THEIR WORTH...

Zhan's gaze remained fixed on the stack of money resting on the dresser—the groom price he had been given.

He understood that marriage carried many meanings for him, but out of all those meanings, the concept of a groom price had never crossed his mind. Even when the monk handed it to him, explaining that it was rightfully his, it still didn't feel real. Not even after he had signed all the documents, each signature tightening the invisible chains around him.

It was only then that Zhan fully grasped the trap he had walked into, blindfolded. He didn't know who Yibo was. He knew nothing about him. In fact, if someone lined him up side by side with another one, he doubted he could even recognize him. Yet, here he was, now legally called Yibo's husband—burdened with responsibilities he didn't even understand.

Well, he did understand them, course he had read about such things before in his studies. But now that they were happening to him, they felt different, foreign. When the monk explained everything, it was as if he wasn't speaking to Zhan at all, but to someone else, while Zhan was merely a bystander. And in that moment, Zhan realized that reality and what Yibo had told the monk were two entirely different things.

Perhaps if the monk had known the full truth, he wouldn't have officiated this marriage. Maybe he would have been searching for a way to expose them instead.

Even now, Zhan wasn't sure if Peng was alive or dead. All he knew was that if Peng was still breathing, his life was still hanging by a thread. Because in the end, whether Peng was alive or not, the punishment for attempt murder remained the same.

That was why Zhan had no choice but to accept this marriage. It was the only way Yibo had promised to clear his name—to prove the truth he already knew.

Yibo had left early in the morning, and now, as nightfall settled, there was no sign of his return. The house was eerily quiet, apart from the occasional murmurs of the security guards stationed outside.

Even those voices had faded now. The silence was overwhelming, leaving Zhan alone with his thoughts. He had spent the entire day in this house without stepping beyond his room or the small space where he had sat the night before. The only interaction he had was when one of the guards knocked and handed him a plastic bag of food—clearly takeout. He had forced himself to eat before slipping back into his endless thoughts.

His mind was a battlefield, constantly weighing the uncertainty of his future. The monk's words haunted him, filling him with unease. But then, he would remember Yibo's promise...

Just as his thoughts threatened to spiral further, a sudden knock at the door shattered the silence.

The sound of persistent knocking echoed from the front door of the sitting room.

Zhan frowned slightly in surprise. He had noticed that the security guards moved freely around the house, even knocking on his bedroom door when bringing him food. But this knocking was different—it was coming from the main entrance.

Who could it be? It certainly wasn't Yibo—he would have known.

As the knocking continued, Zhan quickly made his way to the door, not bothering to overthink it before pulling it open.

To his surprise, two women stood outside, both dressed in long, elegant gowns that reached the floor, their faces adorned with warm smiles.

"Excuse us…"

The older of the two spoke first, her smile widening as she addressed him.

Zhan cleared his throat, quickly schooling his expression into one of polite neutrality.

"We're your neighbors," the woman continued, "and we just wanted to welcome you and congratulate you on your marriage."

Zhan hesitated for a moment, simply staring at them. Was he so shaken by the past few days that he had forgotten how normal life worked?

Snapping out of his thoughts, he forced a small smile and stepped aside, opening the door wider.

"Please, come in. You're welcome."

The women's smiles brightened as they entered, moving with an air of familiarity. Zhan closed the door behind them and followed as they settled into the sitting area.

"What a beautiful home," the older woman commented. "May it bring you happiness and prosperity."

Zhan nodded politely but didn't respond. Instead, he turned and quickly retrieved two bottles of water that had been left for him earlier.

"Oh, there was no need for that!" the woman laughed lightly. "We're neighbors, after all. You should relax."

"How are you settling in?" she asked.

"We're fine," Zhan answered, his eyes drifting toward the younger woman who had remained mostly silent. She seemed younger than her companion, yet something about her struck him as odd. Maybe it was just his imagination, but her features felt strangely unfamiliar, she didn't look like a woman at all... Rather a man or transgender.

"We live just next door," the older woman continued. "When we heard that someone had moved in, we thought we'd stop by. The place has been so quiet and empty for so long."

Zhan forced another smile, but it felt off, as if his lips and his emotions weren't in sync. Before he could respond, the sound of the front gate opening caught their attention.

He barely had time to process it before the younger woman subtly adjusted her posture, and the older one spoke again.

"Oh, is that your husband? I believe his name is Yibo?"

Zhan stiffened slightly, his gaze snapping back to the younger woman, who had moved her hands inside the sleeve of her gown. A strange unease settled in his chest. He wasn't sure why, but suddenly, he didn't trust them.

Something about them was… off.

"Yes," he answered cautiously.

"Ah, so you're his husband?"

Zhan blinked, confusion flickering across his face.

"What?"

"I asked if you're his husband," the woman repeated, her tone casual yet oddly probing.

But… hadn't she just referred to Yibo as the head of the house? Why was she now asking this?

Before Zhan could formulate an answer, the front door swung open.

Yibo stepped inside at that exact moment, and as Zhan looked up, their eyes locked.

