The calm didn't last long.
It never did.
The next morning—
The shop opened like usual.
But something felt… off.
Not obvious.
Not immediate.
Just a quiet shift in the air.
Lian Hua noticed it when the first supplier didn't arrive.
"…they're late," she murmured.
Chen Kai checked his phone.
"No message?"
She shook her head.
"…nothing."
An hour passed.
Still nothing.
By midday—
Two more deliveries were missing.
That's when it stopped being coincidence.
"They're pulling back," Chen Kai said quietly.
Lian Hua's chest tightened.
"…because of them."
Not a question.
Because she already knew.
Across the city—
Zhen Wei sat in a meeting.
But his attention wasn't fully there.
"Several partners have withdrawn cooperation," his assistant reported.
His gaze hardened slightly.
"…on whose instruction?"
A pause.
"…internal influence," the assistant replied carefully.
Translation—
His family.
Zhen Wei leaned back slightly.
Silent.
Because this—
Was escalation.
Not subtle.
Not indirect.
Deliberate.
Back at the shop—
Lian Hua stared at the empty delivery space.
This wasn't just pressure anymore.
This was strategy.
"If this continues…" Chen Kai started.
She nodded slowly.
"…we won't have enough stock."
And without stock—
No sales.
No shop.
Her hands tightened slightly.
Because this—
This was exactly what they wanted.
That evening—
Zhen Wei came immediately.
"I'll fix it," he said.
But this time—
Lian Hua shook her head.
"No."
He froze slightly.
"…this isn't something you can handle alone."
"And it's not something you can keep solving for me," she replied.
Silence.
Because both of them were right.
"They're targeting you through me," he said.
"I know."
"And you still won't let me step in?"
She looked at him.
Not afraid.
Not uncertain.
"I'll face it with you," she said.
A pause.
"But not behind you."
Something shifted in his expression.
Because that—
That was what he hadn't had before.
A partner.
Not someone to protect.
Someone to stand with.
Chen Kai watched quietly from inside the shop.
Because now—
Everything was clear.
Not just her choice.
But her direction.
And even though it hurt—
He understood.