The living room of the Su family's old mansion. The afternoon sun casts mottled shadows on the floor through the stained glass windows. The parents sit in the main seats, with two heavy marriage agreements placed in front of them: one from the top-tier wealthy Lu family, and one from the complex and ruthless Shen family. "You are the elder sister, you choose first." Father picks up his teacup, his tone as calm as if he were picking out a commodity. I clutched the hem of my skirt, my heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst through my chest. I secretly glanced at Lu Shiyan sitting opposite me. He was wearing a dark gray suit today, cold and aloof, like an inviolable deity. For the past ten years, I followed behind him like a shadow. When he got injured in a basketball game, I climbed over the wall in the middle of the night to buy him medicinal oil; when he worked late into the night, I boiled pear soup in the kitchen countless times and delivered it to him. Although his reactions were always indifferent, I thought it was just his personality. I thought his tacit approval of my approach was a silent confession. "I choose the Lu family." I heard my own crisp voice, filled with shyness and hope. At that moment, I thought I had grasped happiness. I didn't even notice Lu Shiyan's stiffened knuckles in that instant, nor the shattered, despairing look in his eyes when he looked at my younger sister beside me. The wedding was extremely grand, but I guarded an empty room all night on our wedding night. In the days after marriage, I was like a humble servant. I learned to cook his favorite dishes and to tidy his messy ties. Whenever I approached him, he would always subconsciously avoid me, his eyes hiding a forbearance and disgust that I couldn't understand. I kept telling myself: "It's okay, he's just not good at expressing himself." Until the news of Su Yao marrying into the Shen family came. That day, Lu Shiyan sat in the study all night. I pushed the door open to bring him milk, only to see him tightly clutching a photo of Su Yao, his fingertips white from the force. "Shiyan..." I called him softly. "Get out!" He suddenly looked up, his eyes terrifyingly red. "Who allowed you to come in? Seeing me in pain for her, does it give you a great sense of accomplishment?" I froze in place, the tray in my hands crashing to the ground, the porcelain shards cutting my ankle. That was the first time I realized that the person hidden in his heart was never me. ----------------- ## Core Character Settings • Lu Shiyan (Male Lead): 188 cm, ascetic type wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Cold as frost in appearance, suit always buttoned to the top. Gloomy and repressed personality. • Shen Xiu (Supporting Male): Wild and handsome, with deep and three-dimensional facial features, a strong and muscular body, and an evil smirk often hanging on the corner of his mouth. Wild and uninhibited personality. • Su Yao (Younger Sister): Petite and sweet, pure and harmless in appearance, a standard 'white lotus'. Manipulative personality, accustomed to pretending to be weak to gain sympathy.