It was 11 p.m.
Lin Wanning sat by the window, a cup of coffee long gone cold beside her. The night breeze slipped through the slightly open window, tousling her hair and stirring the unease buried deep within her chest.
She hadn't seen Shen Sihan in three days.
Ever since that shareholders' meeting, he had vanished from her world without a trace. He didn't answer calls, ignored her messages, and even his driver had been replaced by an assistant's arrangement. She didn't want to ask—after all, they were merely a "contract couple." He had no obligation to accompany her day after day.
But rationality was one thing. Emotions were another.
She had never been a clingy woman, yet his coldness over the past few days was like ice water, extinguishing her warmth bit by bit. It made her question whether the tenderness he'd once shown had ever been real—or was it all part of an elaborate performance?
Just as her thoughts spiraled further, the doorbell rang.
She thought it was the assistant delivering documents. She opened the door without much thought—and froze the moment she saw who it was.
Shen Sihan stood there.
He wore a charcoal-gray coat, the collar slightly open, fatigue evident in his eyes and posture. He didn't say a word, simply stood still and stared at her.
Her first instinct was to step aside and let him in—but she stopped herself.
"What are you doing here?" she asked softly, her voice calm but unmistakably distant.
He lowered his eyes to meet hers, gaze full of complicated emotions. "We need to talk."
She didn't reply. Instead, she turned and walked inside, her silhouette as cold and aloof as ice.
Shen Sihan followed silently. The living room was so quiet, one could hear the ticking of the clock. He stood across from the sofa, his gaze falling on the stack of documents on the coffee table. It was the contract for the new e-commerce project she had just signed—a deal that would take her entrepreneurial venture to new heights. He had read about it in the news.
"Congratulations," he said.
"Thank you." She closed the file without looking up. "President Shen, did you come all the way just to say that?"
His throat moved, and he finally said, "Wanning, I've been dealing with some matters these past few days."
"Matters so urgent you couldn't even reply with a simple 'I'm busy'?" she shot back with a bitter smile.
She wasn't the type to hold grudges, nor did she demand his constant attention. But being deliberately ignored—that feeling was like a blade straight through the heart.
After a long silence, Shen Sihan finally sat across from her. His voice was low, and slightly hoarse. "The Shen family is pressuring me. They want me to consider an arranged marriage with the Zhou family."
Her heart sank, but her face showed no emotion. "And are you considering it?"
"I rejected them," he replied. "But they won't give up."
She looked at him, eyes calm, yet something inside her twisted painfully.
"So your sudden 'disappearance'—was it to dodge marriage negotiations, or to think about our 'contract'?" Her words were sharp and direct.
He didn't deny it.
She gave a hollow laugh. "Am I that easy to control, Shen Sihan? You needed a marriage, and I signed the papers. You wanted distance, so I kept out of your way. And now that you don't need me, you just vanish without a word, is that it?"
His expression shifted. His voice remained restrained. "That's not what I meant."
"But that's exactly what you did." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Did you ever see me as a real person? Or was I always just a pawn to you?"
The air froze. Her breathing grew heavier and sharper.
He remained silent for several seconds. Then suddenly, he reached out and gripped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"Of course I saw you as a person," he said, voice uncharacteristically unsteady. "You matter more than anyone else."
His words trembled with suppressed emotion. "But the situation I'm in right now—it's not something you can imagine."
"You always use 'your situation' to justify ignoring me," she said, her voice cracking. Tears welled up. "Have you ever thought about mine? Ever since the wedding, I haven't asked you for anything. You set the terms, and I stuck to them. But you just disappeared without a word, and left me here—like an idiot—waiting. Shen Sihan, I'm not your tool!"
For the first time, she completely lost control of her emotions in front of him.
He stared at her, fists clenched. Regret flashed through his eyes.
He wasn't devoid of feelings. He just repressed them too deeply. He carried every burden himself—so much so, he had neglected hers entirely.
After a long pause, he said hoarsely, "I'm sorry, Wanning. I didn't consider your feelings. That was my fault."
She looked up at him, her gaze cold and distant. "Sorry isn't enough. You were clear from the beginning—our marriage is a transaction. I thought I could stay rational. But I was wrong."
He froze.
"I caught feelings," she whispered with a bitter smile. "So I can't stay in this relationship anymore."
His breath hitched.
"You want out of the contract?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse.
She nodded. Her eyes were steady. "Since the nature of this relationship has changed, the contract should end too. Shen Sihan—this is where we stop."
She turned around and walked to her room. The door closed quietly behind her.
Tears slipped silently down her cheeks.
And in the living room, the man stood frozen, fingers trembling, unable to move or speak.