The charity event was one of the biggest gatherings of the year.
Powerful families, famous business owners, and influential figures all gathered in one place.
To everyone watching, Gu Zhen and Li Xinyue looked like the perfect couple.
The cold and powerful general.
The elegant and intelligent heiress.
Nobody knew that their marriage, which had started without love, was slowly becoming something deeper.
Li Xinyue walked beside Gu Zhen into the hall.
Many people greeted them respectfully.
“General Gu.”
“Mrs. Gu.”
She still found it strange hearing that title.
Before, she hated being called Mrs. Gu.
She thought it represented a marriage she never wanted.
But now…
It represented the person who stood beside her through everything.
Gu Zhen noticed her silence.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
She looked at him and smiled.
“No.”
“Then why are you smiling?”
“Because I realized something.”
“What?”
She looked around.
“I used to hate this place.”
Gu Zhen was surprised.
“Why?”
Li Xinyue lowered her voice.
“Because I thought everyone here was judging me.”
“And now?”
She looked at him.
“Now I know I don’t need everyone’s approval.”
Only his.
Gu Zhen’s eyes softened.
Across the hall, Lin Meiqi watched them.
She noticed every small detail.
The way Gu Zhen looked at Li Xinyue.
The way Li Xinyue trusted him.
The way they naturally stood together.
It was completely different from before.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Because the old Li Xinyue would never behave like this.
During the event, Lin Meiqi approached them.
“General Gu.”
Gu Zhen nodded slightly.
“Miss Lin.”
His tone was polite but distant.
She could feel the tension.
Not because she was jealous.
But because she understood.
Lin Meiqi still had feelings for her husband.
“Mrs. Gu.”
Lin Meiqi smiled.
“I heard you have become very successful in managing the Li Group.”
Li Xinyue returned the smile.
“Thank you.”
“You have changed a lot.”
The words sounded innocent.
But Li Xinyue understood the meaning behind them.
She looked at Lin Meiqi calmly.
“People change.”
Lin Meiqi’s eyes narrowed.
“Do they?”
“Sometimes.”
Li Xinyue lifted her glass.
“Especially after experiencing something unforgettable.”
For a moment, Lin Meiqi felt uncomfortable.
Because Li Xinyue’s words felt like they carried a hidden meaning.
Later, while Gu Zhen was speaking with some military officials, Lin Meiqi approached Li Xinyue.
“I want to ask you something.”
Li Xinyue looked at her.
“Go ahead.”
“Do you really love Gu Zhen?”
The question surprised her.
But she quickly recovered.
“Why are you asking?”
Lin Meiqi smiled.
“Because your marriage was arranged.”
Li Xinyue looked at her silently.
“In the beginning, yes.”
Lin Meiqi’s eyes brightened.
“But now?”
Li Xinyue looked toward Gu Zhen.
The man who was always protecting her.
The man who trusted her.
The man she once lost.
“Now…”
She smiled.
“I love my husband.”
Lin Meiqi froze.
She didn’t expect such a direct answer.
But then something unexpected happened.
A waiter suddenly approached Li Xinyue.
“Mrs. Gu, someone asked me to give this to you.”
He handed her a small envelope.
“Who?”
The waiter shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
Li Xinyue opened it.
Inside was an old photograph.
Her face changed.
It was a picture of her.
Before her death.
Before she was reborn.
On the back of the picture was a sentence:
“How long can you hide the fact that you are not the same Li Xinyue?”
Her heartbeat stopped.
For the first time since returning…
Someone had touched the secret she thought nobody knew.
“Xinyue.”
Gu Zhen’s voice pulled her back.
She quickly hid the photograph.
He looked at her.
“Are you alright?”
She forced a smile.
“Yes.”
But Gu Zhen knew her too well now.
She was lying.
That night, after returning home, Li Xinyue sat alone in the bedroom.
Her hands held the photograph tightly.
Someone knew.
Maybe not everything.
But someone suspected.
Her second life was no longer only her secret.
A knock came from the door.
She quickly hid the photograph.
Gu Zhen entered.
He looked at her.
“Xinyue.”
“Hmm?”
“You don’t have to tell me everything today.”
She froze.
“But remember…”
He walked closer.
“When you are ready, I will listen.”
Her eyes became warm.
Because even when he didn’t know the truth…
He was still choosing to trust her.
Meanwhile, in a hidden room…
The person who sent the photograph smiled.
“Now…”
“Let’s see how long the reborn heiress can hide.”