Next Morning – Yang Capital.
The building buzzed with movement, glass doors opening and closing, heels clicking over polished floors, phones ringing in clipped rhythms. Inside the executive wing, the air was tense but efficient.
Li Lian sat at her new desk, fingers gliding over documents and screens, quietly learning the flow of her new world. Though she had kept her head down, people had already started to whisper about her poise, her name, and her connection to the fallen Li Empire.
Down the hall, Yang Yufan sat behind his sleek desk, jaw tight, expression sharper than usual. The usual glint of smug mischief that danced in his eyes was gone. Buried under meetings and paperwork, the CEO looked mortal.
"Sir, you have a board meeting with the higher-ups at 2 p.m.," came the crisp voice of his secretary, Ren Zixuan, a sharp-dressed man with rectangular glasses and a cool tone that never faltered. "Shareholders by 3 p.m. And a private strategy meeting with CEO Zhao Yifan at 4."
Yufan's brow twitched. He dropped his pen and leaned back with a sigh that hinted at the long day ahead. "I assume you've squeezed lunch between those like a luxury?"
Ren Zixuan didn't flinch. "I've scheduled a five-minute break at 1:55 p.m. You can use it to inhale caffeine or reflect on your life choices."
Yufan glared. Zixuan remained unimpressed.
"Oh, and all the files on your table need to be finalized within the next 24 hours," Zixuan added, turning to leave before the glare intensified. "Good luck, sir."
As the door clicked shut, Yufan muttered under his breath and reached for his cold coffee.
Hours passed and the hallway echoed with the back-and-forth bickering of boss and assistant.
"I swear I will fire you, Zixuan!" Yufan grumbled, straightening his suit jacket as they walked.
"No one can replace me, sir," Ren Zixuan replied flatly. "You've said so yourself… in front of the board. Multiple times."
"Stop using my words against me," Yufan muttered.
"Stop eating during board prep."
"Stop breathing in my direction."
"I'll log that under 'emotional instability' in the next HR report, sir."
Yufan shot him a glare. Zixuan was already handing him the file for the meeting with a smug look.
As they reached the boardroom, Yufan paused at the door, brushing imaginary dust from his shoulder. His charming smirk made a slow return, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Let's make these sharks beg for their bonuses."
Zixuan opened the door. "After you, your majesty."
Yufan stepped inside, his demeanor shifting into full-blown CEO mode as the board members looked up. And just like that, the king had entered his court.
Meeting upon meeting drained the daylight out of Yang Capital's walls, and by the time 4PM rolled around, Yufan slumped into his leather chair with a dramatic sigh, his tie loosened and his expression exhausted.
"Ren Zixuan," he groaned, massaging his temples. "Yifan is my friend. I'm sure he'd understand if we postponed. Let's reschedule."
"No, sir," Zixuan replied without even looking up from the tablet in his hand. "You already pushed him twice this month."
"I'm tired."
"He will be here soon."
"I'm hungry again."
"I don't care."
"I'm the CEO."
"Then act like one," Zixuan said dryly, walking to the door. "He'll be here in two minutes. Try not to collapse before then."
Yufan muttered something under his breath, straightened himself reluctantly, and tried to reclaim a sliver of dignity.
"Fine. But if I fall asleep, you're handling the aftermath."
"No problem."
Yufan narrowed his eyes. "I'm starting to regret promoting you."
Zixuan smiled coolly. "I'm irreplaceable"
Just then, a soft knock came. The door opened and in walked Zhao Yifan, sharp as always in his tailored black suit, expression unreadable.
Zixuan stepped aside with a low bow of formality.
"Send Li Lian in," Yufan said without looking up, already flipping through the front page of the report Yifan had brought.
Zixuan arched a brow but said nothing, only offering a nod before leaving the room.
A few minutes passed, and then...
Click… click… click…
The deliberate rhythm of heels echoed across the marble. Zhao Yifan lifted his gaze, and Yufan casually looked up with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Li Lian stepped in, a crisp navy blouse tucked into high-waisted slacks, sleek hair pulled into a twist. Her expression paused when she saw who was inside, lips twitching into something between a scowl and a sigh.
Of course. Him. Again.
She didn't even try to hide her reaction as she clicked her tongue, striding forward anyway. "This boss of mine," she muttered under her breath, "loves setting me up." she sighed.
"Good evening, sir," she grumbled, eyes locked on the tablet in her hands as she approached the table.
Yufan offered a lazy smile. "Evening. This is a strategic review meeting on Huang Core Tech Company's acquisition terms. Since you're now assisting Lin Xue and she's tied up you're up." He gestured to the seat beside Yifan. "Let's put you to the test. Sit."
Li Lian nodded curtly and took her seat, placing her tablet down with quiet precision. Not once did she glance at the man seated beside her.
Because looking at Zhao Yifan, meeting those eyes again, might just reopen wounds she'd worked too hard to seal. So she ignored him.
Focused on her notes, the numbers, the projection graphs, anything but him.
But across the table, Yifan didn't look away. Not even for a second.
"Li Lian," Yufan said, breaking the silence. "Explain the vulnerabilities in Huang Core Tech's market expansion into Southeast Asia."
She responded immediately, tone crisp, calm, and professional. No stutter. No pause. She didn't flinch when Yifan shifted closer to review the shared file on the screen beside her. But the air felt heavier.
When the meeting wrapped up, Li Lian gathered her things with brisk efficiency, offered a quiet nod, and walked out without a word.
She didn't cry.
But the weight in her chest made it hard to breathe.
Back at her desk, she sat down slowly. Fingers hovered over her tablet, but her mind was far away. That piercing gaze… Yifan hadn't said a single thing to her, yet somehow, it was worse than if he had.
She didn't cry.
But her mood slid down the drain like a quiet storm, leaving her empty.
---
Meanwhile, in the executive lounge upstairs, Yufan loosened his tie and slumped onto the couch while Yifan stood by the window, arms crossed.
"Let's get back to the Li family downfall. You said there's more behind the infiltration"Yufan muttered, swirling the wine in his glass without taking a sip.
Yifan turned slowly, all softness draining from his features.
"There is. Probably not a cooperate sabotage alone".
Yufan frowned. "meaning?"
"It wasn't only about sinking the Li empire," Yifan said, reaching for his phone. "Someone wanted to erase their legacy and ensure no one tried to rebuild it."
Yufan's brows furrowed.
Yifan spoke again "I have a name. But I'm not sure yet if it's the puppet, or the hand pulling the strings."
The polished shoes of Yufan and Yifan clicked against the marble floor as they descended to the ground floor, the cool evening air already curling through the automatic glass doors.
Just as they approached the main exit, a soft groan drifted into the air.
Both men paused.
Their eyes turned sharply—and there she was.
Li Lian stood clutching onto the reception desk, her fingers digging into the edge so tightly her knuckles turned pale. Her body trembled, breaths shallow and uneven. Cold sweat glistened on her brow, her usually sharp eyes now glazed and unfocused.
"Lian?" Yifan's voice was sharp, alert.
She didn't respond. Her mouth parted slightly, as if to speak, but no words came. Her legs buckled.
"Lian!"
Yifan dashed forward just in time to catch her before she collapsed. Her body was limp in his arms, cold and shaking.