A wife?

Wang Mansion

As the car pulled up in front of the Wang Mansion, Guo Min sighed, already knowing Ruoxi and Yufan wouldn't let her rest easy. The moment she stepped inside, Mrs. Wang rushed to her side.

"Oh, my dear! Look at you. You should be in bed, not walking around like this," she fussed, taking Guo Min's hand.

"I'm fine, Aunty," Guo Min assured her, though she still felt lightheaded.

Mrs. Wang didn't believe a word of it. "Ruoxi, take her to her room. And Yufan, if she tries to sneak out, stop her."

Guo Min groaned. "Why does he have to stop me? I'm not a child."

Yufan smirked. "You act like one, so maybe I should treat you like one."

Guo Min shot him a glare, but Ruoxi was already dragging her upstairs. "Come on, stubborn woman. You need rest."

As they entered the room, Ruoxi crossed her arms. "You scared the hell out of me, Minmin. Why were you riding like a lunatic?"

Guo Min hesitated before sighing. "I went to visit my mom's grave. I just... needed to clear my mind."

Ruoxi's expression softened. "Minmin..."

"I'm fine, Ruoxi," she said quickly, forcing a small smile. "I just didn't expect to crash into Zhu Zihan of all people."

Ruoxi snorted. "Yeah, of all people. You know, you should be careful around him. He's too... complicated."

Guo Min raised an eyebrow. "Complicated?"

Ruoxi hesitated. "Let's just say he doesn't get close to people easily. He's cold, calculative, and he's never been interested in women beyond business deals."

Guo Min scoffed. "Well, I'm not interested in him either."

Ruoxi smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Just be careful, okay? And speaking of men, Yufan looked ready to murder Zihan when he found out what happened."

Guo Min rolled her eyes. "Yufan is just acting like a big brother."

Ruoxi stared at her for a long moment before sighing. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."

Zhu Empire

Meanwhile, at Zhu Empire, Zihan sat in his office, sipping his coffee as he stared out the window.

Wu Xiang leaned against his desk. "So, you and Guo Min, huh?"

Zihan raised an eyebrow. "What about me and Guo Min?"

Wu Xiang smirked. "Don't play dumb. You don't usually care when you hit someone with your car, but you actually took her to the hospital. That's new."

Zihan scoffed. "It was a minor act of responsibility. Nothing more."

Wu Xiang chuckled. "Right. So why were you looking at her like she was an interesting puzzle you wanted to solve?"

Zihan didn't answer. He simply swirled his coffee, deep in thought.

Yang Yufan, huh?

A subtle smirk played on his lips.

This might be interesting after all.

Wang Mansion

As Guo Min tried to sleep, she couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that her life was about to get even more complicated.

And for some reason, Zhu Zihan's smirk kept flashing in her mind.

Zhu Mansion

After a long day, Zhu Zihan finally arrived at the grand Zhu Mansion. The elegant estate, illuminated by golden lights, stood as a symbol of the Zhu family's wealth and prestige.

Stepping inside, he was immediately greeted by his mother, who rushed to his side with open arms.

"My precious son, you're finally home! You work too hard," Mrs. Zhu fussed as she wrapped her arms around him.

Zihan chuckled, effortlessly returning her embrace. "Mother, I'm fine."

Across the room, Mr. Zhu sat at the dining table, watching the scene unfold with an unimpressed expression. He sighed, setting down his wine glass.

"Liyan, can you let the boy breathe? You act like he's been gone for years," Mr. Zhu grumbled, clearly displeased that his wife's attention was entirely on their son.

Mrs. Zhu playfully swatted at her husband. "Oh, hush! You're just jealous."

Zihan smirked at the interaction but didn't comment. He took his seat at the dining table, where an elaborate feast was laid out.

As they ate, his mother's expression turned serious. "Zihan, tomorrow is your father's birthday banquet."

"I'm aware," Zihan responded nonchalantly, sipping his wine.

Mrs. Zhu hesitated before continuing. "It would be a perfect occasion for you to finally consider settling down. Why don't you use the banquet as an opportunity to pick a suitable wife?"

Zihan stilled, his grip on the wine glass tightening slightly. He exhaled, setting the glass down with a soft clink.

"Mother," he began, his tone measured. "I don't see why I need to rush into marriage."

His father spoke up this time, his voice carrying authority. "You are the heir of the Zhu Empire, Zihan. This isn't about rushing—it's about responsibility. A strong family secures a strong legacy. It's time you stopped playing around and made a decision."

Zihan's jaw tightened, but he remained composed. "I have no interest in meaningless arrangements."

Mrs. Zhu sighed dramatically. "Then at least entertain the idea, dear. There will be many respectable ladies attending. Just consider it, for my sake?"

Zihan leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple slightly. He knew better than to argue with his mother when she was determined.

"I'll think about it," he finally said, though his tone lacked enthusiasm.

His father nodded in approval, while his mother beamed.

As dinner continued, Zihan's mind drifted. He had never cared for the idea of marriage—especially not one dictated by his family.

But as his thoughts wandered, an image surfaced in his mind.

Guo Min.

He frowned slightly.

Why her?

Shrugging off the thought, he finished his meal, unaware that the next evening would set into motion something neither he nor Guo Min could have anticipated.

