The apartment smells faintly of Zhan Xuan's cologne, even though he hasn't been here in days. I run my fingers along the edge of the expensive couch, still not entirely used to this place he's let me stay in. The agreement weighs on my mind – I'm supposed to just be grateful, just keep him company occasionally, nothing more.

My phone buzzes with a message notification, and my heart skips a beat when I see it's from him: "I'll be working late tonight. Might stop by afterward."

I bite my lip, typing and deleting several responses before finally sending: "Okay. I'll leave the light on."

By midnight, I'm still awake, pretending to watch a movie but really just waiting. The sound of a key in the lock makes me jump up from the couch. When he walks in, looking tired but handsome in his slightly rumpled dress shirt, I feel that familiar mix of gratitude and something else – something I'm not supposed to feel.

He smiles faintly when he sees me. "You didn't have to wait up."

"I wasn't really waiting," I lie, looking away as heat rises to my cheeks. "I was just... watching a movie."

He sets his briefcase down and loosens his tie, those elegant fingers working the knot free. The silence stretches between us, thick with unspoken things. When he moves closer, I can smell his cologne mixed with the faint scent of whiskey, and my breath catches in my throat.

"Xuancheng," he says softly, reaching out as if to touch my face before hesitating and letting his hand fall, "there's something I need to talk to you about."