Fu Sijue’s body stiffened, a flicker of astonishment flashing in his eyes. After a moment of stunned silence, he placed his hands on Gu Ran’s shoulders and gently pushed her away.
He lowered his head, studying the girl before him carefully, yet he couldn’t connect her with the frail young girl from his memories.
“Ranran, how can it be you? Weren’t you supposed to be in Yangtian Village all these years?”
Oh no, she thought. In her excitement, she had forgotten that she was supposed to be a country girl living in Yangtian Village. How could she have inexplicably crossed oceans and appeared in the Y Continent War Zone?
Gu Ran lowered her gaze, her heart uneasy. How was she going to explain this?
“Brother Jue, I don’t know either. I went out to work with some people from the village and then encountered human traffickers. When I woke up, I was already there.”
Gu Ran kept her head down, speaking guiltily, not daring to look at Fu Sijue.
Well, this explanation should be fine, right? After all, there had been several serious cases of missing persons in the southern border region during those years, all involving human trafficking by foreign forces.
Of course, Fu Sijue didn’t believe her. Over the years, Gu Ran had frequently disappeared without explanation, and even with his private channels, he couldn’t track her down. It was clear that this girl was not as simple as she seemed.
Especially with the exceptional medical skills she had just displayed—even Li Junnan probably couldn’t match her.
Forget it, he thought. If she didn’t want to talk, so be it. What he was more curious about now was how this girl had figured out that he was the one who saved her in the war zone five years ago. Every time he went on a mission, he would be in disguise—covered in camouflage paint and wearing a combat mask. Even his own mother wouldn’t have recognized him.
“Ranran, how did you know it was me?”
“Han Muze told me. After you rescued me, I accidentally found a photo from your mission. Han Muze saw it, but he claimed that the person in the photo was him.”
Hearing this, Fu Sijue finally understood everything. The questions that had plagued him now had a reasonable explanation.
No wonder Ranran, who had just returned to Nancheng, had suddenly gotten together with Han Muze. Even though the Gu and Han families had a marriage arrangement, it didn’t make sense for her to fall head over heels for him so quickly.
So, his Ranran had fallen in love with the person who saved her back then.
A bitter feeling suddenly welled up in Fu Sijue’s heart. If it hadn’t been him who saved Ranran back then, would she have fallen in love with someone else?
“Ranran, then how did you figure out it was me? Before this, you kept trying to run away from me because you believed Han Muze was the one from back then, didn’t you?”
At that moment, Gu Ran covered Fu Sijue’s face with her hand, leaving only his eyes visible. Those eyes, sharp and cold like a hawk’s, had been filled with boundless tenderness the moment he saved her.
“Because of these eyes, Brother Jue. Even after all these years, I’ve always remembered these eyes. It’s a pity I didn’t realize it sooner.”
As she spoke, Gu Ran nestled deeper into Fu Sijue’s embrace.
Of course, she was lying to him. She knew all of this because, in her previous life, Han Muze had confessed it to her just before she died.
But one thing he hadn’t been wrong about—she had always remembered those eyes. That was why, even when she was with Han Muze in her past life, she had always felt a sense of distance. If she hadn’t been deceived by the so-called truth about her father’s death, she might have realized earlier that Han Muze was not the person she had been searching for.
In the end, everything had been carefully orchestrated by those with ulterior motives, all to use her as a tool to bring about Fu Sijue’s downfall.
Fu Sijue didn’t doubt it this time, as he couldn’t think of any other reason why Gu Ran had suddenly changed so drastically.
Feeling the girl in his arms relying on him, Fu Sijue finally let down his guard. Fine, he would trust her this once.
Fu Sijue understood Han Muze’s character—someone who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. In this regard, they were actually quite similar, but Fu Sijue would never stoop so low as to manipulate a woman’s feelings for his own gain.
Sensing the man beside her relax, Gu Ran secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to explain herself. Should she say she had been reborn? She was afraid that if she did, Fu Sijue would immediately send her to a mental hospital.
“Brother Jue, so someone in the Alliance Base wants to harm you?”
Gu Ran deliberately steered the conversation toward the Alliance Base. Of course, she knew this matter was related to Han Muze, but if she revealed too much, it would surely arouse Fu Sijue’s suspicion.
Gu Ran could sense that Fu Sijue still had some reservations about her. Before he fully trusted her, saying too much would only backfire.
Fu Sijue nodded but didn’t elaborate on his position in the Alliance Base, merely saying, “Han Muze has always wanted to replace me.”
Hearing this, Gu Ran pretended to be both admiring and somewhat naive as she asked, “So, Brother Jue, you’re stronger than Han Muze now, right?”
“Not just now. I’ve never considered him a real opponent. To me, he’s nothing but a clown.”
Fu Sijue spoke with arrogance, brimming with confidence.
Hearing this, Gu Ran’s heart ached. Yes, in terms of personal strength, ten Han Muzes were no match for Fu Sijue. But in her previous life, Han Muze had exploited Fu Sijue’s weakness, forcing him to act with restraint every time.
