Zhang Xiao forced himself to stop thinking about Liu Yifei. The darkness in his eyes deepened.
He could not move.
Not his arms.
Not his legs.
Even turning his body was impossible. Only his head and his eyes, still obeyed him.
"Bai."
His voice was calm, low… yet absolute.
"Take me back to my room."
Without a second of hesitation, Bai gently turned the wheelchair and began pushing it forward.
"Call Song Jun," Zhang Xiao ordered again.
Bai immediately took out his phone, dialed the number, and held it close to Zhang Xiao's ear.
Throughout the call, Zhang Xiao's gaze remained fixed on the empty space ahead.
His face showed no emotion.
But inside his thoughts were cold, sharp, and merciless.
He barely spoke to anyone in this house.
But Bai was different. To the outside world, Bai was just a male nurse.
To Zhang Xiao—
A personal aide.
A shadow.
A man skilled in every field imaginable.
Not someone who merely took care of his body but someone who guarded his power.
If it concerned Zhang Xiao—
Bai would cross any line without hesitation.
Scene Shift
On the other side"
Liu Yifei.
Inside the Liu family mansion.
They had returned from Shanghai two days ago.
And in those two days, Liu Yifei had not slept peacefully even once.
After finishing all the household chores and preparing lunch, Liu Yifei finally retreated to her room. She took a shower, changed her clothes, and sat quietly on the edge of the bed, hoping to rest" if only for a moment.
But rest never came.
What had happened in the hospital two days ago refused to leave her mind.
How could she forget? Her life was about to change. In just a few days, she would no longer belong to this house.
Her address would change.
And perhaps… even her name.
Liu would become Xiao.
Flashback
That day at the hospital—
Xiao Hua's taunting words had drained the color from Liu Yifei's face. She had never wanted this marriage. Yet somehow, everyone made it seem as if she were the one desperately clinging to it.
Liu Jian and Li Mengya clearly understood the sarcasm hidden in Xiao Hua's words, but instead of supporting Liu Yifei, they chose silence.
An awkward smile. As if none of it concerned them.
Xiao Lajiao noticed everything.
It was the first time she had seen such an attitude from her daughter-in-law—and it angered her.
At the same time, she felt a sharp sting of pity for Liu Yifei.
But scolding her daughter-in-law in front of outsiders would only damage the family's dignity.
So she changed the topic. She held Liu Yifei's hand again and looked at her with a gentle smile. It was not a smile of happiness,
but one of reassurance.
And Liu Yifei understood it perfectly.
No matter how badly others treated her in that room, this old woman and her husband would never hurt her.
Liu Yifei returned the smile.
But the very next moment, She stiffened.
Because the old woman was already holding her hand and leading her toward the man lying silently on the hospital bed.
Liu Yifei had no choice but to follow the old woman. Within moments, the two of them reached the hospital bed. The man sitting on it did not look at her even once.
Zhang Xiao's gaze was fixed on his grandmother, his eyes filled with silent questions, as if asking her without words:
Was everything I just heard… really true?
Xiao Lajiao saw the doubt in her grandson's eyes, but she did not think this was the right moment to answer him, not in front of everyone.
Turning to Liu Yifei, she said gently,
"Child, meet my grandson—your future husband.
He doesn't talk much and has a bit of a temper,
but his heart is kind."
Then she looked at Zhang Xiao.
"And Zhang Zhang, this is the girl I told you about a few days ago.
She is very sweet.
I'm sure you'll like her."
At those words, Liu Yifei and Zhang Xiao looked at each other at the same time.
Zhang Xiao could not tolerate the girl standing in front of him for even a single second longer.
Yet, because of his grandmother, He forced himself to look at her. His expression was openly disgusted.
Cold.
Repulsed.
Unhidden.
Seeing the terrifying darkness in his eyes, Liu Yifei felt fear crawl up her spine.
Still, she forced a smile and said softly,
"Hello, Mr. Xiao.
My name is Liu Yifei.
It's nice to meet you.
I hope we can get along well in the future."
She spoke every word clearly, Yet she did not mean a single one of them.
On the other hand, hearing her sweet yet hollow words only fueled Zhang Xiao's anger.
He chose to ignore her.
He did not nod.
He did not respond.
Instead, he turned his gaze away and slowly closed his eyes again.
As if—
There was no one standing in front of him.
As if Liu Yifei were invisible.
As if she did not exist at all.
His rude behavior hurt Liu Yifei deeply.
But at the same time, a fragile hope rose inside her— If he refuses this marriage.. maybe it won't happen. Maybe I can escape.
That hope shattered instantly.
Because the old woman's voice rang out beside her.
"Zhang Xiao."
The tone was slightly raised.
Xiao Lajiao did not like what she had just witnessed, the way her grandson had treated the poor girl. Hearing his grandmother's angry voice for the first time, Zhang Xiao opened his eyes again.
Disbelief flashed through them.
She's angry at me?
For this useless girl?
He had only ignored her.
What sin had he committed
that the grandmother who never scolded him
was now calling his full name instead of his nickname?
His gaze darkened further. Once again, he looked at Liu Yifei, This time with pure hatred. Everyone in the room watched this silent confrontation.
The elderly couple could no longer tolerate their grandson's disrespect. Xiao Zhadan stepped forward and stood beside his wife.
Looking at his only grandson, he said gently.
"Zhang Zhang, you should be a little more respectful to Miss Liu.
Is this what we taught you—
to behave this way in front of guests?"
Seeing her son being humiliated in front of outsiders" Xiao Hua could no longer control herself. She rushed to Zhang Xiao's side and said firmly, "Mom, Dad—
You cannot scold or embarrass my son like this, because of some outsider girl. It is my son's choice whether he wants to talk to her or not."
Ignoring Xiao Hua completely, Xiao Lajiao turned toward Liu Yifei again. She held her hand tightly and said gently, "I'm sorry, child.
Didn't I tell you already? My grandson has a bad temper, but he has a good heart."
Then, with absolute certainty, she continued"
"Today, I promise you—
within one week, you will marry my grandson
and enter this house as Xiao Zhang's wife."
Before Liu Yifei could even react, the old woman added, "But before that,
there's one thing I need to ask you."
She looked directly into Liu Yifei's eyes, hope shining clearly within them.
"Are you happy with this marriage?
Do you want to marry my grandson?"
As if afraid Liu Yifei might escape, She tightened her grip on her hand, waiting desperately for a positive answer.
The room fell into shock.
Everyone was stunned.
But the most shocked of all— Was Liu Yifei.
She didn't want to marry so soon.
She was only twenty.
And to marry a man who clearly despised her
along with a family that didn't welcome her?
Yet she could not escape the hopeful gaze of the old woman. She wanted to refuse.
She truly did. She closed her eyes, gathering all her courage to say no.
But when she opened them—
She saw her father and stepmother standing behind the old woman. Joy was clearly written on their faces. Their eyes warned her silently— Do not dare refuse.
If you do, you will regret it.
Liu Jian and Li Mengya were the first to recover from the shock. In their minds, their dreams were already coming true.
Luxury.
Wealth.
Power.
They decided then and there, No matter what, Liu Yifei must agree to this marriage.
Refusal was not an option.
Zhang Xiao, on the other hand, Prayed silently that she would say no.
But the very next second Liu Yifei's voice echoed clearly through the room.
"Fine.
I agree to the marriage."
At that moment, Rage exploded in Zhang Xiao's eyes. And all of it was directed at Liu Yifei.