Rain pattered softly against the wide windows of Lin Nian'an's office as she sat alone, the echoes of the morning's battle with the board still buzzing in her chest. Her polished composure remained intact on the outside, but her fingers trembled faintly as they hovered over the keys of her laptop. She wasn't afraid—she was furious. The attempted takedown by Zhou Ming had cracked something open inside her.
She didn't just want to survive in this industry anymore.
She wanted to dominate.
The door creaked open without a knock. Only one person would do that.
Gu Chenyan.
He stood at the threshold in a tailored dark gray suit that looked like it had been cut from shadows. His silver hair was slightly damp from the rain, and his tie was loosened just enough to make him look both dangerous and effortless.
"You're supposed to be celebrating," he said, stepping inside.
"I don't feel like it," she muttered.
He closed the door behind him. "Then we'll make plans for the funeral instead."
She smirked. "For Zhou Ming?"
He nodded. "His career's over. The board won't touch him again. But that doesn't mean his allies are done."
She leaned back in her chair. "Let them come."
Gu Chenyan watched her, admiring the defiance in her tone. But he knew that strength like hers came at a cost. She was burning herself from both ends—boardroom wars by day, emotional landmines by night.
"You can't fight everyone forever," he said quietly.
Her gaze met his, cool and unblinking. "I can fight as long as I have to."
"Then let me take some of the weight."
She said nothing at first. Then she rose from her chair and walked toward him slowly, the click of her heels quiet against the carpet. When she stood before him, close enough to see the flecks of steel in his irises, she asked, "Why are you still here, Gu Chenyan?"
He didn't flinch. "Because I don't want to leave."
"You think this is some kind of redemption arc for us?" she asked, tilting her head. "You think standing next to me while I'm at war will make us whole again?"
He studied her for a moment. "No," he said. "But it's the only way I know how to love you."
The words hit harder than she expected.
She turned away, retreating to the window, watching the city smear behind droplets of rain. "I never asked you to fight for me."
"You didn't have to."
A beat of silence passed between them.
Then she said, "Zhou Ming's replacement will be worse."
"I know."
"We need allies on the board."
"I've already started calling in favors."
She turned back to him, eyes narrowing. "From who?"
He hesitated. "My father."
Her lips parted. "I thought you two hadn't spoken in years."
"We haven't," he said. "But he's still a majority stakeholder in Chenghua Holdings. If he backs you, others will follow."
Lin Nian'an laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You went to the man who made your childhood hell… for me?"
"I didn't do it for you," he said. "I did it because you deserve to win. With or without me."
Her chest tightened, but she shoved the emotion back down where it couldn't betray her.
"I don't want you to bleed on my battlefield," she said softly.
"Too late."
Later that night, Gu Chenyan sat alone in his penthouse, the lights of the city flickering across the sleek marble surfaces like restless ghosts. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The call with his father had been brutal.
"You're asking me to support a woman who was once your weakness," Gu Yuxuan had said. "Why should I help her?"
"She's no one's weakness anymore," Gu Chenyan had replied.
"And what about you?"
Gu Chenyan hadn't answered.
The drink tasted bitter, like memory.
He hated owing his father anything. But for Lin Nian'an, he'd do worse than that.
The next morning brought headlines.
"Leaked Documents Traced to Internal Sabotage — LanTech Board Restructures Imminent"
"Gu Group and LanTech Strategic Alliance Strengthens Despite Attempted Undermining"
In her office, Lin Nian'an stared at her screen as the news rolled in. Her phone buzzed again and again—congratulatory texts, cautious board members seeking favor, and one message that caught her eye.
Unknown number:Congratulations. But be careful who you trust next. Some snakes wear silver.
She frowned.
Silver?
Before she could respond, her assistant knocked and entered. "There's someone here to see you, ma'am. A Miss Wei Jia."
Lin Nian'an's breath caught.
She hadn't heard that name in almost five years.
"Send her in," she said.
The woman who entered was dressed in a cream blazer and stilettos sharp enough to kill. Her dark brown hair was in a sleek bun, and her expression was that of a woman who played chess in her sleep.
"Nian'an," she said, smiling thinly. "It's been a while."
"Wei Jia," Lin Nian'an replied evenly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I hear LanTech's throne is a little wobbly. Thought I'd offer a hand to stabilize it."
Lin Nian'an narrowed her eyes. "You don't do anything without wanting something."
Wei Jia's smile widened. "You're right. I want your partnership."
"Why?"
"Because the people coming after you now aren't just corporate. They're political. And I have contacts you don't."
Lin Nian'an considered her. Once, Wei Jia had been a close friend. Then a rival. Then an enemy.
Now?
Now, she wasn't sure.
"And what do you get out of it?"
Wei Jia's eyes glittered. "A front-row seat when you take down the rest."
That night, Lin Nian'an met Gu Chenyan at the penthouse.
"You didn't tell me you called in your father," she said as she stepped inside, unannounced.
He looked up from his desk. "I didn't think I had to."
"You always think you don't have to explain," she said.
He stood. "Do you want me to apologize for helping you?"
"No," she said. "I want you to stop protecting me like I'm glass."
"You're not glass," he said. "You're the flame."
She paused.
Then she said, "Wei Jia came to see me."
He froze.
"What did she want?"
"To partner. She claims she can help navigate political pressure."
"She can," Gu Chenyan admitted reluctantly. "But she's dangerous."
"So am I," Lin Nian'an said.
They stared at each other for a long time.
Then she stepped forward. "I'm not asking for your approval. Just your honesty."
"I don't trust her."
"Neither do I," she said. "But I might still use her."
Gu Chenyan gave a grim nod. "Then we'll play this carefully."
She hesitated at the door. "And Chenyan?"
He looked up.
She didn't say anything. Just crossed the distance between them and pressed a hand to his chest. His heart thundered beneath it.
"Don't fall in love with me again," she whispered.
He smiled bitterly. "Too late."