CHAPTER 106: CHAPTER 106; PAYING LU ZEYAN A VISIT 4

But taking her in? That was risky too, and came with its own set of complications. It meant acknowledging their connection publicly, accepting some kind of responsibility for what had happened to her, potentially opening himself up to uncomfortable questions about her conviction and his suspiciously convenient rise to power right after she’d been locked away.

Still, it was a risk that he could control. Keep her close, manage what she said, monitor her movements, and make sure she couldn’t cause any more damage than she already had.

Shuyin watched him arrive at this conclusion, saw the exact moment the decision crystallized behind his eyes. Watched him decide that containing the threat was infinitely smarter than letting it run loose and unpredictable.

Time to push.

"Since the videos are already out there..." She let warmth creep into her voice, a note of hope that sounded almost painfully genuine. "We could get back together. Announce that we’re reconciling. That you never stopped believing in me, that you worked behind the scenes to get me released, that you were the one who uncovered the truth."

She moved closer, close enough now that he could catch the subtle scent she was releasing, not overpowering or obvious, just a whisper of carefully calibrated pheromones designed to make thinking clearly a little harder, to make her presence a little more intoxicating, a little more difficult to resist.

"It would save both of us, don’t you see?" Her voice picked up enthusiasm, like this was the best idea ever conceived, like she’d just solved all their problems in one brilliant stroke. "You’d look like the devoted fiancé who stood by his wrongly convicted love. The man who never gave up, who fought the system itself to save the woman he loved. I’d have your protection, your name clearing mine by association. We could control the story instead of letting it control us."

Something flickered across Lu Zeyan’s face, surprise first, then that calculating look again as he worked through the angles, examining the proposal from every side like a jeweler inspecting a diamond for flaws.

What she wasn’t saying, what was hanging in the air like a bad smell neither of them wanted to acknowledge, was the Lin Yueling problem.

See, Lu Zeyan had hooked up with Shuyin’s half-sister even before Shuyin went to prison.

He’d been smart enough not to legally marry her, that would have been messy if his convenient convict ex-fiancée ever got released and started making waves. But he’d set Yueling up in a luxury penthouse in the most expensive district of the city, given her a fat monthly allowance that would make most people’s heads spin, and knocked her up. She was six months pregnant with his son right now. His precious heir, the child that would carry on his legacy.

That whole situation? Yeah, that needed to stay buried. Had to remain in the shadows where dirty secrets belonged, where the public’s prying eyes couldn’t reach.

If Lu Zeyan publicly got back together with Shuyin, he’d have to hide Yueling completely. Keep her locked away like a shameful secret. The media absolutely could not find out he’d been screwing his ex-fiancée’s sister while she rotted in a cell for crimes she didn’t commit.

Was Shuyin suggesting she’d be cool with being a mistress? That she’d share him with the woman who’d helped destroy her life?

Hell no.

Kailani wanted to erase his existence from the earth, wanted to wipe away every trace of him like he’d never existed. But that took patience. Strategic planning. She needed to get close enough first, needed to work her way into his life deeply enough to systematically tear down everything he’d built before she finally destroyed him completely.

"We can stay together for a year," Shuyin continued, her tone shifting to something more practical, businesslike, like they were discussing a merger instead of a relationship. "Or even just six months if that’s easier for you to manage. Long enough to fix both our images, show the public that justice won, that we overcame everything together through the power of love and perseverance."

She met his eyes, letting vulnerability peek through the determination, a careful balance of strength and weakness. "And then later, if you want, we can separate quietly. No drama, no scandal. Say too much changed, cite irreconcilable differences, explain that these few weeks apart were just too much to overcome. No one would blame us. We’d both walk away looking dignified, mature, reasonable."

She was giving him an escape route, making it clear this wasn’t a permanent trap. Making it sound temporary, manageable, and contained. Just a show for the cameras, a performance with a built-in expiration date.

Lu Zeyan’s shoulders relaxed a fraction, tension bleeding out of them. A timeline made it bearable. He could handle a six-month arrangement. Six months of playing devoted fiancé, then a quiet exit that left his reputation intact. Maybe even enhanced.

"Okay." The word came out firm, decided, carrying the weight of commitment. "We’ll do it. We’ll be seen together, rehabilitate your image, present a united front to the media and the public."

He stood up and walked to his massive windows, looking out at the city sprawling below like he owned every building, every street, every person in it. "We’ll need a press conference. Get all the major outlets there, television, print, and online. We’ll craft a narrative about how I never stopped believing you were innocent, how I worked behind the scenes to uncover the truth, how I hired investigators and lawyers, how justice has finally been served."

Shuyin nodded even though he wasn’t looking at her, her reflection visible in the glass. "We need to address the evidence that convicted me. Explain why it was wrong, why it was flawed."

"I’ll have my legal team handle it." He was already planning, already three steps ahead, his mind shifting into the mode that had made him successful. "They’ll prepare a comprehensive statement, poke holes in the original prosecution’s case, position you as a victim of circumstantial evidence, and ambitious prosecutors trying to make a name for themselves."