---
The figure looked like the woman in his dream.
Liang Yexuan sat up straighter in the backseat of his luxurious black car, his sharp gaze narrowing as it pierced through the tinted window.
The figure looked like the woman in his dream.
Liang Yexuan's eyes locked on the sidewalk just as the figure disappeared behind a large advertising board.
His heart skipped a beat, and for a second, he forgot to breathe.
"Stop the car," he ordered.
The driver hit the brakes softly.
Liang Yexuan flung the door open and stepped out, his eyes scanning the street.
But there was no one.
Just the wind rustling through trees, the distant hum of traffic, and pedestrians lost in their own worlds.
He frowned, his gaze still darting left and right.
Nothing.
Nobody.
Just a mother holding a child's hand, a delivery guy cycling off, and a flower vendor closing her cart with pedestrians walking on their ways.
With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and returned to the car.
He must be tired.
He must be hallucinating.
The car moved again, the hum of the engine blending into the silence around him.
But his mind wasn't quiet. The image lingered.
That back view... just like the woman from my dreams.
---
By the sidewalk, Lin Yue stood next to Ma Zhen, waiting for the bus.
She looked ahead quietly, her emotions tucked deep within her, her hand unconsciously brushing her flat stomach.
"Where do you live, Lin Yue?" Ma Zhen asked casually.
"Yunhe Garden," she replied softly.
Ma Zhen raised his brows, clearly surprised and impressed. "That's a high-end place. Thought only the upper-class could afford it."
She offered a faint smile, not offering any further explanation.
Before he could ask more, the bus arrived.
They both boarded, finding seats beside each other.
He chatted lightly about work, the weather, and how the CEO once made an intern redo a file five times because of a single typo.
Lin Yue chuckled but her mind was elsewhere—her heart tugging at the image of Liang Yexuan's back when he walked past her that day.
She still couldn't understand what exactly was going on.
Or did she mistake him for her gentle Ah Yan?
Maybe Ah Yan was somewhere else looking for her?
But she couldn't mistake his face and the mole under his lips.
---
Meanwhile, Liang Yexuan's car rolled into the gated driveway of the Liang estate.
The grand manor stood tall, its traditional architectural lines a stark contrast to the modern glass buildings surrounding it.
He stepped out and was immediately greeted by the warm lights glowing from the living room.
Inside, his mother was seated on the cream sofa.
Opposite her, a young woman around twenty in a chic powder blue dress sat cross-legged, chatting away excitedly. Her luggages stood piled nearby, designer tags still dangling.
It was his sister, Liang Qianyu, who had just returned from studying abroad in Italy.
The moment she saw him, she sprang up from the couch and dashed to him hands side open. "Brother! I missed you!"
Her voice was sweet like syrup, her smile radiant.
He side-stepped smoothly. "You've grown up."
She pouted dramatically. "Just a little welcome hug... stingy as ever."
He didn't respond, his expression unreadable.
Unbothered, she skipped back to the sofa and began opening her suitcases. "Anyway! I brought gifts for everyone!"
She handed their elegant mother a set of premium Italian skincare products, delicately packaged in white and gold. "This is La Rosetta—it's all the rage in Milan right now. I made a special appointment at the boutique."
Her mother's eyes sparkled. "You are spoiling me, Qianyu."
Next came exquisite silk qipaos, embroidered with silver threads and phoenix motifs.
Then, to Liang Yexuan, she offered a royal blue suit. "Custom-tailored. Look at the stitching—this shade matches your eyes when you wear dark tones."
He accepted it with a slight nod. "Thank you."
She then pulled out a gleaming watch, its mechanical skeleton dial visible behind sapphire glass. "Limited edition. Only five in the world."
"Mhm."
With that, he turned and walked upstairs.
Liang Qianyu laughed lightly, brushing off his coldness. "Still the same."
Their father descended the stairs.
She ran to him with a wide grin and handed him a beautifully boxed calligraphy brush set.
He chuckled, clearly pleased. "My dear daughter always knows what I love."
Their mother hugged her warmly. "You've grown even more thoughtful."
They sat down, chatting about her trip, new luxury stores, and how the Italian sun gave her freckles she had to laser off.
Old Master Liang then came down the stairs slowly.
Liang Qianyu dashed to him with youthful energy, helping him down the last few steps and helped him to the sofa. "Grandpa, this is an original water-ink painting from an old studio in Florence."
He opened the box slowly, eyes lighting up. "This... is beautiful. This must have cost you a fortune."
"It's worth it," she said sweetly.
