Returns from Shadows

The airplane cut through the clouds, landing softly on the heart of China.

Li Wei’s sharp eyes scanned the city lights as if they belonged to him. To strangers, he was just another successful businessman returning from Malaysia. To himself, every breath felt like carrying shattered glass inside his chest.

He adjusted his cufflinks, polished to perfection, but his hands trembled—just for a second. He quickly tucked them into his pockets. No one could see weakness. Not again.

“Sir, welcome back to Beijing,” the driver bowed, opening the car door.

Li Wei nodded once, silent as always. He hated small talk. Words were unnecessary unless they carried weight.

The black car glided through the neon-lit streets. The driver glanced at him through the mirror.

“Sir… are you visiting your family tonight?”

Family. That word still stabbed like a blade. His real family was gone, burned away in a fire he still dreamed of every night. In their place, he had only ashes—and revenge.

“No,” Li Wei said flatly. “Take me to the office.”

“Yes, sir.”

Inside his office, midnight oil burned as usual. The walls smelled of leather and ink, books stacked neatly across shelves. He pulled one open, reading a paragraph, but the words blurred.

He closed his eyes.

Father… Mother… I’ll make them pay.

The sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. A young woman entered, carrying files, nervous but determined.

“Mr. Li?” Her voice was clear, not too soft, not too bold. “I’m your new assistant. My name is Zhao Liyun.”

Li Wei looked up. His gaze was sharp, calculating. His first instinct: keep her out. He didn’t need strangers. He didn’t need… distractions.

But then, the surname registered. Zhao.

The family name that had been carved into his nightmares. The family he believed responsible for his parents’ deaths.

His chest tightened. So fate had delivered their daughter right into his hands.

“You’re late,” he said coldly, ignoring the fact that she wasn’t.

Liyun blinked, startled. “It’s exactly on time, sir.”

“Then you should have arrived earlier,” he snapped. “Punctuality isn’t enough. Anticipation is what I value.”

Her lips pressed together, but she didn’t lower her head. “Noted, Mr. Li.”

Interesting. She wasn’t timid. Most assistants would crumble under his tone. She… resisted.

Li Wei leaned back in his chair. “Tell me something, Miss Zhao.”

She straightened. “Yes?”

“What’s your idea of a perfect date?”

Her cheeks flushed. “E-excuse me?”

“I’m asking questions. Answer them.” His voice was calm, but his eyes glittered with cruel amusement.

She hesitated, then replied carefully, “A quiet evening. Books, tea, and someone who listens.”

Li Wei smirked faintly. “Hn. How boring.”

Her fists clenched at her sides, though she forced a polite smile. “Boring isn’t always bad.”

He ignored her defense and asked again, “Are you obsessed with something right now?”

“…Passing my exams,” she admitted. “Computer science isn’t easy.”

He tilted his head. “You’ll fail if you can’t focus. Do I make you nervous, Miss Zhao?”

Liyun’s breath caught. His voice wasn’t loud, but it pressed on her chest like a weight. She met his gaze anyway. “Yes. But that won’t stop me from doing my job.”

Something in Li Wei stirred. Defiance. He hated it. But he couldn’t look away.

“Good answer,” he muttered.

Hours later, after she left, Li Wei sat alone in his office. The city buzzed outside, but inside was silence.

He opened his drawer, pulling out an old photograph of his parents. His fingers trembled.

“Just a little longer,” he whispered. “I’ll destroy them… through her.”

Yet as he replayed her words—boring isn’t always bad… yes, you make me nervous—he felt something else. Something he hadn’t allowed in years.

A spark.

And sparks were dangerous.

The next morning, Zhao Liyun walked into the office with determination. She expected him to ignore her. Instead, he set a file in front of her.

“Read this contract. Summarize it for me.”

She nodded, flipping pages quickly. “This clause here—it’s a trap. If you sign, you’ll lose 30% of your shares.”

Li Wei’s brows rose slightly. Sharp. Smarter than he thought.

“Not bad,” he murmured.

She allowed herself a small smile. “So, do I pass?”

His eyes darkened. He leaned closer, his voice low enough to make her heart stutter.

“Miss Zhao… don’t mistake my approval for kindness.”

Their faces were inches apart. Her breath caught. The tension hung heavy, unbearable.

And then—

Li Wei leaned back, smirking. “Go make me coffee.”

Her cheeks burned. She spun on her heel, muttering, “Arrogant…”

Li Wei’s smirk faded as soon as she left. His chest ached, guilt already pricking at him.

He wanted to use her. Hurt her. Break her.

But why did her defiance make him feel alive again?

That night, as Li Wei sat by his window, the dream returned. His parents screaming, flames swallowing their home. He woke drenched in sweat, fists clenched.

And in that moment, one truth crystallized:

The closer he drew Zhao Liyun into his world, the more he risked losing control.

Yet he couldn’t stop.

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