Chapter 5: Beneath the Surface
1137 Words
The picture was still sitting on my desk, the words etched into my mind.
“Do you really think he’s your savior?”
I had no idea who had sent it. No idea what their intention was. But the question lingered, gnawing at me with every passing minute. Was Zihan really the person he appeared to be? Or was there something darker beneath his polished exterior?
I wanted to believe in him. I wanted to trust him, to think that this fake engagement—this entire deal—wasn’t just a pawn in his game. But the more I tried to ignore the nagging doubts, the more they grew.
I had to find out.
⸻
As the day passed, the pressure at the office grew. The news of our engagement had spread, and people were watching every move we made. It wasn’t just the media. His colleagues. My family. Everyone had an opinion, and it seemed like Wu Zihan was at the center of it all.
By midday, I was called into a meeting with Zihan’s family.
I had seen the Wú family at the press conference, of course—his father, a formidable figure in the business world, and his mother, a woman who exuded cold elegance. But today, I was stepping into their world more intimately.
It wasn’t a meeting I wanted to attend.
⸻
“Li Xue,” Zihan’s mother greeted me with an unsettling smile as I entered their grand office. “It’s lovely to meet you in person.”
“Thank you,” I said, trying to match her calmness, though I could feel the unease stirring inside me. There was an air of expectation, of scrutiny.
“This engagement is a good step forward,” his father added, his gaze sharp, calculating. “A strategic move.”
I nodded, forcing myself to hold my ground. “I’m happy to be of help.”
Zihan’s father gave me a measured look. “Help? It seems more like you’re getting something out of this as well.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. The whole thing felt like a transaction—a business deal—and his family was treating me like a tool. His father clearly saw the engagement as nothing more than a corporate strategy, and I was just the heiress of Zhōu Corporation. A simple arrangement.
But the tension in the air was palpable, like there was something they weren’t saying.
Zihan’s mother leaned forward, her gaze flicking to me as if assessing my worth. “You’ll need to hold up your end of the bargain. We’ve heard good things about your family, but remember, the Wú family doesn’t settle for second best.”
I swallowed hard. “I understand.”
Zihan didn’t say a word throughout the meeting, his eyes fixed on a point beyond me. The silence between us felt suffocating, as if the pretend bride persona I was supposed to wear had already started cracking under the pressure.
⸻
When the meeting finally ended, I left the Wú family’s office feeling more unsettled than ever. Zihan hadn’t spoken a word about it afterward. He just stood there, silent, and when I tried to catch his attention, he walked ahead without a glance.
I couldn’t read him. And I didn’t like it.
⸻
That evening, I found myself back at my apartment, pacing back and forth. The call from Zékǎi that I had ignored earlier still haunted me. He’d asked for a second chance, but I couldn’t bring myself to face him. Not after everything.
But even as I thought about him, another thought crept in. What if Zihan wasn’t all that different from Zékǎi?
I shook my head, trying to shake the thoughts away. I couldn’t let myself go down that path again. I was done with betrayal, done with people who didn’t take me seriously. I had a plan now. A new life.
But then, just as I was about to call it a night, my phone buzzed.
It was a text from Zihan.
⸻
“Meet me at the office.”
No explanation. No reasoning. Just those three words.
I hesitated, staring at the message for a few moments. What was this about? Why now, of all times?
I couldn’t resist the pull of curiosity. Whatever it was, I knew I needed answers.
⸻
When I arrived at the office, the lights were dimmed, and the silence felt suffocating. Zihan was standing by the window, his back to me. The moment I stepped inside, he turned, his expression unreadable.
“I wasn’t sure where to find you,” I said, my voice breaking the tension.
He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his eyes lingered on me as if weighing something—something I wasn’t privy to. Finally, he spoke, his voice low.
“You need to understand,” he began, his eyes narrowing as he took a step closer. “This engagement is not just a business transaction for my family.”
I crossed my arms, determined not to let him intimidate me. “Then what is it?”
He stared at me for a moment longer, then sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s personal.”
That word hung in the air between us.
“Personal?” I repeated, my heartbeat quickening. “What does that mean?”
“I didn’t ask for this arrangement,” Zihan said suddenly, his gaze intense. “I didn’t choose you. Not in the way you think.”
I blinked, confusion washing over me. “Then why are we doing this?”
He looked at me then, as though for the first time truly seeing me. “Because I have to.”
The answer hung between us, unresolved, and my chest tightened. There was a reason, a deeper reason, that he had agreed to this marriage. I could see it in his eyes—the hesitation, the reluctance. Something he wasn’t telling me. Something he couldn’t.
I stepped closer, the tension thickening. “You’re lying.”
Zihan didn’t flinch. Instead, he met my gaze, his expression unreadable. “If you don’t want to do this anymore, Li Xue… it’s your choice. But understand, the Wú family doesn’t let people walk away so easily.”
His words lingered in the air as I tried to process them.
For the first time, I saw the real Zihan. The man hiding something deeper. And I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face what lay beneath the surface.
⸻
I left the office with more questions than answers, but one thing was clear: this wasn’t just about business anymore. Whatever was going on, whatever secret he was hiding—it was bigger than both of us.
And the truth? It was starting to feel like a bomb waiting to explode.
- Writer
