Wife, who?

Xu Wei had no idea who this woman was.

But the sharp, calculating way she smiled told him everything he needed to know.

She was trouble.

"Jiang Yurong," she said, voice smooth as silk. "It's been a while."

Xu Wei took one look at her perfectly styled hair, designer dress, and smug little smirk and knew exactly what she was.

A snake in heels.

Xu Wei kept his face blank. "Has it?"

The woman's smile didn't waver. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. Even after all this time, you still know how to play your role when it matters."

Oh. Oh.

This wasn't just someone Jiang Yurong knew—this was someone who didn't like her.

Xu Wei glanced at Zhihao, who remained silent beside him, his expression unreadable.

Okay. Fine. He'd play along.

Xu Wei adjusted the loose sleeves of his oversized button-up, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark trousers. A far cry from the tight dresses and high heels Jiang Yurong used to wear, and judging from the woman's subtle eyebrow twitch, she noticed.

Interesting.

"I must be important if you're paying this much attention to me," Xu Wei said, tilting his head slightly.

For the briefest second, something flickered across the woman's face—annoyance.

Xu Wei smirked. Got her.

"Enjoy your evening," Zhihao said suddenly, stepping forward. It wasn't an invitation to keep talking. It was dismissal.

The woman's lips pressed together, but she took the hint.

She walked away, heels clicking against the marble floor.

Xu Wei exhaled through his nose. "Who the hell was that?"

Zhihao took a sip of his whiskey. "Someone you used to argue with. Frequently."

Xu Wei groaned. Fantastic.

By the time they got home, Xu Wei was exhausted.

The first thing he did was strip out of the damn blazer.

The old Jiang Yurong had loved body-hugging outfits and impossible heels. Xu Wei? Absolutely not.

Instead, he grabbed a loose hoodie and joggers, pulled his hair into a messy ponytail, and sighed in relief.

Much better.

Zhihao walked in just as Xu Wei collapsed onto the bed, arms spread wide.

Zhihao, still buttoning down his cuffs, shot him a glance. "I'm impressed. You didn't cause any problems."

Xu Wei smirked. "So you admit you expected me to?"

Zhihao didn't answer.

That was basically a yes.

Xu Wei rolled onto his side, watching him. "You're awfully calm about me acting different."

Zhihao paused.

He met Xu Wei's gaze, studying him. Not coldly. Not suspiciously. Just… thoughtfully.

"You're not acting different," he said finally. "You're acting like someone I haven't seen in a long time."

And with that, he turned and left the room.

Xu Wei blinked at the door.

His chest felt strangely… tight.

He didn't like it.

The next morning, Xu Wei found Xinyi in the garden.

She was sitting cross-legged in the grass, her sketchbook in her lap, tongue poking out slightly as she focused on her drawing.

Xu Wei sat down beside her, adjusting the loose sleeves of his sweatshirt. "What are you working on?"

Xinyi barely reacted. Progress.

"A rabbit," she mumbled. "It's not good yet."

Xu Wei leaned over. The drawing was messy, but cute. "Looks pretty good to me."

She huffed. "You're just saying that."

"I don't say things just to say them," Xu Wei said easily. "I mean, I do, but not this time."

Xinyi stared at him for a moment, then—just barely—her lips twitched.

It wasn't a smile.

But it was close.

Xu Wei grinned. Step one: win over the kid. In progress.

Xinyi went back to her drawing, but this time, she didn't seem tense. Xu Wei took that as a victory and leaned back on his hands, staring up at the sky.

For the first time since waking up in this body, he felt a little less like an outsider.

That night, Xu Wei woke up to soft footsteps.

He kept still, barely breathing.

The bedroom door cracked open.

A tiny figure hesitated in the doorway.

Xinyi.

She stood there for a long moment, shifting on her feet, like she wasn't sure if she was making the right choice.

Then, finally—silently—she padded across the room and curled up on the edge of the bed.

She kept her distance, barely touching him.

But she was there.

Xu Wei didn't move.

Didn't speak.

Just let her stay.

For a moment, he stared at the ceiling, listening to the soft sound of her breathing.

This kid…

She had so much love to give and nowhere to put it.

His chest felt strangely tight.

He didn't like that feeling. It was new. Unfamiliar.

But he also didn't push it away.

Not this time.

Instead, he exhaled, relaxed his body, and let himself fall asleep—with a kid who had once been afraid of him sleeping just a few inches away.

The next morning, Xinyi was gone before he woke up.

She left no sign that she had been there.

No blanket, no stuffed toy, nothing.

Xu Wei could have doubted himself, convinced himself that it had all been a half-dream.

But when he went downstairs, he caught her stealing quick glances at him over her breakfast.

And for the first time ever, she didn't flinch when he looked back.

Xu Wei smirked to himself.

Step one: complete.

Now for the hard part.

Winning over the older one.