The next morning, Li Xinyue woke up earlier than usual.
She looked at the empty space beside her.
Gu Zhen had already left.
Recently, he had been busier than before.
She knew why.
Someone was targeting the Gu family.
And she knew Gu Zhen was carrying the burden alone.
In her previous life, she never noticed his struggles.
She only saw the powerful general who seemed impossible to defeat.
But now…
She saw the man behind the title.
A man who carried countless responsibilities.
A man who protected everyone but rarely allowed anyone to protect him.
At the Li Group, Li Xinyue spent the entire morning investigating the connection between Lin Meiqi and the mysterious company.
The more she looked, the more suspicious things became.
“Miss Li.”
Chen Wei placed another document on her desk.
“We found something.”
Li Xinyue opened the file.
Her expression changed.
“This…”
The company involved was not ordinary.
It was connected to several businesses overseas.
And behind those businesses was a powerful organization that had been competing against the Gu family for years.
“How long has this been happening?”
Chen Wei answered seriously.
“Several years.”
Li Xinyue’s eyes darkened.
Several years.
That meant Lin Meiqi was not acting alone.
Someone had been using her.
Meanwhile, inside a luxurious office…
Lin Meiqi sat across from a man.
Unlike her usual confident appearance, she looked nervous.
“Are you sure this plan will work?”
The man smiled.
“You are becoming impatient.”
“I only want Gu Zhen.”
The man laughed softly.
“Do you really think a man like Gu Zhen can be won by love?”
Lin Meiqi’s expression changed.
“He used to care about me.”
The man looked at her.
“No.”
“He cared about kindness because he thought you were a friend.”
His words angered her.
“Enough.”
The man smiled.
“Your biggest mistake was believing you understood him.”
That afternoon, Gu Zhen returned home unexpectedly.
Li Xinyue was surprised.
“You are back early.”
He nodded.
“The mission was delayed.”
She immediately noticed his expression.
Something was wrong.
“What happened?”
Gu Zhen looked at her.
“You have been investigating Lin Meiqi.”
It was not a question.
Li Xinyue was silent.
“You knew?”
“I know everything that concerns you.”
His answer made her heart beat faster.
But she also understood his worry.
“You are afraid I will be involved.”
“Yes.”
He answered honestly.
“These people are dangerous.”
Li Xinyue walked closer.
“Gu Zhen.”
He looked at her.
“You always protect me.”
A pause.
“But you forget something.”
“What?”
Her eyes were determined.
“I am your wife. I can stand beside you.”
For a long time, Gu Zhen looked at her.
Then he slowly reached out and touched her hair.
“You really changed.”
A small smile appeared on her face.
“Is that a good thing?”
“Yes.”
His voice softened.
“Because now I can finally see the real you.”
Those words touched her heart.
Because she was afraid.
Afraid that one day he would discover the truth.
That she was not the same woman who married him one month ago.
That she carried memories from a life he didn’t know about.
That night, an unexpected visitor arrived at the Gu mansion.
A soldier entered with urgent information.
“Commander.”
Gu Zhen turned.
“The enemy has been identified.”
The room became silent.
“Who?”
The soldier handed him the file.
Gu Zhen opened it.
His expression changed.
Li Xinyue noticed.
“Who is it?”
Gu Zhen looked at her.
“The person behind everything…”
He paused.
“…is someone from the past.”
Before they could continue, the lights suddenly went out.
The entire mansion became dark.
And outside…
A figure was watching.
“The game has finally started.”