By the time they arrived at the Zhu villa, night had already settled in.
The house was quiet, lights warm against the darkness outside.
Zihan went upstairs without saying much, heading straight to wash up. His movements were slower than usual, the exhaustion in his body finally catching up to him.
Downstairs, Guo Min moved silently in the kitchen and simply made soup. Something simple, warm and light.
When she was done, she placed it neatly on the dining table and sat down to wait.
Minutes passed.
Then footsteps.
Zihan walked in.
His hair was slightly damp, sleeves rolled casually, but there was something different about him tonight. Something softer.
His lips curved into a faint smile when he saw her sitting there. "…Thank you," he said quietly as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
"You're welcome," Guo Min replied calmly.
She watched him take a few spoons before speaking again, her tone neutral, almost detached.
"Make sure you take your medicine after eating." She stood up, reaching for her bag. "Ruoxi is probably waiting for me at home."
She had barely taken a step when his voice stopped her. "…Aren't you going to stay?"
Zihan stood up immediately, moving toward her.
There was something almost urgent in his movement.
Guo Min turned, raising a brow slightly. "While I do care about you," she said evenly, "I won't forgive you just because you're injured, Zihan."
Her gaze held his. "It was your mistake. You need to learn to take responsibility for it."
Zihan's throat tightened. "…I said I'm sorry," he said, voice lower now. "But I don't think that's enough." A pause. "So I'll do whatever you want me to do... Please, Guo Min."
For a brief second, something flickered in her eyes. But it disappeared just as quickly. "Maybe Brother Yufan was right about you," she said slowly.
Zihan stiffened.
"Maybe you're not the one for me." Her voice didn't rise, but each word landed heavier than the last. "Maybe we didn't notice how incompatible we are because we rushed into marriage."
Silence filled the space between them.
"You don't have to beg me," she continued. "Our relationship started on lies and empty promises." She paused. "That's what you need to fix. Make it up to me. And to everyone who got hurt because of you."
Then, unexpectedly, she smiled. "So for now… you're on probation."
Zihan blinked.
"When you figure things out," she added, turning away, "you know where to find me." And then she left.
The door closed. Zihan stood there, his ego was first to take a hit before his body panicked.
His chest tightened slightly, his breathing uneven.
She wasn't just angry, she was… pulling away, that was something he had never learned how to handle.
He didn't even look at the soup again but immediately grabbed his keys and rushed out.
Zhu Mansion.
Dinner was still ongoing when he walked in.
His sudden appearance made all three people at the table look up.
Grandpa Zhu.
Zixuan.
And Li Yan.
"Zihan?" Li Yan immediately stood, her brows knitting together at the sight of him.
His hair wasn't fully dry.
His clothes slightly disordered.
His expression… off.
That wasn't her son.
Not the composed, controlled man everyone knew. "What's wrong?" she asked, stepping closer.
Zihan hesitated. And that alone shocked everyone at the table. "…Mom," he said finally. His voice wasn't steady. "I need to talk to you."
That made his father and grandfather exchange a look in little disbelief.
Li Yan, however, didn't question it, she simply nodded gently. "Alright," she said softly. "Come with me." And he followed behind.
In a small living room upstairs, the atmosphere was quiet. Zihan sat across from his mother, his back straight, his hands resting stiffly on his knees. For a man who commanded boardrooms and controlled empires with ease, he looked… out of place. "…Mom, I…" he started.
Then stopped, the words sat heavy in his throat, refusing to come out, the silence stretched too long.
Li Yan watched him for a moment before sighing softly, deciding to break it. "…This is about Guo Min, isn't it?"
Zihan's fingers tightened slightly. "…Yes."
He exhaled slowly, like even admitting it took effort. "She… came to see me today," he continued. "We talked. She even made me soup…"
A faint, almost confused smile flickered across his lips, like he was still trying to understand it. "So I thought… everything was alright again.". Then the smile disappeared. "But I was wrong, Mom."
His voice dropped. "I don't know what to do. The more I try to reach her… the more she pulls away, help me, Mom… please."
"I don't know why," he continued, his voice lowered slightly, "but my chest… it tightens whenever she looks at me…"
He paused, jaw clenching. "…like I'm some kind of criminal, almost got her friend killed, …Love isn't meant to hurt this much."
Silence fell again.
And Li Yan didn't rush to fill it. She reached for her glass of juice, taking a slow sip before setting it back on the small table between them. Then she sighed.
"I thought I gave birth to a smart child," she said calmly. Zihan glanced up slightly.
"But your emotional intelligence…" she continued, shaking her head lightly, "…is dangerously close to zero, Zihan."
And He didn't even argue, because deep down, he knew she wasn't wrong.
"Guo Min isn't a difficult woman to please," Li Yan went on. "In fact, she's one of the easiest."
That made his brows knit slightly. "…She is?"
"Yes," Li Yan said firmly. "But only for someone who understands her." She leaned back slightly, studying him.
"My son has everything, power, wealth, influence," she said. "But when it comes to emotions…". A small pause. "You are too indifferent."
Zihan's gaze dropped.
"It's not that you don't care," she added. "You do, but it takes too much for you to show it."
Her words were calm, but they cut clean.
"Do you know what kind of man Guo Min needs?" she asked.
He stayed silent.
"She needs someone who makes her feel safe," Li Yan said. "Not just physically but emotionally, I'm not saying you don't love Guo Min ...You do, but you make her feel like she has to guess it".
Li Yan leaned forward slightly, her gaze unwavering. "You hid a huge part of your life from her," she said calmly, "and because of that… she and the people she loves were exposed to danger."
The words settled heavily in the room.
Zihan exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through his hair, the tension in his shoulders showing. "…Then what should I do, Mom?" he asked quietly.
Li Yan didn't answer immediately.
She studied him for a moment. "Own up to your mistakes," she said finally. "And be an open book to her."
A brief pause.
"Dear," she continued, her tone softening, "you've become too independent… so much that you've learned to live detached from people."
Zihan's gaze lowered slightly.
"And that might have helped you in business," she added, "but it will destroy your relationships." She tilted her head slightly, her eyes gentler now. "If you want to be better… you have to let that go."
Another pause.
"Your flaws, your strengths, your weaknesses…" she said. "Stop hiding them."
"Stop controlling how much she gets to see of you." Her voice dropped slightly. "Because love doesn't grow in half - truths."
Zihan went still.
"Lying... whether by words or by silence only ruins things," she finished quietly.
The room fell silent again.
Then Li Yan stood up. "And Zihan," she added softly.
He looked up at her.
"Love does hurt," she said. "But only when you're doing it wrong."
A faint, knowing smile touched her lips. "You are my son." A small pause. "You'll figure it out." She turned and walked toward the door, her steps calm, unhurried. Then she left.