After an almost superhuman effort from the four bodyguards, the once uninhabitable room was finally transformed. Every speck of dust had been meticulously cleaned, and luxurious wallpaper was reapplied to the walls and ceiling. A light yellow carpet was laid on the floor—originally from Su Feifei’s own bedroom, which she insisted on bringing along. By sheer coincidence, it fit the room perfectly, blending in as if it had always belonged there. This discovery had Su Feifei squealing with delight, convinced that she and this room were destined for each other—so much so that her excitement sent chills down the spines of the four bodyguards.

  The bed, wardrobe, desk, vanity, and mirror were all arranged in place. The four impeccably dressed bodyguards, who had started the day in pristine suits, were now covered in a layer of grime, looking as though they had crawled out of a dust heap. Yet, seeing the room finally presentable, they allowed themselves a small sigh of relief. Su Feifei had been raised in the lap of luxury; expecting her to stay in the previously unkempt space was simply unthinkable—not just for her, but even for them.

  Now that everything was set up… it meant she was truly planning to stay here.

  "Miss, everything is ready," one of the bodyguards reported.

  Without missing a beat, Su Feifei whipped out a freshly written shopping list and thrust it in front of the bodyguard’s face. "Here! This is what I need. Get everything on this list within the next hour!"

  Staring at the list—nearly a meter long—the four bodyguards almost shed tears on the spot.

  Meanwhile, Ye Tianxie, who had been watching TV in an almost corpse-like state, finally shifted his gaze—not towards Su Feifei, but towards the door.

  Hurried footsteps approached, and moments later, the slightly ajar front door was pushed open with force. A sharply dressed man strode in, his eyes sweeping across the room with a single glance. His already furrowed brow deepened.

  The man appeared to be in his early forties, of average build and unremarkable appearance, with a strong, square-shaped face. However, his razor-sharp gaze was enough to make one’s heart skip a beat. He exuded an imposing aura, an unspoken pressure that made it feel as though he were standing high above, looking down at those below.

  Two other middle-aged men followed closely behind him, maintaining a precise one-step distance. Their appearances were equally unremarkable, yet the moment their eyes landed on someone, a suffocating weight seemed to press down, making it harder to breathe.

  The sharp gaze swept across the room before finally locking onto Su Feifei, who had turned around in shock. In that instant, Ye Tianxie instantly deduced the man’s identity.

  Su Feifei and the four bodyguards all looked at the unexpected visitor in astonishment. She took a cautious step forward before hesitating, then carefully asked, "Dad… why are you here?"

  "Hmph!" The middle-aged man snorted, his brows still tightly knit. "Nonsense! Absolute nonsense! If I hadn’t come back, would you have actually moved in here? Into another man’s home?"

  As he spoke, he glanced at Ye Tianxie from the corner of his eye. When their eyes met, something flickered in his mind.

  This young man had an almost perfect appearance, with an effortless charm that could easily break down any young girl's defenses. But what stood out most was his expression—he showed no surprise, no nervousness, no fear. Instead, behind his calm demeanor, there was the faintest hint of amusement. The way he looked at Su Luo was not with deference or concern, but with curiosity, as if studying something of interest.

  Su Luo.

  Su Feifei’s father.

  The wealthiest man in the entire Huaxia nation, and the richest in all of Asia. His wealth was enough to rival nations. He had spent his life building an empire, encountering countless powerful figures and weathering every storm imaginable—yet this young man’s reaction left him momentarily perplexed.

  "Boss," the four bodyguards immediately stepped forward, bowing their heads in unison, looking as though they had committed a grave sin.

  Su Luo’s gaze swept over them before he scolded, "How could you allow her to act so recklessly? Why didn’t you inform me sooner? This is unacceptable!"

  The four men remained silent, standing stiffly as they braced themselves for punishment. They had considered informing him, of course—but when their young lady was truly determined, she was far scarier than their boss.

  "Dad!" Su Feifei bit her lip, her eyes filled with defiance as she looked at him. "Just leave this matter alone! I’ve already made up my mind. Until I decide to leave, I’m staying here!"

  "No! Absolutely not!" Su Luo’s tone was firm. "Feifei, you’re not a child anymore. Do you even realize what you’re doing?"

