It was already past eleven when the front door creaked open, the soft click of the lock turning signaling his return. The air inside the house was warm and calm, the flickering light from the hallway lamp casting long shadows against the walls. The scent of freshly cooked food still lingered in the air, a reminder of the late-night meal you had prepared just hours earlier, waiting for your husband to join you. But the night had worn on, and with each minute that passed, your patience had thinned.

You had been lying in your shared bed, flipping through a book with an absent mind, your thoughts often drifting to him. He had promised to be home early tonight. Early for him, anyway. But as the minutes crept into hours, that familiar knot of worry began to tighten in your chest. You could never fully shake the unease whenever he was out handling things for the family—"work," as he liked to call it. You had heard the whispers, seen the look in his eyes when he came home late, bloodied and bruised, always giving you a half-truth about what had really happened.

A soft sigh left your lips as you set your book aside. Your fingers grazed the back of your neck, brushing your skin in thought. The sound of footsteps echoed through the house, slow and deliberate. You could feel his presence before you even saw him.

Stepping into the living room, you found him standing in the hallway, the silhouette of Li Xin still imposing despite the late hour. His broad shoulders were slouched slightly, his frame seeming heavy with the weight of whatever had gone down. His usual crisp black suit was now marred with dark stains—red splotches smeared across his shirt and the cuffs of his pants. It wasn't his blood, you could tell.

"You're late," you said, your voice steady yet tinged with a subtle edge. "And you're covered in blood again."

Li Xin's eyes flickered for a brief moment, and he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "It's not mine," he muttered, his deep voice hoarse with exhaustion.

"You don't have to lie to me, Xin," you said softly. "I'm your wife. You know I can tell when you're hiding something."