Xinyi: The Uncertainty of Power
"The real question is—who?"
Xinyi's fingers pressed against the lacquered wood of the table, the delicate pattern of age-old craftsmanship grounding her in the moment.
A thin line of steam curled from her untouched tea, its scent rich and complex, a stark contrast to the tightening coil of irritation in her chest.
Across from her, the man who should have inherited both legacies yet belonged to neither watched her with amusement—as if the game they played now was merely an extension of every past conversation they had shared.
"Who?" she repeated, voice steady but carrying an edge.
The flickering candlelight played across his face as he swirled the tea in his cup lazily. Unbothered. Calculating.
"You already understand the significance of that question," he mused. "Why demand the answer from me?"
Xinyi exhaled sharply. He always did this. Circling the truth like a predator toying with its prey.
"Because you enjoy keeping things vague," she said coolly. "Which makes me wonder—" she leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice just enough to make it feel like a whisper against steel, "—what exactly do you gain from the uncertainty?"
For the first time, his fingers stilled against his cup.
She caught it—the barest flicker of reaction.
"If I didn't know better," she continued, "I'd think you wanted me to suspect you."
His expression remained smooth, but something in the air shifted.
"A bold accusation," he murmured, finally setting his cup down.
Xinyi tilted her head, a faint smile touching her lips. "Is it? If you have nothing to hide, why hesitate?"
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken warnings. Then, he exhaled, his fingers tapping lightly against the table.
"I gain nothing from this," he admitted. "But uncertainty… uncertainty keeps you cautious, doesn't it?"
Xinyi's gaze remained locked onto his. A confession and a deflection in one.
"But it also makes you a liability," she countered smoothly. "You've built your existence on staying outside the storm. But the moment I decide you're part of it…"
She let the words trail off, unfinished but perfectly clear.
A long pause.
Then—he smiled.
"Liang Xinyi," he mused, amusement laced through his voice. "I forget how much you remind me of her."
Xinyi didn't need to ask who her was.
Lady Mei.
A woman loved too much. A woman who met her end because of it.
She picked up her teacup, taking a slow sip.
"And yet," she said, setting it down with precision, "I'm still here."
The game continued.
But this time, she had made her move first.
...
Wei: A Trail Gone Cold
Wei and Feng stood outside the dimly lit apartment complex, the streetlights above them flickering slightly.
The address in the worker's file had led them to nothing.
No trace of the man. No belongings left behind. Only the faint remnants of a rushed departure.
Feng skimmed the file, his brow furrowing. "No family listed. No close friends. No outstanding debts. Just… gone."
Wei exhaled through his nose, gaze sweeping the empty space. People didn't just disappear without reason.
This wasn't fear-driven resignation. It was an erasure.
Too fast. Too precise.
A single door down, a neighbor peeked out cautiously. When Feng approached, flashing his badge as Zhang Industries' legal representative, the man hesitated before mumbling, "Saw him leaving last night. Had a suitcase. Kept looking over his shoulder."
Wei's fingers tapped against the file in thought.
Fear was contagious. He had known that from the beginning. But this… this was something else.
A lead—but not the kind he could follow.
His phone vibrated against his palm.
Dr. Elias Qiao: Confirmed appointment. 8 AM tomorrow.
Wei exhaled. If the worker was gone, then he needed another angle.
A forensic consultant wasn't his preferred method of hunting the truth.
But for now? It would have to do.
He turned slightly, glancing at Feng. Wei exhaled slowly, closing the file with a quiet snap.
"People don't vanish without a reason." His voice was flat, but the weight behind it was undeniable.
His gaze flickered to Feng. "Make sure we're the first to find him."