Something flickered in Yibo's gaze—something unreadable, something sharp. But just as quickly, his expression shifted, and he turned his attention to the two women, who had also turned to look at him.

One second. Two. Three…

Yibo studied them with an intensity that made Zhan uneasy.

Instinctively, Zhan pushed himself up from his seat and spoke, the words leaving his lips before his mind had time to process them.

"They're our neighbors… they stopped by to welcome us."

Yet even as he said it, Yibo's focus wasn't on him but on the womens—who were still staring at him.

"Ah, welcome," the older woman greeted again, her voice smooth and pleasant.

Yibo, however, merely inclined his head.

"Thank you for stopping by," he said flatly. "You may leave now."

Zhan wasn't the only one caught off guard. The two women blinked, momentarily taken aback by his abrupt dismissal. The older one even opened her mouth as if to protest but then stopped herself, schooling her expression into another smile.

"Of course," she said smoothly, rising to her feet. "We appreciate your time. We'll see you around, then, won't we, grooms?"

Zhan didn't answer.

They both stood, moving toward the door. Before they could reach it, Yibo stepped ahead and pulled it open for them.

"See you soon then," the older woman said, glancing at him as they passed.

"Likewise," Yibo responded, his tone indifferent as he shut the door behind them.

Zhan quickly rushed to the sitting room window and pulled back the curtain. He saw the two women leaving, and just beyond them, Yibo knocking on the security room door. The guards stepped out and stood before him. The window was closed, so Zhan couldn't hear what Yibo was saying, but the conversation lasted a while before Yibo finally turned back toward the house.

Zhan quickly let the curtain fall back into place. At first, he considered retreating to his room, but instead, he chose to sit in one of the chairs in the sitting room.

He heard Yibo's sandals as he entered the house. Without even thinking, Zhan turned to look at him. Yibo lifted a hand, gesturing for him to follow, then walked down the hallway leading deeper into the house.

At first, Zhan didn't understand, but after a moment, he stood up and followed, his heart telling him this must be Yibo's room. He hadn't seen Yibo anywhere else the night before, so this had to be where he had spent the night.

The door wasn't locked, and when Zhan pushed it open, it swung back effortlessly.

Just as he expected—it was a bedroom. Similar to the one he was staying in, it was furnished with a bed and all the necessities. Papers were scattered across the bed, and Yibo sat at the edge, turning on a laptop. He looked up and gestured for Zhan to come closer.

Zhan hesitated for a second before sitting in one of the single chairs in the room. As he moved, a lump formed in his throat, and he felt the fabric of his loose pants brushing against his legs. A strange feeling settled in him—was he in trouble for letting those women in? But that wasn't even the biggest concern in his mind right now. There was something much heavier between him and Yibo, things that needed to be addressed, especially the matter of proving his innocence.

"Have you eaten?"

That wasn't the question Zhan had expected. He quickly nodded, shifting in his seat.

"Good."

Yibo fell silent, typing on his laptop for a moment before finally looking up again.

"Zhan, a lot has happened in these past few days—things neither of us planned for. Fate has thrown challenges at us in unexpected ways, and we need to sit down and address them one by one if we want to move forward."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "The reason we met… was because of Peng's death."

Zhan's head shot up, his eyes widening. Peng's death? So it was true? He was really dead? Did that mean he was a murderer?

But then, Yibo shook his head.

"Don't worry, Zhan. Even in the eyes of the law, you are not guilty. Everything that happened was in self-defense. And as for Peng… his time had come. That was his fate."

Zhan exhaled shakily, but Yibo continued.

"The important thing now is proving that to the world—clearing your name in a way that, even if this case were taken to court, no one could find you guilty. That's what I'm working on now."

Yibo paused, as if considering his next words carefully.

"The second thing… I know you still don't know much about me, and honestly, there isn't much to tell. I have no family. Both of my parents passed away, and I have no siblings. The people you see around me are either friends or colleagues."

He leaned back slightly.

"My work involves investigating things that shouldn't be happening. I used to work for an organization, but I left them. Now, I've taken on a new job here in this city. That's why we came here and why we're staying in this house."

Zhan nodded slightly, absorbing the information.

"And as I told you before, I don't like living with someone under unclear circumstances. It's not good for either of us. Especially with my job, it's risky. That's why, when you told me you don't know your family, I decided that marriage would be the best solution. Not because I think you have nowhere to go, but because I wanted to make sure that, when all of this is over, you can walk away without any problems from people questioning why you stayed with me."

Yibo's voice remained steady.

"I also want you to keep seeing this marriage the way we originally agreed to it. It's just a word—a way for us to deal with the situation we're in. Nothing more. Whatever that monk said about marriage doesn't apply to us, Zhan. Live your life as you see fit. This arrangement is just a shield, a way to keep everything in order until all of this is over. That's all."

He ended his speech with a single question.

"Do you understand?"

And in that moment, Zhan wasn't sure if he truly did.

:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*

At exactly nine o'clock at night, Shi Lei finally returned to his room, exhausted from the day's chaos. It had been a long day, filled with relentless efforts to restore order to his affairs.

Ever since it became clear that Yibo was an undercover officer who had been monitoring him for a long time, Shi Lei had seen a significant decline in his standing with his superior. A new assignment had come up, yet he was completely left out. On top of that, Peng's death and the consequences that followed only added to his troubles.

That was why he had been adamant about ensuring that the true cause of Peng's death remained hidden—not just to punish Yibo now that his superior had ordered him to be found, but also to steer suspicion away from his wife, Qian. She had long believed that their past was coming back to haunt them, and if she discovered that Peng's death wasn't due to Yibo as suspected, she would only double down on her intentions.

Shi Lei knew that even now, she wouldn't give up. That's why he had taken early action against her. He had convinced the officer handling the case to keep a close watch on her, ensuring that any moves she made would be known to him. But in the end, it seemed he didn't even need to explain much—because the large sum of money he handed over was more than enough to make the officer act immediately.

Without hesitation, the officer had taken one of the surveillance recorders they used in their operations and assigned a female officer, disguised as one of the visitors offering condolences, to sneak into Qian's room and install the device in a well-hidden spot.

Now, after spending the entire day struggling to stabilize his gas company— which had been thrown into disarray since Peng's death—his first priority was to check the surveillance footage. He didn't even bother with dinner or allow anyone near his quarters.

Shedding anything weighing him down, Shi Lei pulled out the computer connected to the hidden recorder in Qian's room. He had no idea how much time passed as he listened to the recordings, skipping through most of it—until he reached a conversation between her and her close friend, A-Dan. At first, he almost dismissed it as they were only discussing Peng's death, but then...

A sharp phrase caught his ear. The topic of their conversation had shifted.

It changed into exactly what he had been hoping—and waiting—to hear. The recording wasn't the clearest, as it also picked up the noise of people outside, but despite that, he caught every word. He heard everything Qian had said. He understood her intentions, her plans, and her suspicions.

A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips.

Qian had no idea what she was up against.

Perhaps time had made her forget who Shi Lei truly was—or that he always achieved whatever he set his sights on, no matter what it took.

If she thought she could outmaneuver him, she was sorely mistaken. If she believed she could expose him to the world, she was deluding herself.

And if she thought she could destroy the reputation he had built—she was dead wrong.

The recording continued playing, capturing every conversation that had taken place in Qian's room that day. Once Shi Lei was certain he had obtained everything he needed, he reached out and switched it off.

Just as he did, his phone rang, as if perfectly timed for the moment his mind was most prepared to receive whatever news was coming.

His eyes flicked to the screen, and the name that appeared made his pulse spike. It was his superior—Yang Tao. Without hesitation, his hand trembled slightly as he picked up the call. Only after settling back into his chair did he press the phone to his ear.

"Good evening, sir."

"Shi Lei..."

His superior's voice was steady, almost casual, but there was a weight behind it, as though he was chewing on something.

"Yes, sir."

Shi Lei's body remained motionless, his full attention locked onto the voice on the other end. If Yang Tao was calling him directly, it could only mean one thing—it was something of extreme importance.

"Ping has found the location of the boy who killed your son. Yibo, right? That's his name?"

:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*

The door creaked open, and two women dressed in long robes stepped inside. The younger of the two wasted no time. She pulled off her robe, along with the rest of the disguises that had altered her appearance, revealing her true self—a man. Without hesitation, he tossed the discarded clothing aside.

"Boss, I told you I nailed it, didn't I?"

The real woman smirked, confident that her mission had been a success. She had been hired to infiltrate a household and extract crucial information, and she was certain she had done just that.

The man turned to her, shooting her a sharp glare before reaching into the drawer in front of him. He grabbed a thick stack of cash—nearly a hundred thousand—and tossed it her way.

"Take it and leave. Now."

His voice was laced with frustration—frustration over failing to uncover everything he had been sent to find in Yibo's house.

The older woman quickly bent down, snatching the money before it could even hit the floor. Her hands trembled as she muttered words of gratitude, then hurried out of the room.

Once she was gone, the man reached for a tablet beside him. His fingers moved swiftly across the screen, searching until he landed on the one thing he needed—the number of his only true superior, the man who had assigned him this mission.

The call rang once… twice… it continued for what felt like forever before—

Click. The call was answered.

Before the video fully connected, a cloud of smoke drifted across the screen. The swirling haze cleared just enough to reveal the face of an older man, his features sharp, a pipe in hand.

"What's the update? Did you find him?"

The man on the other end quickly nodded, then hesitated, shaking his head right after.

"I found the house, sir. I'm certain they're the ones. But I wasn't able to gather the rest of the intel."

The old man took another slow drag from his pipe, exhaling a thick stream of smoke that briefly obscured his face before he spoke again.

"Don't worry, Shada. There's no rush. Now that we have his location, the hardest part is done. Stay there, keep your cover among the people, and wait for further orders."

Shada nodded, straightening his posture.

"Understood, Ping, Sir!"

Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