  Su Feifei’s unwavering gaze made his brow twitch slightly. She was showing that same stubborn look—the one that meant she had made up her mind, no matter what. And then there was the fact that her room back home was now empty. She had brought everything here, including her most cherished possessions—the ones she could never bear to part with.

  That meant she was truly serious about this.

  What on earth was drawing her to this place?

  "Yes! I know exactly what I’m doing!" Su Feifei insisted, shaking her head. Her eyes flickered toward Ye Tianxie for a brief moment, hoping he would say something to support her.

  Ye Tianxie switched off the television and finally turned halfway toward them, wearing an expression as though he were simply watching a show unfold.

  His casual, almost entertained demeanor made the two men behind Su Luo nearly want to punch him straight through the floor.

  Su Luo fell silent for a moment, visibly taken aback by his daughter’s inexplicable determination. As her father, he should have understood her better than anyone in the world—yet, right now, he had no idea what she was thinking. Could this really be nothing more than a moment of impulsive recklessness?

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  His expression softened slightly, and he sighed, his voice lowering in an attempt to reason with her. "Feifei, I understand what you think you’re doing. But do you even know him?" He gestured toward Ye Tianxie. "Do you know his background? His character? His temperament? You’ve barely spent any time with him, let alone gotten to know him. You’re only doing this because he saved you? And look at this place—it was a disaster! How could you possibly endure living here? Feifei, you’re not a child anymore. You should know what’s appropriate and what isn’t."

  Su Feifei bit her lip again. Her father’s words did nothing to shake her resolve. She shook her head once more. "Dad, I’ve already decided. I’m staying here. No matter who tries to stop me—I won’t listen!"

  Su Luo exhaled deeply, his brows furrowing tighter as he stepped forward, stopping right in front of his daughter.

  Su Feifei didn’t back away. She lifted her head, meeting his gaze with unwavering determination.

  "Come home with me. We’ll talk about this after we get back." He reached out to grab her arm.

  Su Feifei took a step back, avoiding his grasp, and shook her head vehemently. "I’m not going back! Dad, I’m not playing around—I really want to stay here. Please, just let me be!"

  Su Luo’s frown deepened, and he took another step forward. "You’re coming home."

  "I'M NOT GOING BACK!!!!"

  Her near-screaming outburst stunned Su Luo into silence. Even Ye Tianxie and the six bodyguards froze in place.

  "You're asking me to go back… back where? Back home?"

  Step by step, Su Feifei retreated until her back was pressed against the wall, her body weakly leaning against it. "No! I don’t want to… I don’t want to go back there… I finally found another place, a place I long for, a place that’s so much better… Even if this path is completely wrong, I still don’t want to go back…"

  Su Luo's heart trembled slightly. The expression, voice, and gaze of his daughter at this moment suddenly sent a piercing pain through his chest.

  "Dad… I am your daughter… You care about me, but have you ever truly understood me? Do you know what I want, what I really think?"

  "When I was nine, my mother died. From that moment on, you were the only family I had left… But you had too many business deals to make, too many connections to manage, too many people to deal with… You could never be there for me every day like Mom was… Do you even know what my life has been like since she passed?"

  "From a very young age until now, at least twice a week, I’ve had to face kidnappings and assassination attempts aimed at me. I was afraid during the day, I was afraid at night. Every time I stepped out of the house, I was on edge. Even at home, I was never truly at ease… That year, Mom died, and I survived under her protection. But do you know how many times I wished I had died with her that day? Died at the hands of the enemies you made?"

  Su Feifei’s shoulders trembled. The confident and spirited girl who always carried herself with arrogance in front of her bodyguards now shrank against the wall, curled up like a wounded bird. Her voice grew increasingly sorrowful, until her vision blurred with tears, streaming down her cheeks.

  The smirk on Ye Tianxie’s face faded. He silently watched her for a moment, then let out a slow exhale, tilting his head slightly upward.

  "Feifei…"

  Her words struck Su Luo’s heart like heavy hammers, pounding into the depths of his soul. Watching his daughter, now sobbing uncontrollably, his heart convulsed with unbearable pain.

