Before she could finish, a tall, elegant silhouette blotted out the light in the doorway. "Li Mengxi." The man stood there, exuding a natural air of nobility. His eyes, like frozen pools, were as sharp as a razor's edge. His thin lips were pressed into a firm line, radiating an unapproachable chill. Surprise flickered in Li Mengxi's eyes at the sight of Jiang Yichen, but it was quickly replaced by a coquettish pout. "Mr. Jiang," she purred, "I knew you wouldn't leave me all by myself." Shi Yu drew a silent breath, about to speak, but he simply turned and led Li Mengxi away. He didn't spare her a single glance. She swallowed the words that had been on the tip of her tongue, a bitter, self-mocking smile touching her lips as she watched the "perfect couple" walk away. It seemed anyone who stood beside Jiang Yichen looked like his other half. Anyone but her. No matter how many times they'd shared a bed, she was the secret he could never bring into the light. She just wasn't worthy. By the elevators, Jiang Yichen abruptly shook off Li Mengxi's hand, his expression laced with annoyance. Confused, Li Mengxi hesitated for only a second before boldly stepping forward again, pressing her ample chest against his arm. "Mr. Jiang… is something wrong?" Jiang Yichen turned his head slightly, his cold gaze landing on the woman who clearly had a death wish. "I don't make a habit of sleeping with other men's leftovers," he said, his voice dangerously low. "Especially not my friends'." Li Mengxi froze. She'd mistaken his earlier silence for permission, for a sign that something might be possible between them. She never imagined a man could turn so cold, so fast. *Ding—* The elevator doors slid open. Jiang Yichen stepped inside, pointedly brushing at the sleeve she had touched, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust. Li Mengxi didn't follow. His gaze had terrified her. She stood rooted to the spot, her face pale. She knew her place—a plaything for the wealthy elite. She could never truly catch the eye of a man like Jiang Yichen. His "permission" had been nothing but her own foolish delusion. That evening, Shi Yu had no intention of going home anyway, so when a colleague asked to swap shifts, she readily agreed. She thought about texting Jiang Yichen, a reminder to eat, but her fingers hovered over the screen. When was she going to break this awful habit of fawning over him? She had been steeling herself to leave this place for three long years. She couldn't let his sudden return shatter her resolve. She had to admit her heart still fluttered when she saw him, but she refused to be a fool for him again. It had always been one-sided, right from the start. An emergency surgery came in around midnight. By the time it was over, it was already six in the morning, the sky just beginning to pale to a fish-belly white. Shi Yu was so exhausted she could barely stand up straight. It was no exaggeration; as she walked out of the operating room, her vision was blurring at the edges. The intense concentration required for hours on end was more draining than any physical labor. One slip, and a life would be lost. After a brief rest in her office, she changed her clothes and stepped out into the thin morning mist to head home. The Jiang residence stood tall in the early morning light, and a wave of emotion washed over her. This was the place she had once deluded herself into calling home. The man she loved most lived inside, but neither he nor this house would ever be hers. It had been her foolish fantasy, one she'd clung to for far too long. She was twenty-four now; Jiang Yichen was three years older. People said a man should be established by thirty. And a man as wealthy, talented, and handsome as him would inevitably marry someday. After all these years, she was finally learning to let go, to stop torturing herself. Exhausted from the long night, her body screamed for sleep the moment she stepped into the familiar surroundings. She kicked off her cumbersome shoes, wanting nothing more than to drop her handbag on the floor and collapse into bed. But the thought of how much Jiang Yichen hated messes made her patiently put the shoes away in the rack. She had no idea that a pair of eyes was watching her every move from the top of the stairs. Her own eyes were half-closed, and she stumbled blindly into a solid wall of flesh. A frown creased the man's brow. His well-defined fingers clamped around her slender wrist, and with a slight tug, he snapped, "Stand up straight!"