The city looked quieter from the inside of a moving car.
Lin Yue stared out of the window as skyscrapers blurred past like unfinished memories.
Beside her sat Shen Yichen.
Silent.
Unreadable.
A marriage had been signed yesterday.
And yet, he still looked like a man who didn't even know her name mattered.
The car slowed.
"Arrival," the driver said.
The gates opened automatically.
A private villa stood ahead—cold, modern, expensive.
Lin Yue stepped out first.
Wind brushed past her face.
Behind her, Shen Yichen got out slowly, adjusting his cufflinks like nothing in his life had changed.
Inside, the villa was too quiet.
Too large.
Too controlled.
Lin Yue placed her bag down.
"I'll take the guest room," she said casually.
Shen Yichen stopped.
Just a fraction.
Then he looked at her.
"You won't."
That one sentence made her pause.
Lin Yue turned slightly.
"Excuse me?"
He walked past her, loosening his tie.
"You're moving into my room."
Silence.
Not embarrassment.
Not warmth.
Just decision.
Lin Yue stared at him.
"…We are not that kind of couple."
Shen Yichen stopped near the staircase.
For a moment, he looked back.
His eyes were calm.
But something underneath them felt tight.
"We're married," he said simply.
"That's enough reason."
Lin Yue almost laughed.
Almost.
"You don't even remember me," she said.
A pause.
Then, quietly:
"No."
Simple.
Final.
But something in his tone didn't feel as absolute as his words.
He turned away.
"Second floor. Last room."
And walked upstairs.
Lin Yue stood still for a moment.
Then followed.
---
That night, the villa lights stayed dim.
Lin Yue stood in the doorway of his room.
He was inside.
Shirt sleeves rolled up.
Documents spread across the table.
He didn't look at her when she entered.
"Settle in," he said.
Cold.
Controlled.
Distant.
Lin Yue stepped inside slowly.
"This is ridiculous," she said.
He finally looked up.
And for a second—
his gaze stayed on her longer than necessary.
Then he looked away.
"You'll get used to it," he said.
A silence followed.
Lin Yue walked further inside.
"You really don't remember anything about me?" she asked.
That question hung in the air.
Shen Yichen didn't answer immediately.
His pen stopped moving.
For the first time since she met him…
He looked unsure.
Then quietly:
"No."
A pause.
Then, even quieter:
"…But you're annoying."
Lin Yue blinked slightly.
That wasn't an insult.
Not fully.
It sounded like instinct reacting without memory.
A faint tension tightened in her chest.
Shen Yichen stood up, closing the documents.
"You're staying here," he said.
Final.
No negotiation.
Then he walked past her.
Stopped at the door.
Without turning around:
"Don't make things complicated."
He left.
The door clicked shut.
Lin Yue stood alone in the room.
But her eyes stayed on the door.
Because something about him—
didn't match his words.
And she could feel it now.
This marriage wasn't going to stay simple for long.