Lu Residence – Evening. Study Room.
The grandfather clock chimed softly, but the tension in the room drowned it out.
Lu Haoran stood rigid near the fireplace, his jaw clenched, eyes dark. His voice came low, cold, yet laced with rising fury.
"Just where the hell have you been, Yanzhou?"
Across the room, Lu Yanzhou stood near the window, jacket draped over his arm, shirt collar slightly unbuttoned. Composed. Controlled. Indifferent.
He didn't bother turning around.
"Out." He replied plainly.
Lu Haoran's nostrils flared. "Out? The company's been running on autopilot for two days. Meetings postponed, deals delayed—and you're just 'out'?"
Lu Yanzhou finally turned, gaze sharp as a scalpel. "And yet the stock price rose. Impressive, considering the CEO wasn't around to fumble it."
That hit.
Lu Haoran's eyes burned with humiliation. "Careful how you speak to me. I'm still your father."
"Only biologically," Lu Yanzhou said, voice clipped. "You lost the right to expect respect when you nearly drove Lu Corporation into the ground chasing prestige you didn't earn."
The air turned electric.
But before Lu Haoran could lash back, the door creaked open.
Lu Shiming, the old patriarch, entered with quiet authority, leaning slightly on his cane. His silver eyes swept over the room—and the heat within it.
"Enough," he said, voice calm but final. "We settle things like a family, not like dogs fighting over scraps."
Lu Haoran turned, disbelief and outrage battling in his expression. "You're defending him? He disrespected me in front of—"
"I watched you wreck this company with arrogance and pride ten years ago, Haoran." Lu Shiming's voice was still calm. "Yanzhou clawed it back from the edge. He earned the right to be trusted."
A pause. Sharp. Inevitable.
"Don't confuse your guilt with concern."
The slap of that truth echoed louder than any shout.
Lu Haoran's fists trembled at his sides. He turned to Lu Yanzhou, eyes narrow. "You think this is over? One wrong move, and even your grandfather won't be able to protect you."
Then he left—shoulders stiff with shame.
Silence followed.
Lu Shiming let out a slow breath and lowered himself into the armchair, gesturing for the butler to close the door.
Lu Yanzhou moved to leave.
But the old man spoke again, quieter now. "Yanzhou."
He stopped, head turning slightly.
Lu Shiming studied him with tired, knowing eyes. "You're sharp. Ruthless when needed. The kind of leader this family needs."
A beat.
"But don't make the same mistake your father did. Pride without balance becomes poison."
Lu Yanzhou met his gaze, unreadable as ever. Then gave a curt nod and walked upstairs.
When the door shut behind him, the butler stepped forward with a cup of tea.
"Don't worry, Old Master," the butler said gently. "The young master won't fail. He's not like the last one."
Lu Shiming gave a faint smile—but it didn't reach his eyes.
"I'm not worried about his skill," he murmured. "Or even his ambition."
His fingers tightened on the cane.
"I'm worried he's lost the ability to feel. A man without emotion doesn't just destroy others—"
A pause. Heavy.
"—he eventually destroys himself."
The study fell silent again, save for the quiet tick of the clock… counting down.
***
The sun slanted through the hospital window, casting soft light across the room. Lin Shuyin sat upright, her IV removed, her face pale but steady. Her hair was tied back loosely, and a faint weariness clung to her like a second skin.
The door opened gently.
"Shuyin?"
It was Chen Yuwei, her longtime friend, carrying a small bag of fruit and a warm, relieved smile.
"You're finally awake," Yuwei said, rushing to her side. "You scared the hell out of me."
Lin Shuyin managed a faint smile. "I'm sorry…"
Yuwei sat beside her, taking her hand. "Are you okay? Really?"
"I'm… getting there." She hesitated, lips parting, eyes flickering with something fragile. "Actually, I wanted to ask… if you know anywhere I could stay. And maybe… if there's any work I could take?"
Yuwei blinked. "What?"
Shuyin lowered her gaze, voice small. "I won't be able to go back to my place. I don't have much with me. I just… need a little time to figure things out."
There was a beat of stunned silence before Yuwei's eyes welled up.
"How could you even hesitate to ask?" she said, voice thick. "Of course I'll arrange everything. You can stay with me and I'll help you find something. You don't have to worry about a thing."
Shuyin swallowed, her throat tight. "Thank you…"
Yuwei wiped at her eyes and laughed softly. "If you really want to thank me, then once you're out, cook that dish you made last time for my mom. She's been missing you like crazy—says she still dreams about your braised tofu."
A soft laugh escaped Shuyin's lips, but it trembled.
The warmth in Yuwei's words pierced something inside her. She looked down at her hands.
She had planned to disappear. To vanish without even a word to the people who had loved her, supported her. She hadn't even said goodbye. Hadn't thought she needed to.
But now…
Now it didn't matter.
The fear, the running—it had worn her down. For years, she'd lived looking over her shoulder, carrying a weight no one could see.
But she was done hiding.
If they were coming for her, then let them.
She wouldn't run anymore.
Let them try.