Forget it, no use dwelling on the past. Since fate had given them a second chance, the scales of victory would surely tip in their favor this time.
“Then Brother Jue, you have a way to deal with Han Muze, right? The Alliance Base is supposed to be an official department protecting the citizens of Z-country. Someone like Han Muze, who disregards his comrades’ lives for the sake of power, doesn’t deserve to remain in the Alliance Base.”
Gu Ran knew that in her past life, Han Muze’s ultimate victory had relied heavily on the Alliance Base as his greatest asset.
Hearing Gu Ran’s words, Fu Sijue smiled with satisfaction, pinching her soft cheek as he said, “You really don’t care about Han Muze at all. Once this matter is investigated and proven to be related to him, he’ll never be able to recover.”
“So, you still don’t trust me, Brother Jue. If I said I want Han Muze dead more than anyone else, would you believe me?”
Yes, most of the tragedies in her previous life had been caused by Han Muze. From the very beginning, she had been nothing but a pawn in his hands.
He had used her to deal with Fu Sijue, colluded with the Gu family to swindle her shares, and even manipulated her emotions to turn her into a killing machine. Once she had outlived her usefulness, he had discarded her without a second thought.
Each of these grievances was enough for Gu Ran to tear Han Muze to pieces. But Z-country had laws, and she couldn’t arbitrarily decide someone’s fate.
Now, however, Han Muze had handed her a weapon himself—how could she not use it?
Still, facing Fu Sijue’s doubts, Gu Ran couldn’t help but feel a pang of pain in her heart.
Fu Sijue furrowed his brow slightly upon hearing Gu Ran’s words. He couldn’t shake the feeling that her aura was too fierce at this moment, having clearly caught the flash of killing intent in her eyes earlier.
Fu Sijue was no fool—he didn’t believe that flicker of murderous desire stemmed solely from Han Muze’s deception, yet he refrained from pressing further. Fine, he’d trust this girl one more time.
“Alright, leave this matter to me. I’ve already gathered some relevant evidence. Unfortunately, given the Han family’s current status, making him pay with his life would be difficult.”
“What’s there to fear? For someone like Han Muze who values power above all, watching him gradually lose his authority would be the perfect punishment.”
Gu Ran chuckled lightly, yet her eyes shone with chilling excitement and bloodlust.
Fu Sijue felt somewhat dazed. The girl in his arms seemed unfamiliar, unlike the vulnerable little girl he thought he knew.
“Why are you staring at me like that, Brother Jue?”
Hearing her voice, Fu Sijue snapped out of his thoughts.
“Ranran, you’re… different.”
Fu Sijue voiced his thoughts directly. Instead of showing tension, Gu Ran smiled and leaned closer until their faces were almost touching.
“Oh? How so? So, Brother Jue, do you prefer how I used to be or how I am now?”
Fu Sijue felt the warmth of her breath as she spoke, stirring a restless itch within him. Some primal urge leaped eagerly in his veins, threatening to override his rationality.
He instinctively leaned back, shifting his gaze sideways as he swallowed quietly. “As long as it’s you, Ranran, I’ll love you in any form. You never need to hide yourself around me—just be happy, however you wish.”
No sooner had he spoken than warmth brushed his lips—Gu Ran had stolen another kiss, too quick for him to seize the initiative.
“Brother Jue, we have a lifetime ahead of us. You’ll come to know the truest version of me.”
Gu Ran had never intended to conceal anything from Fu Sijue, but she felt some identities weren’t suitable to reveal just yet.
In her previous life, she only knew Han Muze posed a threat to Fu Sijue, but she wasn’t foolish enough to think Han Muze alone could shake him. By hiding her strength and playing weak, she might one day become the beauty who saves the hero.
Who said only heroes rescue beauties? She would turn the tables and have the beauty save the hero.
Fu Sijue respected Gu Ran’s choices. As long as she stayed by his side, he didn’t care who she truly was.
Fu Sijue didn’t rest with Gu Ran. After she lay down, he kept watch until her breathing steadied in sleep before quietly leaving the bedroom.
Li Junnan, Dan Zuo, and Lao Jia—who had assisted in the operating room earlier—were all waiting in the second-floor study.
The three rose uniformly when Fu Sijue entered, their expressions respectful.
Li Junnan glanced past Fu Sijue toward the doorway, a hint of disappointment flickering when he saw Gu Ran hadn’t followed.
“How is Cheng Guang?”
Cheng Guang was the injured Xiao Guang—an orphan. Fu Sijue had rescued him from bullies at age twelve and brought him to the Alliance Base. From an ordinary member, he had gradually risen to become captain of the Alliance Base’s most elite squad and one of Fu Sijue’s most trusted aides.
“No problem, arrange for someone to keep watch. We should thank Miss Gu this time. By the way, Sijue, has Miss Gu studied medicine?”