"Next time, have Xiaoqi walk you all the way to your door." Bryce Shaw held her hand tightly. Li Qiuchi noticed a car parked not far away—it looked familiar, probably a paparazzi’s car.

"Let go! We’ll get caught on camera."

Bryce Shaw shot a frosty glance at the car nearby, but rather than letting go, he gripped her hand even tighter.

The elevator doors opened. Side by side, he and Li Qiuchi stepped in.

He didn’t care about the paparazzi; let them snap all the photos they wanted.

Inside the elevator, Li Qiuchi gently pulled her hand free, and glanced up at the security camera overhead. "President Shen, we really should keep some distance when we’re outside."

She couldn’t get too close to him—not in public. It wouldn’t do either of them any good.

A hint of disappointment clouded Bryce Shaw’s eyes.

"Is what’s between us really something we have to hide?" He wanted nothing more than to marry her, but she kept pushing him away. He just couldn’t understand.

Li Qiuchi offered a faintly bitter smile. "You saw him just now—the man we bumped into in the basement. That was my biological father. President Shen, you’re my boss, and the distance between us isn’t just a little gap. Please don’t make this harder for me."

He was the son of fortune, born with every advantage, while she had clawed her way up from the mud. How could she even dare dream?

Bryce Shaw’s face darkened. The air in the elevator thickened; neither spoke a word.

*Ding*—The elevator doors opened. Li Qiuchi stepped out first, but she had barely taken two steps when Bryce Shaw scooped her up, lifting her by the waist. She yelped in surprise.

"What are you doing?!"

"There’s no gap between us. If you won’t take that step, then I’ll take it for you." Bryce Shaw opened the door and set her down on the sofa.

Only then did she notice he had already made dinner at home.

"Go wash your hands. Dinner’s ready." His tone was gentle; even if he was upset, he kept it from showing in front of her.

Li Qiuchi sat, unmoving, her gaze cool. "I’m not eating. I want to go home."

She stood up with a huff and strode toward the door.

"You walk out that door, and you’ll be tomorrow’s top headline," Bryce Shaw warned, his tone stony, making clear he wasn’t backing down.

"Bryce Shaw!" Li Qiuchi glared at him, gritting her teeth.

Bryce Shaw ate his meal unhurriedly, not the least concerned by her anger.

Li Qiuchi knew she couldn’t win. All she could do was grumble and sit down, noticing that every dish on the table was something she liked.

She loved spicy food. Bryce Shaw never ate spicy before, but now even his tastes had changed for her. Though he could barely handle the heat, he still adapted, just to please her.

"Eat up. You’ll need your strength to argue with me later."

How did he always know exactly what she was thinking?

The delicious aromas made her stomach rumble in surrender. Before good food, she was powerless.

Watching her eat, the corners of Bryce Shaw’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

After dinner, Li Qiuchi dabbed her mouth. Now full, she eyed Bryce Shaw, noticing the smile tugging at his lips. "What are you grinning about?"

"I’m laughing at someone whose words never match their heart. You pretend you don’t care, but still force yourself to act that way."

Hit right in the nerve, Li Qiuchi bristled. "I have no idea what you mean."

She couldn’t meet his gaze. His eyes were like whirlpools, drawing her in. She was afraid she’d get selfish, that she wouldn’t be able to help but claim him as her own.

"That Miss Zhu is pretty nice. She suits you well."

"Whether someone suits me or not, that’s for me to decide." Bryce Shaw’s voice dropped, tinted with irritation.

Li Qiuchi clenched her fists, taking a deep breath. "President Shen, I think..."

"What do you think? I’ve told you, I only want to be with you. No one else matters to me."

His confession sent ripples through her heart.

Earlier in the afternoon, after she'd finished filming a commercial, Zhu Yurou—the CEO of Feican Group—had come to see her directly. Zhu made her intentions clear: she wanted Li Qiuchi as their brand ambassador, specifically in the hope that she’d keep her distance from Bryce Shaw.

"Sure, you’re popular now," Zhu Yurou had said, "but let me tell you—there are people who can make you, and people who can just as easily tear you down." Clearly, Zhu had done her homework on Li Qiuchi, knowing everything about her background, including her barely-public relationship with Bryce Shaw.

"And what if I say I don’t care at all?" Li Qiuchi had shot back, unruffled.

Zhu Yurou only scoffed. "Women like you, thinking you can snatch a higher branch, are a dime a dozen. Don’t think being a film queen makes you special. Do you really think the Shen family would let their son marry an actress? Especially one with that kind of father?"

"Me and Bryce Shaw are a match in both background and status. I can offer him profit and wealth. What can you give him?"

To Zhu Yurou, no one was more suited to Bryce Shaw than herself.

She knew all too well about Li Qiuchi’s humble roots, and jabbed at the sore spot, trying to make her realize the gulf between her and Bryce Shaw.

Noticing Li Qiuchi's odd mood that evening, Bryce Shaw asked, "Did someone talk to you about something?"

Li Qiuchi realized nothing could escape his notice—but she, too, couldn’t stop thinking about how far apart they were.

"Does it really matter? I know all too well how big the gap is between us, President Shen. Please, stop saying things like that."

Bryce Shaw grabbed her wrist, his face stormy. "Do you think I’m joking about this?"

His focused, sincere gaze made it impossible for Li Qiuchi to say anything cold. But now, she just didn’t know what to do next.

"I just want some peace and quiet, okay?"

She looked at him calmly, watching the light fade from his eyes, her own heart twisting so tight she could hardly breathe.

Bryce Shaw’s hand slowly released her. Li Qiuchi turned, opened the door, and went back to her own apartment.

Night had fallen, but Li Qiuchi couldn’t sleep at all. She just lay there, staring at the ceiling, Bryce Shaw’s image circling relentlessly in her mind.

Meanwhile, Bryce Shaw was just as sleepless. Agitated, he got up, grabbed his phone, and called Yancy Shaw.

"Come out for drinks with me."

Over at his place, Yancy Shaw was happily cuddled up with his wife and about to drift off when the call snapped him awake—worse, Bryce Shaw wanted him to go out for drinks. He wasn’t having any of it.

"I’m going to sleep. Whatever it is, tell me tomorrow." Yancy Shaw hung up with a snap.

His wife stirred in his arms. "Who was that calling?"

Yancy Shaw’s voice softened in a flash. "Just some spam caller."