  His road to success had been paved with the failures—and even the corpses—of countless others. Because of this, he had made enemies beyond counting. Some were driven by greed for his wealth, some were bankrupt men desperate for revenge, some were business rivals, and others were simply deranged individuals who resented the rich… far too many of them.

  He had endured it all, long since grown accustomed to it. And just like him, his daughter had endured it as well.

  He had spent so little time with her. And every time he returned home, all he ever saw was the beautiful, cheerful, carefree girl who seemed to have no troubles at all. Seeing her like that had always wiped away his exhaustion and lifted his spirits.

  But now, he realized—he was wrong.

  He had always been wrong.

  All these years, the daughter he thought he knew had only ever been putting on an act to ease his worries, to avoid becoming another burden on him. He had never once truly understood her heart.

  "…All these years, no one who tried to kidnap me ever truly succeeded. But so many times, they came so close… Just once—just once would have been enough… Have you ever thought about what would happen to me if I fell into their hands? Would I die like Mom? Or would I suffer a fate worse than death…?"

  "I'm scared. I've been scared every single day… You can't imagine how many nightmares I have, how many nights I've secretly cried myself to sleep because of fear… But even so, I never had anyone who was really there for me."

  "Last year, you were only home for thirteen days in total. The rest of the time, I didn’t even know where you were. This year so far, you've only been home for seven days… Aside from those brief moments, I was always alone. I didn’t even have a single person I could truly talk to!!"

  Su Luo’s body wavered, his hands and feet trembling visibly. His face, drained of blood, had turned deathly pale.

  He loved his wife and daughter deeply. That was why, even after all these years, he had never remarried. He didn’t want to betray the memory of his late wife, and he feared his daughter wouldn’t be able to accept it.

  He had always tried to give her everything she wanted, to buy her the best of everything… But at this moment, he finally realized—he had been an utterly unqualified father.

  Su Feifei raised her hands, wiping the tears from her face.

  "But now, I have finally found someone who makes me feel safe… That day, I was almost kidnapped. It was him who saved me. He’s strong—stronger than I ever imagined anyone could be. When he pulled me to safety, I thought for a moment that he was the guardian angel I had only ever dreamed of, someone who would protect me and take away my fears…"

  "I've been afraid for too many years, Dad. You can’t understand how desperately I’ve longed for someone like that to appear. And you’ll never understand how important this feeling is to me. From that day on, I couldn't stop thinking about him, because I told myself—I believed—that as long as I stayed by his side, I would never have to be afraid again. No one would ever be able to kidnap or harm me… Dad, are you really going to take away the one thing I’ve finally found and longed for?"

  Su Luo: "…"

  "I'm not foolish. I've never been foolish. And I am not being impulsive."

  "I have many so-called friends, both male and female, but I have always felt utterly alone. I hate them. I hate the social events you take me to. Why do those women always try to get close to me? Why do those men swarm around me like flies that won’t go away? It’s not because of who I am—it’s because of you. Because of your wealth, your power. Because I’m your only daughter, and marrying me means inheriting everything you own."

  "And you—more than anyone—know just how rotten and corrupt their hearts have been shaped by their privileged lives. Compared to the fear of being kidnapped, what terrifies me even more is the thought of becoming nothing more than a pawn in some arranged marriage for the sake of power and profit."

  "That so-called high society life… it's not what I want. I dream of being just an ordinary girl. I dream of finding my own partner, someone I truly love, someone I choose for myself. I want to be with the person I love, not just be a bargaining chip in some business deal!"

  The world fell into silence.

  Su Luo stood there, trembling, his breath barely perceptible. His blank, dazed eyes and pallid face made it seem as though his very soul had left his body, wandering off into some unknown abyss.

  Su Feifei slid down against the wall, hugging her arms around herself as she crouched down, sobbing helplessly.

  She was so, so tired.

  And now that she had finally found what she had been longing for, no one could understand just how much it meant to her—or why she was so desperate to hold onto it.

  She had found someone who could protect her, someone who would keep her from ever living in fear again. And not just that… He was someone who made her heart race, someone she didn’t despise.

  She had finally found him.

  The six bodyguards standing to the side remained silent. Watching their young mistress sob like this, their hearts ached.

  They knew.

  They knew all too well what kind of life she had been living, what she had been enduring.