The living room burst into warmth and laughter as the family admired the gifts.
Madam Liang smiled fondly at her daughter. "You've grown into a true lady."
Liang Qianyu brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Of course. Italy changes a girl. Wait until I show you the new beauty techniques I learned."
---
Upstairs, Liang Yexuan entered his minimalist bedroom, placing the boxes she gave him on a glass table near the wall.
He headed straight to the bathroom.
Warm water misted the air as he stood beneath the rainfall showerhead, the gentle spray washing off the fatigue of the day.
But it couldn't wash away the image that had haunted him.
That figure.
Why does she feel so familiar?
He stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist, his hair damp and tousled.
After drying off, he slipped into grey lounge pants and a simple black shirt, then moved to his study.
---
Downstairs, the door opened and Jin Shu stepped inside.
"Welcome back, Young Miss," he said politely.
"Oh! You're just in time!" Qianyu clapped. She handed him a box wrapped in matte black paper and a gold ribbon. "A designer pen set. For you."
Jin Shu froze for a second, clearly surprised. "Young Miss, this is too expensive..."
"I'll feel bad if you don't accept it. You've taken care of my brother so well."
Madam Liang chimed in, "She's right. Take it."
He finally accepted it, bowing politely. "Thank you very much."
He then excused himself and went to the study.
---
After knocking, he entered, finding Liang Yexuan behind the desk, eyes scanning a report.
"These are the files for the European expansion." He placed the folder down.
"Miss Su did exactly what we expected," Jin Shu said quietly.
"Did you get it?"
"Yes, sir."
Liang Yexuan's expression didn't change.
He signed one of the papers. "Good. File it."
Jin Shu bowed and left.
---
In the living room, he finds the family talking. He bids them farewell and leaves.
As Jin Shu left, the conversation continued.
After sometime, they notice it's late.
Madam Liang took Old Master Liang's arm while Mr. Liang supported him from the other side.
"Qianyu, you must be exhausted from the flight," she said warmly. "Rest early tonight."
Liang Qianyu nodded with a smile, watching them climb the stairs slowly.
Her grandfather chuckled as he mumbled about feeling pampered.
She leaned back on the couch, stretching slightly. "Alright, goodnight, Mom, Dad, Grandpa."
---
Liang Qianyu then suddenly gasped. "Ah! I didn't tell Sister Meilin I'm back!"
She grabbed her phone and dialed.
---
On the other end, Su Meilin lay sprawled on a velvet couch inside the private VIP room.
The scent of expensive perfume and musk clung to the air.
Her body glistened under the dim lights, her makeup slightly smudged, her lips swollen from hours of kissing.
One man nuzzled her neck while another stroked her bare thigh while the third lay lazily beside her, fingers tracing her curves.
All three men lounged around her, naked, satisfied from their earlier carnal play.
Her phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen. "It's Qianyu."
The man kissing her neck groaned. "Ignore it."
"Shut up," she said, and answered. "Hello, Qianyu."
"Sister Meilin! I'm back! Just landed today. I missed you."
"That's good. I missed you too but, you're back already? Why didn't you tell me so I could have picked you up from the airport?" Su Meilin said, holding in a gasp as a hand brushed against a sensitive spot.
"I wanted to surprise you. Wait... are you at the club? I hear music."
"Yes," Meilin replied casually. "With some friends."
"Oh! Should I join you?"
One of the men whispered, "Better not."
Meilin chuckled softly, "Not tonight, Qianyu. You must be tired after your flight. Go rest. We'll meet tomorrow."
"Okay, see you tomorrow!"
---
Back in the club, Su Meilin tossed her phone on the table.
"Tsk. Nosy brat," she muttered.
She then turned and looked at the man beside her. "Didn't I say not to speak while I'm on the phone?"
He grinned lazily. "You're in a good mood today, Sister Lin. Want another round?"
She downed another glass of strong liquor and smirked. "Why not? Tonight, I don't want to remember anything."
He smirked. "Right away."
As the music thumped softly in the background, their bodies intertwined again.
The men surrounded her again, their touches reigniting the heat from earlier.
They lifted her onto the glass table as soft moans and kisses filled the air.
Her eyes fluttered shut, her mind spinning not just from the alcohol—but from rejection.
From a man who never looked at her the way she craved.
---
Upstairs in the Liang mansion, Liang Yexuan sat alone in his study, papers sprawled before him, but his mind wandered.
That silhouette on the road...
That figure in his dream...
He tapped his pen against the desk.
---