The city skyline stretched before Su Nian like a vast ocean of lights, its beauty lost on her as she sat in the quiet, dimly lit living room. Lu Cheng had just left on an urgent phone call regarding the fallout from their confrontation with Lu Wei, but Su Nian couldn't shake the unease gnawing at her chest. The phone call earlier—the cryptic warning—replayed in her mind over and over again.
"You'll find out soon enough."
She had tried to dismiss it at first. A prank, maybe, or some twisted game. But deep down, she knew. Whoever had called her knew something she had buried years ago, something she thought was long forgotten.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached for her phone. The display was blank, save for the unknown number she'd tried to forget. She scrolled through her contacts, her mind working overtime, trying to piece together the clues. She had spent years keeping her past hidden, but she couldn't outrun it forever.
A sharp knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts. Before she could move, the door opened, and Lu Cheng stepped inside, his eyes immediately locking onto hers.
"NianNian, are you okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. He took a step toward her, his gaze never leaving her face.
She blinked, realizing she hadn't said anything. Her throat felt tight. "I don't know," she whispered. "I don't know if I can keep running from this."
Lu Cheng closed the distance between them, kneeling in front of her. His presence, always so strong and steady, felt like a lifeline. He reached out, gently cupping her face with his hands.
"You don't have to run anymore," he said softly. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together. I won't let anyone hurt you, NianNian. You have me. You always will."
Her heart clenched at his words, but fear still lingered at the back of her mind. She had never told him the full truth about her past. The things she had done, the mistakes she had made—she wasn't proud of them.
But now, with the threat looming over her, she had no choice but to confront them.
Just as she was about to speak, her phone buzzed again. Su Nian's pulse quickened when she saw the unknown number once more.
Without thinking, she answered.
"Hello?" she said, her voice tight.
"You're running out of time," the voice on the other end of the line said, sending a chill down her spine. "The truth is closer than you think. You should've told him by now."
Su Nian's grip on the phone tightened, her mind spinning. "Who are you?" she demanded.
The voice chuckled softly, but it was cold. "You'll find out soon enough. But remember—everyone has a price. Even Lu Cheng."
The line went dead.
Su Nian stared at her phone, her mind racing. Even Lu Cheng? What did that mean? Who could possibly have leverage over him?
Turning to Lu Cheng, her heart felt heavy. "Cheng, I need to tell you something. Something important. About my past."
Lu Cheng's eyes softened, but there was a flicker of concern in them. "NianNian, whatever it is, you don't need to carry it alone. I'm right here."
Su Nian stood up and walked to the window, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. She could feel the weight of the years of secrets pressing on her chest, but this wasn't just about her anymore. It was about them, about the life they were trying to build together.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him. "Before I came to the Lu family, before I even met you, I lived a different life. I wasn't always who you think I am. I didn't come from money, and I didn't always make the right choices."
Lu Cheng's brow furrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"
Su Nian hesitated, her fingers playing nervously with the hem of her dress. She had rehearsed this moment a thousand times in her mind, but now that it was here, the words felt harder than ever to say.
"I was involved with the wrong people," she confessed. "I made mistakes. There were things I did that I'm not proud of. Things I should've never done, but I had no choice at the time."
Lu Cheng's expression softened, but there was a hint of confusion in his eyes. "What kind of things? You don't have to hide from me, NianNian."
She could see the genuine concern in his eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him everything just yet. Not all at once.
"I… I was part of some shady deals. I worked for a group of people who… who didn't have good intentions. I was young, scared, and I thought it was the only way out of the life I had. But when I got out, I left everything behind. I thought I could start over, make a new life for myself, and I did. But the past doesn't just disappear."
Lu Cheng stood up and moved toward her, his face unreadable. He reached for her hand, his touch gentle but firm. "NianNian, that was in the past. You're not that person anymore. You don't have to keep carrying the burden of your past mistakes. You've changed. You've grown."
But Su Nian shook her head, her voice breaking. "It's not that simple, Cheng. There are people from my past who are still out there. And they have the power to ruin everything. They know things about me… about us."
Lu Cheng's eyes darkened as he processed her words. "Who are these people, NianNian? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I didn't want to drag you into it," she whispered. "I thought I could protect you from it. I thought I could keep you safe from the mistakes I made."
Lu Cheng reached out, cupping her face with both hands. His gaze was intense, but there was an undeniable softness in his eyes. "You don't have to protect me, NianNian. I'm not going anywhere. We'll face this together. No matter what."
She stared up at him, her heart swelling with love and fear all at once. "But Lu Wei… he's involved in all of this, Cheng. He's the one who's threatening to expose me. He's the one who's trying to use my past against us."
For the first time in what felt like forever, Lu Cheng's expression hardened. "Then we deal with him. Whatever it takes. I won't let anyone—anyone—use you like this."
Su Nian blinked in surprise. "You don't understand. This isn't just about business anymore. This is about my life. My reputation. My mistakes coming to light and tearing everything apart."
Lu Cheng's jaw tightened, and his voice dropped to a low growl. "It's about our life. And nobody—not Lu Wei, not anyone—gets to dictate that."
The silence that followed was heavy, filled with unspoken words and the weight of their shared resolve. Su Nian felt a sense of calm begin to settle over her, despite the storm raging inside her. Lu Cheng was right. She didn't have to face this alone. He would fight for her. For them.
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, before meeting his gaze again. "Then let's fight. Let's end this once and for all."
Lu Cheng smiled, his eyes filled with quiet confidence. "Together, NianNian. Always together."