Chapter Two

The city of Shanghai never truly slept its lights flickered like restless thoughts, its people moved like currents of whispered secrets. But twenty-seven floors above the noise, behind tempered glass and soundproof walls, Qin He stood unmoving, the stillest part of the night.

From the outside, he was the same man they all feared: pristine, calculated, and terrifyingly unreachable. The world had built myths around his silence. Billionaire. Ice-hearted. Untouchable. But ever since that single leak, a flash of speculation, a whisper too loud to ignore things hadn’t been the same.

“Qin He is into men.”

It wasn’t a quote. It wasn’t even a real headline. It had started as a late-night tweet by a faceless account, and by morning, it had set the internet on fire. Companies tried to trace it. Gossip blogs picked it up and amplified it. But within twenty-four hours, everything stopped. Completely.

Every outlet that dared to follow the story received the same message: disappear the content,or prepare to disappear altogether.

That was the kind of silence Qin He could buy. That was the fear he owned.

But rumors are like seeds. Bury them, and they only grow in the dark.

He turned slowly from the window, his hands clasped behind his back. The suit he wore was spotless. Perfect. Lifeless. Just like the man himself or so they thought.

“Report,” he said quietly.

Lin Rui, his ever-efficient personal assistant, was already standing by the door, tablet in hand. Young, sharp, and impeccably dressed, Lin had learned how to move around Qin He without breaking the silence. But even he was starting to feel the shift in air.

“Several gossip pages are still trying to fish. One tabloid in Seoul offered five million yuan for any confirmed photo of your supposed companion,” Lin said, eyes not quite meeting his boss’s. “But none have names. No leads. The last publication that tried to run the headline has gone offline entirely. Per your instruction.”

Qin He nodded once.

Then came the pause.

Lin glanced down at his tablet again, then cleared his throat. “Also, the security team reported someone has accessed the lower gallery twice this week. The same man. No ID. The system flagged him but didn’t stop him.”

Now, Qin He looked up. His expression didn’t change, but something in the air did. Lin could feel it.

“No,” Qin said softly, voice like a knife in velvet. “Let him wander. If he’s bold enough to come close again, I’ll handle it myself.”

Outside, the city searched for answers. But the man at the heart of the storm? He wasn’t hiding he was waiting.

And the one he was waiting for, already knew the way in.

His inner being betrayed his outward appearance, as his heart for once held traces of what was called fear...or was it anticipation?...

He felt that what was coming was more than he could accept, but what couldn't he handle?!

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***