Within the walls of the mansion, dangerous conspiracies fueled by hatred and destruction were quietly being woven.
Yet outside the atmosphere felt entirely different clame and untouched by the darkness hidden within.
Sheyaan, Zavian, and Fangxi were riding in the car, moving quickly toward their destination.
The car smoothly passed through the traffic on the road. Breaking the silence, Fangxi turned back and casually asked:
"Sheyaan... what do you want..to buy? Have you thought about... anything?"
Sheyaan, who was busy using her phone at that moment, replied carelessly without even looking up:
"Why are you.. asking like that? Whatever I like... I'll buy..that!"
Slightly annoyed, Fangxi said:
"I mean... if you finish shopping...quickly, then I'll be able to... reach the office sooner. I have a lot of... urgent work there!"
Sheyaan turned off her phone and looked ahead before replying a little seriously:
"Alright... I'll try to finish....quickly!"
After saying that, Sheyaan quietly started looking outside the car window. Watching the passing scenery, her eyes slowly relaxed with calmness.
A strange silence filled the car, but that silence did not exist for Zavian.
Sitting in the driver's seat, Zavian looked fully focused on the road, yet his deep eyes kept drifting toward the rearview mirror above the dashboard.
Through the mirror, he silently watched Sheyaan's peaceful face with those same sharp and cold expressions.
Sheyaan had no idea, but Zavian's watchful gaze never left her for even a moment.
Zavian took one last glance at Sheyaan's reflection in the mirror before fully focusing on driving again.
The car continued speeding smoothly along the road. Sheyaan was lost in the world outside the window.
She watched the passing cars, the people walking along the roadside, and the tall beautiful buildings around them.
She was quietly observing everything with innocent curiosity when suddenly her eyes stopped at one point.
Far away near the roadside, a man dressed completely in black stood there motionless.
There was something deeply mysterious about him. He didn't look like an ordinary passerby at all.
His silent and unsettling eyes were fixed directly on Sheyaan inside the car, as if he had been waiting only for her.
The moment Sheyaan saw him, the color drained from her face. Her peaceful expression instantly turned serious.
She tightly grabbed the car door. A strange restlessness suddenly spread through her body. Her breathing slowly became uneven.
Without realizing it, she leaned closer to the window, trying to look at that mysterious man more carefully.
But fast-moving vehicles suddenly began passing between them. For one final moment, she caught a glimpse of him through the traffic.
As soon as the road became clear again, Sheyaan quickly tried to look for him once more, but the man had already disappeared.
There was no one standing near the roadside anymore. Seeing Sheyaan leaning outside in panic like that, Fangxi became badly worried.
He shouted loudly:
"Sheyaan! Why are you..leaning outside?! Cars are moving so... fast, come back inside or... you'll get hurt!"
The fear and concern hidden in Fangxi's voice shattered the silence inside the car.
Hearing him shout like that immediately caught Zavian's attention.
He quickly looked into the side mirror, trying to understand what outside had made Sheyaan so restless all of a sudden.
The moment Fangxi raised his voice, Sheyaan immediately pulled her head back inside the car.
Her face had gone completely pale and time beads of sweat shimmered across her forehead.
Reveling the fear she was desperately trying to hide. She looked slightly shaken.
Fangxi stared at her with a mixture of anger and concern before shouting again:
"Sheyaan! Have you lost your... mind?! Who leans outside a..moving car like that? What if you had gotten..hurt?!"
Sheyaan looked at him with frightened and shocked eyes and replied in a trembling voice:
"There... there was someone...outside! I saw..someone...!"
Ignoring her words, Fangxi sternly said:
"Just sit quietly.. now! Don't ever do something...like that again, understood?!"
After seeing Fangxi so angry, Sheyaan fell silent, but that mysterious stranger still lingered in her mind.
Who was he? And why had he been staring only at her?
Zavian, who had been silently driving the car, had noticed every little reaction from Sheyaan.
He could tell that something serious was bothering her deeply. Inside his mind, he wondered:
"What did she..see outside... that scared her this... much?"
While he was still thinking about it, the shining building of the shopping mall finally appeared ahead.
Zavian slowed down the car and stopped it near the entrance. Fangxi immediately stepped out and opened the back door.
Holding her purse carefully, Sheyaan got down from the car, though that same mysterious silence still remained on her face.
After parking the car properly, Zavian quickly joined Fangxi.
Both Fangxi and Zavian walked behind while, as usual, Sheyaan walked slightly ahead of them.
The moment they stepped inside the mall entrance, people's eyes naturally turned toward them.
Zavian walked directly behind Sheyaan with both hands inside his pockets.
Like a shadow.
His tall figure and serious expression gave him an extremely commanding presence.
He barely spoke, yet his mere existence was enough to intimidate anyone around him.
On the other side, Fangxi carried his own unique style.
His hands were also inside his pockets, and the way he walked gave off complete "Rude CEO" energy.
It looked less like he came there to shop and more like he had arrived to buy the entire mall.
His arrogant yet attractive personality easily caught everyone's attention.
Between these two tough men, Sheyaan looked like a flower blooming softly between stone walls.
Lost in her own little world, she walked around innocently looking here and there.
Her innocence created a beautiful contrast against their cold and powerful personalities.
Walking beside them, she looked incredibly adorable—like a girl protected from every danger by two powerful men standing beside her like shadows.
But deep inside Sheyaan's heart, the fear of that man in black still remained alive.
As soon as the three of them stepped inside the mall, it felt like time itself had paused.
For a brief moment, the noisy atmosphere of the mall turned strangely silent.
Almost everyone around unconsciously shifted their gaze toward the entrance.
