The autumn sun, bright yet gentle, streamed into the chic coffee shop, illuminating the quiet tension between Xie Zexi and Tao Yuanbai. Xie Zexi's gaze, usually softened by a habitual smile, was now devoid of warmth. "You said, you want me to accompany you to the love show?" he asked, each word deliberate, tasting like ash in his mouth.

Tao Yuanbai, with his innocent, baby-faced charm, fidgeted across the table. "Zexi, I know you're busy, but Brother Jing Ming said he'd only team up with me if you go. I just want to be with him."

A coldness settled in Xie Zexi's chest, a familiar, unwelcome chill. He looked at the man he had known for decades, searching for a flicker of shame, but found none. For years, he had been Tao Yuanbai's silent enabler, the steadfast backup. And for just as long, an invisible force had held him captive, twisting his will, forcing his compliance. It felt like a tightening around his heart, a warning against deviation.

Then, a scoff. "Tsk, Jinyao Group is a national-level industry. How ignorant are you to compare it with a love story?" A figure, cloaked in a cap and mask, passed by their table, their peach-blossom eyes glinting with insolent amusement, leaving Tao Yuanbai sputtering with embarrassment. This unexpected interruption, brief as it was, momentarily loosened the invisible grip on Xie Zexi's heart, a fleeting whisper of freedom. But habit, like a well-worn path, was hard to abandon.