The soft glow of the Shanghai skyline bathed the room in a golden hue as Li Mei stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought. Her silhouette, elegant and effortlessly stunning, seemed to blend with the city's beauty itself — a woman who could silence a room with a glance. Her long black hair spilled like ink over her ivory shoulders, and her dark eyes held storms most would never dare to swim in.
Behind her, the low rustle of papers broke the silence. Wei Jun, her boyfriend of five years — tall, sharp-eyed, and dressed in his usual crisp police uniform — was going over yet another classified file. His eyes weren't on the skyline. They were on her.
"You're still thinking about it," he said, voice low, like a warning and a plea rolled into one.
Li Mei didn't turn around. "Of course I am. You want me to walk into the lion's den, Jun. This isn't a small-time gangster. This is Xiang Luo. The mafia king who owns an island like it's his personal kingdom."
He stood and walked over, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "And you're the only one I trust to pull this off."
She turned her face to look at him, brows furrowed. "That's not fair. Don't make this about trust when it's about obsession."
His grip tightened, just slightly. "It's not obsession. It's justice."
Li Mei pulled away gently. "No, Jun. This is personal. It always has been. You've been chasing this man for years, even when there was no evidence, no case. You talk about justice, but sometimes... I don't recognize the man you've become."
There was silence. A tense, heavy pause.
Then Jun stepped back, emotion flickering in his eyes — something raw, something dangerous.
"Because you've never seen what he did to my family," he whispered. "You've only seen what I let you see."
She blinked. "What do you mean—?"
He cut her off with a soft kiss on her forehead. "Please, Mei. Just this once. Go undercover. Get close to him. Just for a month. I'll have surveillance ready. You get me what I need, and we'll be done. He'll be gone. And we'll finally be free."
Her heart twisted. She loved him. She truly did. Five years of memories, laughter, passion — all of it meant something. But the mission he was asking of her? It meant becoming someone else. Lying to survive. Using her beauty — her body, even — to get information.
Li Mei's beauty wasn't a secret. In fact, it was a curse. Men stared too long. Women looked at her like competition even when she wasn't playing. And now… it was the very weapon she was being asked to wield.
She looked at him again.
"You promise me," she said. "No matter what happens, you'll get me out of there alive."
Jun's eyes softened — love and obsession mixing like oil and fire.
"I'd burn the world for you, Mei."
---
Days Later — Private Jet to Xiang Luo's Island
Li Mei adjusted the silk strap of her emerald green dress as she stared at her reflection in the jet's small mirror. The dress hugged her curves perfectly — chosen specifically to make an impression.
Across from her sat another woman — tall, blonde, icy eyes. She hadn't said a word the entire flight.
"You're new," she finally said. "Be careful not to look him in the eye too long. He hates that."
Li Mei offered a polite smile. "Thanks for the advice."
"She's not warning you to help you," came another voice. A man — lean, tattooed, wearing sunglasses indoors. "She just doesn't want you to outshine her."
The woman glared.
Li Mei said nothing. But inside, she was already preparing herself. This was only the beginning.
Somewhere on that island was Xiang Luo — and a web of danger that would challenge her heart, her morals, and everything she thought she knew about love, justice, and truth.
And unknown to her… two men were already in a silent war over her soul.