BELONGING TO YOU

---

In the elevator, Lin Yue exhaled slowly, her nerves still slightly frayed from the earlier encounter.

She turned to Jin Shu, mustering a grateful smile. "Thank you... for helping me just now."

Jin Shu smiled, calm and composed as always. "It's nothing."

Still, curiosity gleamed in his eyes. He turned his head slightly. "So, what exactly happened?"

Lin Yue bit her lower lip, fidgeting with her fingers. "I forgot to return the pen… I tucked it into my bag and forgot. It fell out accidentally and Song Ziyan saw it. She grabbed it and made a huge scene."

Jin Shu nodded, taking in the situation. "I see."

He looked at her thoughtfully. She was sharp—not only with strategy but with instinct.

The blinking…

He had known immediately she didn't want anyone to know she'd gotten the pen directly from the CEO.

"By the way," Lin Yue added, looking at him, her voice now softer, "do you know why the CEO asked for me?"

Jin Shu shook his head. "He didn't say. Just told me to bring you."

She nodded.

That meant it was likely about the plan.

—

The elevator chimed and the doors opened to the executive floor, a long hallway of pristine white tile and muted elegance.

The soft murmurs of the secretaries outside the CEO's office were the only sounds.

They walked down the corridor.

Lin Yue tried to steady her breathing, every step towards Liang Yexuan's office making her stomach knot a little tighter.

Jin Shu reached the massive oak door and knocked once.

A pause.

Then a deep, cold, "Come in."

Lin Yue swallowed hard.

Jin Shu pushed the door open. "CEO, Miss Lin is here."

Liang Yexuan didn't look up immediately.

He was seated at his polished mahogany desk, typing silently, eyes glued to the screen. His sharp jawline, the slight crease between his brows, the quiet dominance in his posture—it all made Lin Yue's stomach twist.

She stepped inside.

After a beat, Liang Yexuan looked up, his voice void of emotion. "Go prepare for the meeting," he said to Jin Shu.

Jin Shu bowed slightly and left, closing the door gently behind him.

Lin Yue stood there awkwardly, unsure whether to speak or move.

Her eyes wandered across the room.

The scent of sandalwood and something deeper—perhaps cedar, laced with something uniquely masculine—lingered in the air.

That smell… she thought. He always smelled like this—even when he was Ah Yan.

Back then, she'd liked hugging him, nuzzling into his shoulder. That scent made her feel safe.

Now, standing here in his pristine office, it only reminded her how far apart they were.

Her eyes fell on the mole beneath his lip.

A small, familiar detail that made him unique.

Uniquely handsome.

After what felt like an eternity, he looked up.

"If you're planning to stand there forever, you should probably consider getting new shoes."

Her face flushed.

She quickly moved forward and sat down as he gestured.

"Yes, CEO," she said quickly.

He set down his mouse and folded his hands. "I think your plan is solid. When do you plan to execute it? Time is tight. This project is important—nationally and for the company."

Lin Yue nodded quickly. "I'll finish the sketch replica over the weekend. I'll bring it Monday. By then, Xu Mingze will likely make a move since it'll be just three days until the bidding."

Liang Yexuan gave a clipped nod. "Good."

A knock sounded.

Jin Shu stepped inside. "The general managers are ready in the meeting room."

Liang Yexuan stood, his tone brisk. "Keep me updated if anything changes."

Lin Yue stood too. "Yes, CEO." She turned and headed out, her heels tapping gently on the tiles.

Behind her, Liang Yexuan's eyes followed her quietly.

His gaze looked complicated as he frowned.

She wasn't what he expected.

He didn't know why he thought so now.

He didn't want to admit it, but she intrigued him.

And that was dangerous.

He shook the thoughts away and strode out adjusting his cufflinks, Jin Shu falling in step behind him.

---

Meanwhile, at Su Private Hospital, beeping monitors filled the sterile room. Old man Su lay still, an oxygen mask strapped to his pale face.

Then… a twitch.

A stir.

Li Yan, sitting beside the bed, gasped. "Zhenghao! Father's waking up!"

Su Zhenghao, who had been pacing while on a call, spun around.

He hung up without thinking as he phone slipped into his pocket and rushed to the bed.

The old man's eyelids fluttered before opening.

His breathing steadied slightly, though his skin still held a waxy pallor.

"Father, can you hear me?" Su Zhenghao asked gently, trying to hide his trembling voice.

Old Man Su gave a small nod.

Relief surged through them both.

But deep in Su Zhenghao's heart, fear lingered.

—

His phone had buzzed every few hours with cold, greedy voices on the other end—his older and younger brother.

"How's father doing? Still alive?"

The tone was always too casual. Too fake.

They were vultures waiting for the lion to die.

And if his father passed… it wouldn't be grief. It would be bloodshed.

The Su Family would tear itself apart.

—

Li Yan quickly pressed the nurse bell.

Moments later, a team of doctors hurried in. "Please wait outside for a moment," one of them said firmly.

Su Zhenghao and Li Yan exchanged a look and stepped out.

Outside, the tension still gripped him. He felt it in his bones.

If the pillar of the family fell, they were finished.

—

The door opened ten minutes later.

The doctor removed his mask. "He's stable. But please… avoid stress or emotional triggers. Any more shocks could be fatal."

"Thank you, doctor," Su Zhenghao said, bowing slightly.

Old Man Su now lay quietly, the oxygen mask removed.

Though pale and frail, his eyes were alert.

Calculating.

"Father, how are you feeling?" Su Zhenghao asked, pulling the chair closer.

"A bit like a boiled vegetable," the old man said hoarsely, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

His eyes then flicked toward Li Yan.

"I'm hungry," he said, voice hoarse. "Go get me something to eat."

Li Yan blinked. "But… Father, you just woke up—"

Then she met his eyes.

Sharp. Clear.

She understood immediately. He wanted to speak to Su Zhenghao in private.

She nodded. "I'll go get something." She slipped out.

—

As the door closed behind her, Old Man Su turned to his second son. "Zhenghao. Come closer."

Su Zhenghao pulled up a chair beside the bed, his expression serious.

"What is it, Father?"

The old man's gaze drifted toward the window.

Light filtered in through blinds, streaking the hospital room in thin lines of warmth.

"When I was asleep… it felt like I was drifting toward death. Like I was standing on the edge of something… a place where all my sins could see me."

Su Zhenghao swallowed hard.

A long pause. Then, the old man spoke again.

"I remembered things I've buried. Old secrets. Old pacts."

Su Zhenghao's breath caught. "Is this... about the Obsidian Fangs?"

The old man's eyes closed for a moment… then slowly opened.

He nodded.

"Yes. It's time you knew everything."

---