The three of them didn't look like ordinary visitors at all — they looked like the lead characters of a movie.
A soft and innocent smile rested on Sheyaan's face, as if she wanted to forget the terrifying shadow from outside and lose herself in the sparkling world around her.
But standing behind her, Fangxi and Zavian looked like absolute "Twin Titans." Their tall figures, cold expressions, and commanding presence
made them seem like twin brothers ready to protect their little sister from every possible danger.
The mall itself looked completely VIP-level — expensive branded outfits were displayed beautifully on mannequins everywhere.
Crowds of people were busy shopping, while the girls working there politely guided the guests toward elegant dresses and collections.
At the same time, the girls who had come shopping couldn't stop staring at Fangxi and Zavian.
Many of them had practically forgotten their own shopping and were secretly admiring the two handsome men.
Suddenly, Sheyaan's eyes landed on a beautiful ice-cream parlor in one corner of the mall.
Watching people happily enjoying their ice creams completely destroyed the little patience she had left. Excitedly, she grabbed Fangxi's hand and said,
"Fangxi! Let's go...there first… I want ice cream!"
Fangxi looked at her in disbelief and quickly replied,
"Wait… you want ice cream... before shopping?!"
Like a little child, Sheyaan immediately nodded her head and said,
"Hmm, exactly!"
The sparkle in her eyes made it impossible for Fangxi to say no.
Unable to resist Sheyaan's innocent stubbornness any longer, Fangxi finally gave in. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he said
"Alright then, let's get... ice cream first."
The moment she heard that, Sheyaan's face instantly brightened up. The three of them started walking toward the ice-cream shop.
As they passed through the crowd, a strange excitement spread around them.
Some girls nearby completely lost focus the moment they saw Fangxi and Zavian. Covering their mouths shyly, they began whispering to each other:
"Wow...! These two are seriously so... handsome! Their charm is literally... deadly!"
Their voices were loud enough for both Zavian and Fangxi to hear. At the same time, both of them turned toward the girls with cold and sharp expressions.
There was such icy heaviness in their eyes that the girls' smiles disappeared instantly, and they immediately fell silent out of fear.
The three of them finally stopped in front of the ice-cream parlor, which was already crowded with people.
The moment Sheyaan saw the crowd, her steps suddenly stopped. She quietly remained standing behind them.
Noticing her suddenly freeze, Zavian immediately asked in his usual cold voice from behind:
"Why did you...stop?!"
At Zavian's question, Sheyaan turned toward him and made an annoyed face before saying:
"Look at.. this crowd...! How am I supposed to go in there... and get ice cream with so many... people around?!"
After saying that, Sheyaan let out a deep, tired sigh and sadly tilted her head to one side.
Her puffed-up expression clearly showed that she had already lost courage after seeing the huge crowd.
Zavian silently looked at her innocent face for a few moments before something crossed his mind.
In a serious tone, he said:
"Wait... I'll get it...for you."
The moment Zavian stepped forward, Sheyaan immediately straightened up.
She quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him slightly back while saying worriedly:
"What are you...doing?! It doesn't look easy to... get ice cream from there... how are you even... going to get through...that crowd?"
Moving a little closer, she quietly reminded him:
"And don't forget... you can't use your...'Magic' here! If someone sees you,.. it'll create a huge.. problem!"
Hearing her words, Zavian straightened himself proudly with complete attitude.
In his usual cold and emotionless voice, he said:
"Just watch... and see how I bring... the ice cream. These ordinary people are...nothing in front... of me."
Zavian glanced confidently toward the crowd.
Seeing his unmatched confidence and attitude, a soft but beautiful smile appeared on Sheyaan's lips.
Deep inside, she felt that Zavian was truly different from everyone else. Sheyaan smiled and raised her thumb, saying softly,
"All the... best!"
Fangxi also looked at Zavian's confident face and wished him good luck with a faint smile.
Zavian took a deep breath and walked toward the crowd at the ice-cream counter with his firm and powerful steps.
As soon as Zavian stepped into the crowd, his face tightened. He clearly didn't want to touch anyone standing there.
With an annoyed expression, he tried pushing people aside using just one finger, but the people there were no less stubborn.
Everyone was rushing to get ice-cream, and Zavian ended up getting stuck in the middle of the crowd.
From a distance, Fangxi and Sheyaan were watching the whole scene. Seeing Zavian struggling in the crowd, Sheyaan leaned slightly toward Fangxi and whispered,
"Fangxi... do you think Zayan will... actually bring the ice-cream?"
Fangxi listened carefully, then looked at her and replied in a deep voice,
"Sheyaan, you're the one.... who trapped him.. there!"
Sheyaan immediately turned toward him and defended herself,
"I didn't tell... him to go!"
While the two were talking, their eyes remained fixed on Zavian.
Zavian was having a terrible time. Using all his strength, he pushed the crowd aside with both hands.
At that exact moment, the people around suddenly scattered in different directions.
He was just about to reach the counter when suddenly, a strong push hit him from behind. As if things couldn't get worse, the entire crowd crashed into Zavian at once.
Completely unprepared for this sudden "attack," Zavian lost his balance and couldn't steady himself.
His steps faltered, and he fell straight into the lap of a girl standing nearby.
The scene was so shocking that everyone around froze. The girl had caught Zavian in a complete bridal pose.
Standing at a distance, Fangxi and Sheyaan were left stunned. Their eyes widened in shock, and both of them went completely speechless.
Zavian who always kept every situation under perfect control was now trapped in the girl's hold his breathing growing heavy.
The sudden accident seemed to have shaken his senses completely leaving even him momentarily unsettled.