The sun shimmered softly over the vast blue ocean.
Near the shoreline, a girl in a baby-pink dress laughed as the cool waves touched her feet. Her long hair danced freely in the sea breeze, and oversized sunglasses rested comfortably on her face. Anyao Shen looked peaceful—untouched by the chaos of the world.
She bent down, letting the seawater run through her fingers, as if trying to wash away thoughts she never spoke aloud.
"ANYAO! ANYAO SHEN!"
A familiar voice echoed loudly across the beach.
Anyao paused.
She straightened up and lifted her sunglasses just as a girl came running toward her at full speed, waving her arms like her life depended on it.
Emma.
Before Anyao could react, Emma crashed into her and wrapped her in a tight hug, nearly knocking her off balance.
"Emma!" Anyao laughed. "What's wrong with you?"
Breathing heavily, Emma finally pulled back, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Something BIG!" she announced dramatically.
Anyao crossed her arms.
"Now tell me properly. What happened?"
Emma suddenly grabbed her hands.
"Let's go to China."
Anyao froze.
After a brief pause, she lowered her sunglasses completely and looked at Emma seriously.
"No," she said calmly. "I'm happy here in LA."
Emma gasped.
"Oh my God, please!" she begged. "I want to go to China!"
Anyao raised an eyebrow.
"And what will you do there?"
Emma pointed at her confidently.
"You're Chinese, but you have American citizenship. I'm American. You've already seen my country—now it's my turn to see yours!"
Anyao sighed.
"So?"
Emma pouted.
"Please! Just once. Your country is mysterious, powerful, and beautiful. I want to experience it."
Anyao looked back at the ocean, silent for a moment.
"Alright," she finally said.
"I'll think about it and tell you after one week."
Emma screamed in excitement and hugged her again.
Anyao smiled faintly—but somewhere deep inside, a strange uneasiness stirred.
Scene Shift — Shen Residence, Shanghai
The doorbell rang sharply through the luxurious Shen house.
Wang Shen walked toward the door and opened it, her expression calm and composed.
Zeyu Shen stood outside—her husband.
"Welcome home," she said.
Everything appeared normal.
They sat together briefly, exchanging casual words. Zeyu loosened his tie and leaned back on the sofa. Wang Shen turned toward the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.
Just as she took a sip, Zeyu Shen spoke casually—too casually.
"Where were you last evening?"
Wang Shen stopped.
Her fingers tightened around the glass.
She turned slowly, her expression stiff.
Zeyu stood up and walked toward her, his eyes sharp.
"Tell me," he said coldly.
"Where were you last evening?"
Her heartbeat raced.
Due to her nervousness, the glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.
"I—I went out shopping," she replied quickly.
Zeyu stared at her for a long moment before chuckling softly.
"Why didn't you just say that clearly?"
He turned toward the maid.
"Clean up the broken glass."
Wang Shen wiped the sweat from her forehead, forcing herself to breathe normally.
But inside, fear crept silently.
Next Morning — Mo Residence
The first rays of sunlight touched Zichen Mo's face.
His eyes opened instantly.
Discipline had become his habit.
He rose early, completed his morning routine, and went for a brisk walk followed by yoga. For Zichen, physical control meant mental strength.
Back in his room, he sat down for meditation, his breathing steady and focused.
Suddenly—
The door burst open.
His elder sister, Lianxin Mo, stormed inside, her face filled with frustration.
"Zichen!" she snapped.
"Answer the call from your assistant—Mr. Beichen Xu!"
Zichen opened his eyes immediately and picked up the phone.
"Hello, Mr. Xu. Can you hear me clearly?"
"Yes, sir," Xu replied urgently.
"Sir, the ideas for your upcoming contract were stolen last night."
Zichen's expression darkened.
"The security was extremely strict," he said calmly.
"How is this possible?"
"Sir," Xu continued, his voice tense,
"Some of our staff tried to stop them. They're injured. We've already called the police—investigation is ongoing."
A dangerous silence followed.
Then Zichen spoke, his voice cold and steady.
"Stay there. I'm coming."
He ended the call.
The calm in the room shattered.
Enemies were no longer hiding.
Someone had made their move.
And this time, it was a direct attack.
Zichen Mo stood up slowly, his eyes burning with determination.
The game had begun.