Liang Xi gripped the edge of the Bentley's seat, her knuckles slowly turning white.
Outside the window, the capital rushed past in a blur of marble streets and towering buildings crowned with gold. Sunlight reflected sharply off polished surfaces, dazzling and cold. Her stomach churned—but it wasn't the speed that made her uneasy.
It was him.
Jiang Shanghai sat across from her, calm to the point of indifference. His posture was relaxed, hands folded neatly, long legs stretched with casual dominance. Black sunglasses hid his eyes, but she didn't need to see them to feel his gaze. It pressed down on her chest, heavy and unavoidable.
Danger clung to him like a second skin.
And strangely… it thrilled her.
Liang Xi swallowed. Her voice came out soft, hesitant.
"I… I want to know more about you."
His head tilted slightly, slow and deliberate, like a predator acknowledging movement.
"You will," he said calmly.The same old reply he gave her back at the private island.
The certainty in his tone sent a shiver down her spine. The Bentley slowed, then stopped.The moment the doors opened, silence descended. Not the peaceful kind—but the kind that made her skin prickle.
Staff froze mid-step. Guards straightened instantly. Conversations died. It was as if the entire Jiang estate had collectively inhaled and forgotten how to breathe.
Jiang Shanghai stepped out first. Tall. Imposing. Effortlessly commanding.
Sunlight swallowed him for a moment, then retreated, as if even the light knew better than to challenge his presence. Every head turned. Every gaze followed.
Liang Xi stepped out after him—and instantly felt small. Invisible. And yet… oddly protected. Because he was there.
Before she even crossed the threshold, a line of staff bowed deeply. No one spoke. No one dared. They parted like water before her, creating a clear path forward. Her gloved fingers tightened around the fabric of her pale blue gown.
She hated this feeling. This life. This attention. This fear wrapped in reverence.
She followed Jiang Shanghai into the villa.
The halls were impossibly grand. Silks draped the walls. Gold accents caught the light. Portraits of ancestors stared down at her with sharp, judging eyes, as though measuring her worth in silence.
But all she could focus on was him.
He walked beside her, unhurried, his presence magnetic. Every step he took felt deliberate. Controlled. Powerful.
"Master Jiang," a guard said nervously, bowing low.
Jiang Shanghai didn't respond. He stopped.
Turned slightly, and looked at the guard.
"You," he said.
Not a question.
Liang Xi's heart slammed. You?
He leaned in just enough for his voice to drop, quiet and dangerous.
"Lower your eyes when she passes."
"Yes—yes, my lord." The guard bowed so deeply he nearly folded in half.
Whispers spread immediately. The Princess is back. And beside her… was the Number One Certified Husband in the capital city.
Liang Xi felt the weight of those looks settle over her shoulders. Fear. Awe. Curiosity.
As they resumed walking, Jiang Shanghai's fingers brushed against hers.
Just a touch. Barely there. Her breath caught. A jolt shot straight through her chest, down to places she didn't know how to name.
"You don't need to be afraid," he murmured, close enough that she felt his breath against her ear.
She almost believed him. Then he added, softly,
"Not yet. You will have to learn quickly."
Her pulse spiked. She couldn't understand his words clearly.
Her lips parted. Her thoughts scattered. She didn't understand his words—but her body reacted anyway, hyper-aware of every step, every breath, every inch of space he occupied.
"You're pushing her too fast."
Liang Ji finally spoke, his voice cautious. He had been the third wheel from the begining to the end of their journey. Unhappy about how the whole situation turned out.
Jiang Shanghai stopped and turned slowly.
The air sharpened.
"She's awakened after three years in a coma," he said coldly. "The faster she understands her position, the safer she'll be."
Liang Xi's stomach twisted.
Her position?
He looked at her then. Truly looked at her.
"She is a princess," he continued, voice lowering, almost intimate. "Let her act the part."
Her heart skipped.
"And she is mine." he added
The words wrapped around her chest like a tightening thread.
Something dangerous stirred inside her.
Fear, yes—but also something intoxicating.
She was alive. She was powerful. She was… Princess Liang Xi.
A girl she had once admired from afar. A name she had seen on screens and magazine covers. Someone untouchable.
Liang Xi couldn't believe reincarnated into her body, the body of her role model. The thought hit her like lightning. The realization left her dizzy.
She stepped deeper into the villa, unease curling in her chest. The capital was suffocating in its wealth. Beneath the polished marble and glittering roofs, danger lurked everywhere—politics, ambition, betrayal.
The private island had been peaceful. Safe. A place to heal without pretending.
But here? She felt watched.
This villa—her new home—stood like a beautiful fortress. Cold. Imposing. Full of secrets.
She moved carefully, afraid to misstep. Afraid someone would notice the cracks beneath her composure. Everyone believed she was the Ice Princess.
No one questioned it. Not the servants.
Not the family who greeted her with open arms. Not even the cruel relatives who watched her most closely.
And yet, the lie pressed against her spine like a blade. She wasn't her. She was nothing but a fake.
The scent of jasmine drifted through the hall, but it didn't calm her. She felt eyes watching from behind curtains, from hidden corners. Before she could turn to see who it was, a voice interrupted her.
"Welcome home, Your Highness," a servant said, bowing.
Liang Xi nodded weakly.
Her reflection in the marble betrayed her—wide eyes, trembling lips, hands barely steady.
She didn't belong. And then she felt it again. That presence.
She didn't see it directly—but she knew.
Somewhere in the shadows, Jiang Shanghai had people watching her.
Observing and calculating her every move.
She had no idea what he planned.
And that frightened her more than anything else...