Shen Li set her glass down with a deliberate clink, her smile carrying just a hint of mischief.
"I called you here tonight because... I'm getting married."
Silence fell for a split second — just enough for the three men to exchange glances before the teasing began.
Chi Cheng arched a brow, his voice low and dry.
"Married? Huh. Didn't know you were capable of that"
Guo Cheng Yu snorted into his drink.
"Finally. I was starting to think you were going to die surrounded by ten cats and expensive handbags."
Hua Yong who had been lazily swirling his whiskey, leaned forward with a smirk.
"So... who's the poor soul? Should we send him flowers or condolences?"
Shen Li narrowed her eyes at them, trying and failing to hide her laugh.
" Can't a woman share good news without getting roasted?"
Chi Cheng leaned back, his smirk widening.
"Not when it's this good. We've waited years for something this fun to tease you about."
Guo Cheng Yu added with mock seriousness:
"Do we at least get to plan the bachelor party? I have ideas."
Hua Yong raised his glass, still grinning.
Hua Yong "Forget the party — I want to meet him and tell him all your worst habits before the wedding. Purely as a public service."
Shen Li shook her head, laughter spilling out despite her mock annoyance. She let the laughter die down before swirling the wine in her glass, her smile turning sly.
"Small detail I forgot to mention... He hasn't exactly agreed to the proposal yet."
All three men froze for a second.
Chi Cheng was the first to speak, voice dripping with sarcasm, "So you're not getting married. You're just... announcing your unconfirmed plans to trap someone."
Guo Cheng Yu burst out laughing, almost spilling his drink.
"This isn't an engagement dinner, it's a strategy meeting."
Hua Yong leaned forward, eyes gleaming with mischief.
Hua Yong "Alright, I'll bite. Why hasn't he agreed? Is he married? On the run? A monk?"
Shen Li took a slow sip before dropping the real bomb. "He is not really fond of me and always avoid me like a plague. That guy. You know who."
Hua Yong raised an eyebrow, a sly grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Ah, so it's that guy. The one who treats you like a walking disaster waiting to happen."
Shen Li smirked, swirling her drink. "Exactly. He acts like I'm poison. Avoids me like I'm contagious."
A beat of silence — then;
Chi Cheng didn't even blink, but his lips twitched upward. "You mean *that* Kim Soo-hyun? The walking HR violation with a temper problem?"
Guo Cheng Yu choked on his drink, eyes gleaming.
"The one who chased Jung Da-On for seven years, got shipped to America like contraband, and still came back swinging? That guy? I thought you already moved on from him. I mean, after graduating, you buried yourself in work. You're still hung up on him?"
Hua Yong laughed so loudly the waiter outside probably heard.
"Oh, this is gold. Shen Li, you've officially chosen the human embodiment of a demolition site."
Shen Li rolled her eyes, but the small smile on her lips stayed.
"He's more than that. Yes, he's rebellious and hot-tempered, but he's also passionate. Everything he did — even the stupid parts — came from how much he cared about Da-On."
Chi Cheng's tone was bone-dry.
"Beating a man bloody in front of your crush isn't passion. It's a police report."
Shen Li, "Yeah, like you never did that. Beside, that man was trying to take obscene pictures of Da-On when he was drunk. Soo-hyun was protecting him."
Guo Cheng Yu rested his chin on his hand, smirking.
"And scaring Da-On half to death in the process. Let's not rewrite history."
Chi Cheng pressed his fingers to his forehead. "You're trying to marry a man who statistically wouldn't even notice you if you wore a wedding dress to breakfast."
Guo Cheng Yu grinned like he'd just been handed the best gossip of the year.
"You're either the most confident woman alive... or this is going to be the funniest disaster we've ever witnessed."
Shen Li rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her grin.
"Laugh all you want. I'll have him you know, I've never lost when I set my mind on something."
Chi Cheng leaned back, amused.
"Oh, we'll be watching. Front row seats."
Hua Yong leaned forward, elbows on the table, amused.
"Let me guess — you fell for him again while he was storming around the office like an angry Greek god?"
Shen Li took a sip of wine, eyes narrowing playfully.
"Not exactly. I've... watched him for a long time. Even disguised myself as one of his department staff. He never knew.
There was a beat of silence before all three of them erupted at once.
Chi Cheng said, "Creepy."
Guo Cheng Yu, "Obsessed."
Hua Yong, "Romantic. ...No, actually still creepy."
Shen Li just smiled, unbothered.
"Call it what you want. I know his bad sides — I've seen them up close. But I also know how fiercely loyal he can be when he cares about someone. I'm not afraid of him."
Chi Cheng raised his glass in mock salute.
"Then, my dear, you're either the bravest person we know... or the dumbest. And frankly, I'm not sure which is more entertaining."
The others laughed, already imagining the chaos this romance would cause.
----
**Scene: Afternoon, construction company site office**
The low hum of printers and faint clatter of keyboards filled the deputy director's office. Kim Soo-hyun sat behind his desk, sleeves rolled up, reviewing site reports. His expression was sharp, eyes moving over each page like he was ready to fight every error personally.
The door opened without a knock.
Hua Yong stepped in, dressed in a casual but expensive jacket, holding a sleek business folder. His smile was easy, but his eyes were scanning Soo-hyun the way a predator sizes up another predator.
"Deputy Director Kim. I hear you're the man in charge here."