The Night Before the Banquet – Zhu Mansion

After dinner, Zhu Zihan retreated to his study, pouring himself a glass of whiskey as he leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the city skyline. His mother's words echoed in his mind.

A wife.

The very thought irritated him. Marriage was nothing more than a business transaction in their world. He knew the banquet tomorrow would be filled with socialites, daughters of influential families eager to attach themselves to the Zhu Empire.

But none of them interested him.

His fingers tightened around the glass as a particular face surfaced in his mind again—Guo Min.

He exhaled sharply, downing the whiskey in one gulp. He barely knew her, yet she had this strange pull on him. She wasn't like the others—she didn't fawn over wealth, nor did she seek his attention. If anything, she kept her distance, uninterested in the power games that came with their world.

He scoffed. Yufan would probably kill him if he knew he was thinking about her this much.

Still, a part of him was intrigued.

Would she be at the banquet?

And if she was…

Would she finally look at him the way he wanted her to.

The banquet...

The Zhu family estate was bathed in golden lights, the opulence of the banquet evident in every lavish decoration and the presence of China's most influential figures. The air buzzed with polite conversation, the clinking of champagne glasses, and the underlying currents of silent negotiations disguised as casual exchanges.

Guo Min arrived at the event in an elegant black silk dress that hugged her figure perfectly. The high slit at the side and the open-back design gave her an air of effortless allure, while her sharp gaze and composed demeanor made it clear that she was not here to be underestimated.

Ruoxi, dressed in a deep red gown that screamed confidence, looped her arm through Guo Min's as they entered. "Look at them," she whispered with amusement. "All these men think they can handle us."

Guo Min smirked. "Let them try."

Their entrance did not go unnoticed. A ripple went through the crowd, whispers following their every step. But the attention that burned the most was the one from across the hall.

Zhu Zihan.

Dressed in a sharp black suit, he exuded power and dominance, but it was his gaze that was the most dangerous. Calculated. Possessive.

Yufan, standing beside him in his deep blue suit, had his own reaction—his eyes softened slightly at the sight of Guo Min, but there was something else there. Frustration? Worry?

Wu Xiang, on the other hand, whistled lowly, clearly impressed. "Damn. Guo Min really knows how to make an entrance."

Zihan took a sip of his wine, his eyes eyeing her a little. "She always does."

Guo Min met his gaze from across the room, neither of them looking away. It was a silent battle—one neither wanted to lose.

Finally, Zihan set his glass down and made his way toward her. The crowd seemed to part for him, and within moments, he was standing before her, his gave a subtle smirk.

"You came," he murmured.

Guo Min arched a brow. "Was I supposed to stay home?"

"...No". Zihan, stepping closer to Guo Min. "Dance with me."

It wasn't a request.

Guo Min hesitated for only a moment before slipping her hand into his. His grip was warm, firm, and entirely too confident.

As he led her to the dance floor, Yufan watched with darkened eyes, gripping his glass tightly.

Wu Xiang leaned in. "Yufan, if you keep looking at them like that, the glass is going to shatter."

Yufan exhaled slowly. "He better not push his luck."

On the dance floor, Zihan's hand rested on Guo Min's waist, pulling her closer. His grip tightened.

Zhu Zihan's gave an unreadable expression, though his grip on Guo Min's waist betrayed the tension coiling within him.

Their bodies moved in perfect sync, the dance between them as much about control as it was about desire. The air around them crackled, drawing the attention of onlookers. Some whispered, some watched in fascination, but one man in particular clenched his jaw tightly as he observed from across the room.

Yang Yufan.

His fingers tapped against his glass, his gaze never wavering from Guo Min. The way she leaned into Zihan, the way they moved as if they had done this a thousand times before—it was unsettling.

Wu Xiang nudged him with an amused grin. "You look like you're about to murder someone."

Yufan exhaled through his nose. "He's pushing his luck."

Wu Xiang laughed. "And what are you going to do about it? Steal her away in the middle of the dance floor?"

Yufan said nothing, but the look in his eyes promised that he was only one step away from doing exactly that.

Back on the dance floor, the song slowed, the final notes lingering in the air. Zihan didn't release Guo Min immediately. Instead, he leaned in, his lips just a breath away from hers.

But before anything could be said, another presence interrupted them.

"May I cut in?"

Yufan's voice was steady, but his eyes burned with something unreadable. He didn't wait for an answer before extending his hand to Guo Min.

She raised an eyebrow, glancing between the two men. She could practically feel the silent battle happening over her head.

Zihan sighed dramatically, though his eyes gleamed with amusement. "Took you long enough, Yufan."

Guo Min placed her hand in Yufan's, allowing him to pull her away from Zihan's grip. As he led her back onto the dance floor, she glanced up at him.

"You're being territorial," she noted with mild amusement.

Yufan's jaw tightened slightly. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Guo Min smirked. "I never said that."

Yufan spun her effortlessly, his hands gripping her waist just a little tighter than necessary when he pulled her back in. "Then maybe you should stop teasing and say what you really mean."

Guo Min chuckled. "And where's the fun in that?"

From the sidelines, Zihan watched them with an unreadable expression before taking a sip of his wine.