Xia: "You are."
His hands moved again, and Liu's mind went blank. Her body betrayed her—leaning into his touch, her lips parting in a soft gasp.
> Liu (barely audible): "Stupid… arrogant… idiot…"
> Xia (grinning): "You're adorable when you're flustered."
---
After the Bath
Wrapped in a towel, Liu padded back to her room, her skin still warm from the water—and from his touch.
She closed the door behind her and collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow.
> "What just happened?"
Her heart was racing. Her thoughts were a mess. She had tried to play it cool, to act like it was just a deal. Just a bath.
But it hadn't been.
It had been her first time. Not sex—but intimacy. Real, raw, disarming closeness. And it had shaken her.
> "I'm supposed to be the one in control," she thought. "So why do I feel like I'm the one being played?"
She rolled over, staring at the ceiling, her fingers brushing her lips.
> "That idiot…"
[END OF CHAPTER 4]