"Marry me."
Shen Linyi's lips curved into a cold smile as she crossed her arms, looking Gu Liansheng straight in the eye.
"Mr. Gu, I don't know what kind of joke you think this is, but I don't marry strangers."
The street seemed to freeze at her words. Even the faint hum of traffic faded under the weight of her voice.
A lesser man would have been embarrassed, perhaps even angered, at her outright rejection. But Gu Liansheng didn't even flinch.
His sharp gaze swept over her face, lingering for just a fraction too long before he spoke.
"Shen Linyi," he said slowly, his voice deep and addictive to the ears, "your refusal means nothing to me."
Her brows knitted in irritation. What kind of man reacts like this after being rejected?
He took a step closer, his towering frame blocking out the evening light. "You don't have to accept me now," he continued, his tone carrying a leisure arrogance.
"But remember my words. Before long, you'll come find me on your own… and you'll ask me to marry you."
Her chest tightened. It wasn't the words themselves that scared her, it was the unwavering confidence in his eyes. The certainty that made it sound less like a prediction and more like a statement of fact.
Her pride screamed against it. "Don't be delusional," she snapped, clenching her fists at her sides. She had just been reborn—did she have to face such a situation now?
But Gu Liansheng only smirked faintly, as though she were nothing more than a stubborn child throwing a tantrum.
He turned swiftly, his bodyguards immediately surrounding him as he walked back toward the sleek Rolls-Royce.
The luxury car pulled away, leaving behind only silence and the faint smell of gasoline.
Shen Linyi stood rooted to the spot, her nails digging into her palms. Her heart pounded, not from fear, but from the infuriating sense that his words might just hold the truth.
-------------------
Inside her own car, she sat stiffly, her mind whirling as she replayed the conversation with Gu Liansheng.
Her driver, Uncle Zhao, glanced at her through the rearview mirror. His hair had long since turned grey, but his eyes were sharp with concern.
"Miss Shen," he began cautiously, "that was Mr. Gu… wasn't it?"
Her eyes narrowed. "You know him?"
"Who doesn't?" Uncle Zhao sighed. "Gu Liansheng—head of the Gu conglomerate. Ruthless in business, feared by rivals, and respected by allies." He paused, reverence in his eyes.
"The kind of man no one wants to offend." His hands tightened briefly on the wheel. "Miss, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but… if someone like him offers you protection, perhaps it isn't a bad thing to consider."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Uncle Zhao, are you suggesting I marry a stranger just to protect the Shen Group?"
He faltered, struggling for the right words. "I'm only suggesting. Alliances are often more powerful than pride. Your parents built this empire with their blood. Do you want to see it destroyed by unworthy hands?"
His words cut deeper than she wanted to admit. She turned her face toward the window, unwilling to let him see the turmoil flickering across her features.
"I don't need a man to protect me," she said firmly. "Not Zhou Yuanfeng, not Gu Liansheng, not anyone."
Uncle Zhao gave a small nod, though the worry in his eyes didn't fade. He only hoped the young lady considered the offer.
------------
By the time she returned to the Shen family villa, the sky had already darkened, the city lights flickering softly. The familiar grand doors greeted her, but tonight, instead of comfort, the house felt unbearably heavy, like walls pressing down on her chest.
She slipped off her heels in her bedroom and sank into the plush armchair by the window. For a long time, she just stared at the faint reflection of herself in the glass. Pale, tense, but alive. Alive, when she should have been dead.
'I have another chance,' she reminded herself. 'This time, I can't afford to falter.'
Her gaze shifted to the stack of papers still in her bag, the very documents that would have signed away her parents' legacy. Just the sight of them made her stomach twist.
And then, suddenly, Gu Liansheng's words echoed again in her mind.
"You'll come back and ask me to marry you."
She clenched her teeth, anger flaring. "Arrogant bastard," she muttered under her breath.
Yet beneath the anger lay an uncomfortable truth. Unfortunately, he wasn't wrong. Zhou Yuanfeng was still in her life.
Her so-called best friend was still a viper waiting for the right strike. The Shen Group was still vulnerable, and she lacked power and authority.
She needed time to strengthen her defenses, and time was what she might not have.
While she was lost in thoughts, her phone buzzed. The screen lit up with a call from the company secretary. Shen Linyi hesitated, then answered.
"Miss Shen," the secretary's voice trembled slightly, "there are… rumors spreading tonight. About the Shen Group's liquidity. The investors are nervous, and the stocks are already dipping."
Shen Linyi's blood ran cold. "What rumors?" She asked, suppressing the fear in her heart.
"That the Shen family is about to sell off assets. That Zhou Yuanfeng is negotiating behind your back. Miss Shen, the board is panicking, what do we do?"
Her chest constricted. Already? Zhou Yuanfeng was already making his move? He already had doubts about her? So soon?
She ended the call, her hand trembling slightly as she lowered the phone, her eyes darkening slightly. The room seemed to spin for a moment before she steadied herself with a long breath.
So, it begins.
She walked to her desk, pulling out an old photograph of her parents. Her father's strong smile, her mother's gentle eyes. They looked back at her, silently urging her not to fail and not to give up.
"I swear to you both," she whispered, her voice raw with unspoken emotions, "I won't let anyone take what's ours. Not again."
Her determination blazed, fierce and unyielding. Yet in the back of her mind, a shadow lingered. A shadow shaped like Gu Liansheng, with his cold eyes and his infuriatingly confident words.
"You'll come back and ask me to marry you."
Shen Linyi squeezed the frame tighter, her knuckles whitening. "No," she hissed, though her chest ached with uncertainty. "Never."
But when she finally lay down that night, the last thought that haunted her before she drifted to sleep was not Zhou Yuanfeng's betrayal. It was Gu Liansheng's calm and unshakable certainty.
And for the first time since her rebirth, Shen Linyi felt a seed of doubt, one she could neither uproot nor ignore.