Soo-hyun looked up slowly, gaze narrowing. The pause that followed was heavy. Soo-hyun set down his pen with deliberate calm.
"If you came to gossip, the exit's right behind you."
Hua Yong ignored the jab, stepping closer to place the folder on the desk.
"I'm here to find out if you're trouble. And from what I've heard — you are."
Soo-hyun's jaw flexed, his voice low but dangerous.
"Then you've wasted your trip. I'm not here to explain myself to strangers."
Hua Yong's smirk stayed fixed.
"I'm not just some stranger. I'm Shen Li's friend. And honestly, I don't think you're the right man for her."
Soo-Hyun's eyes narrowed as recognition flickered. The prince of arrogance — that was the nickname Hua Yong carried back in school. He didn't expect to see him here, and certainly didn't get why he was poking the hornet's nest today.
Leaning back slightly, Soo-Hyun's voice was calm but firm.
"I know who you are, Hua Yong. Your reputation precedes you. I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but consider this a warning — don't bring trouble here."
The air crackled with unspoken challenge. For a moment, neither man blinked.
Finally, Hua Yong gave a short laugh — not from amusement, but from recognising the raw, unpolished heat in the man before him.
"Good. At least you've got some fight in you. Let's see if you can channel it into something other than scaring people away."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him.
Soo-Hyun had always despised Hua Yong's guts. Their schools weren't the same, but they were close by, and they grew up in the same neighborhood. Hua Yong's reputation as a dangerously arrogant man was notorious—even at Soo-Hyun's school. So, even though they had crossed paths before, Soo-Hyun always kept his distance from him.
**Scene: Evening, same private lounge as before**
Chi Cheng was already at the table, flipping through something on his phone, while Guo Cheng Yu scrolled through the menu. Both looked up when **Hua Yong** walked in, dropping into his seat with the smug air of a man who'd just stirred trouble for fun.
"You're late. Did you bring the deputy director's head as a trophy, or did he throw you out?"
Hua Yong smirked, loosening his jacket.
"Neither. But I did get a good read on him. He's exactly like before — rebellious, hot-tempered, not afraid to threaten someone to their face."
Chi Cheng didn't even look up from his phone.
"So... her type."
Guo Cheng Yu chuckled.
"Let me guess. You walked in, poked him with a stick, and he tried to bite your arm off?"
"More or less. I told him I didn't think he was good enough for Shen Li. He told me to stay out of his business — or next time, I 'might not walk out so easily.'"
Chi Cheng finally looked up, the faintest smile tugging at his lips.
"Romantic. Nothing says 'future husband material' like lightly threatening your friends."
"Shen Li's going to eat that up. She'll call it passion. We'll call it a security risk."
Hua Yong leaned back, clearly enjoying himself.
"He's dangerous, but not stupid. There's a difference. He didn't try to charm me, didn't try to explain himself — just straight to the point. If Shen Li can handle the temper, maybe it'll work."
Chi Cheng smirked. "Or maybe we'll be attending her wedding—and her future assault trial."
All three of them shared a laugh — the kind that was equal parts mocking and affectionate. They might never understand Shen Li's taste in men, but they'd be there for the chaos regardless.
---
**Scene: Shen Li & Chi Cheng – Late Night in the Basement**
The basement smelled faintly of dust and machine oil. Shen Li sat cross-legged on the worn couch, the dim bulb above casting soft shadows across her face. Papers lay scattered on her lap, but her thoughts weren't on the reports—they drifted inevitably to him.
"You know," she said quietly, "when I watch those romantic dramas or movies, with their endless declarations of love... I can't help but wonder how long their 'forever' really lasts."
Her words weren't really about the dramas. They were about Soo-hyun. About whether the man who laughed recklessly and fought like he had nothing to lose could ever truly promise someone a forever.
Chi Cheng's lips twitched into a knowing smirk. "That's pretty bleak. Is that why you never just confess? Seems kind of pathetic if you ask me."
Shen Li's fingers stilled over the papers. A small, dry smile curved her lips. "Maybe it is."
Chi Cheng leaned back, eyes gleaming. "Hua Yong's coming next week, you know. Maybe you should ask him for advice. I don't think I've ever seen someone so twistedly devoted. Fifteen years of obsession, plus all those manipulations just to keep his partner in line. You could learn a thing or two."
Shen Li's brow creased. "Hua Yong's insane. A total psycho. I could never do what he does."
He laughed softly. "Really? I thought you two were alike. You've been stuck on your guy just as long. Protecting him like a shadow. Changing yourself just to keep him safe. That's crazy too, in its own way."
She looked away, biting back the urge to defend herself. He wasn't wrong—her life was built around Soo-hyun, always giving, never asking for anything in return.
"Devotion and madness," she murmured, "they're often hard to tell apart, aren't they?"
"Call it whatever you want," Chi Cheng said. "But this? It's way beyond me. Cheng Yu's better at decoding your emotional mess than I am."
Shen Li let out a soft chuckle, even as her chest tightened. "Having you talk this much already makes me feel appreciated. Name your price."
Chi Cheng was silent for a moment, then smirked. He pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and flipped the screen toward her, to show a picture.
"Okay. Consider it done.
They left the basement together, their footsteps echoing in the narrow stairwell. At the street corner, they split ways without another word. Shen Li kept walking, eyes fixed ahead — but her mind wandered back to him, as it always did, to a forever she wasn't sure she could have.