I didn't realize the car had stopped until the butler announced,
"We've arrived."
When I looked out the window, I saw a garden, and beyond it, a mansion that felt both familiar and strangely unfamiliar.
The Gu mansion.
I never thought I'd come back to this place, at least not in my "enemy's" car.
I looked to my side. There was Gu Sheng, calling out to me as he stepped out of the car.
"Come on, or are you planning to stay in there forever?"
I didn't answer. I simply opened my door and got out as well.
The cool morning air hit me all at once, a sharp contrast to the chill of the air conditioning inside the car.
A moment later, the butler drove the car away, leaving only Gu Sheng and me standing in front of the mansion's vast garden.
I stretched my arms, letting out a long yawn as I breathed in the fresh air that smelled like freedom.
Clack— Clack—
My gun fell.
For a moment, I'd forgotten about it. It must have slipped from my waistband. Without thinking, I crouched down and quickly picked it up before anyone noticed.
"What did you just pick up?"
I spoke too soon...
"I didn't pick up anything," I said as I hid the gun behind my back.
"Nothing? Then what are you hiding back there?"
Under Gu Sheng's scrutiny, I nervously shifted my weight from one foot to the other.
"It's a gun, isn't it?"
My eyes widened.
Damn it. I'm starting to think this guy really can read minds.
And the worst part is that if I lie, he'll know.
"A gun? Why would I have one?" I let out a soft laugh, trying to sound as natural as possible. "I don't even know how to use one."
That last part was true.
So even though I hadn't answered his question directly, I'd still sound sincere.
"Why would you have a gun..." Gu Sheng stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought before looking straight at me. "...Maybe because I saw one tucked into your waistband?"
I instinctively took a step back, trying not to let the shock show on my face.
But I still couldn't believe he'd seen it.
My gun had been well hidden inside my waistband, and my lab coat was covering it. It should've been impossible to notice...
Unless someone had been looking very closely...
What a pervert.
"So you've been staring at my waist this whole time, huh?" I flashed him a teasing grin and shook my head in disappointment. "I never imagined the great CEO Gu Sheng was such a pervert."
This time, it was Gu Sheng's eyes that widened.
He had clearly never expected a response like that.
I bet he's absolutely furious. His cheeks are even turning red...
"..."
That's a blush from anger, right?
"Y-You! I wasn't looking at your waist! I-I was just... analyzing..."
Gu Sheng stammered something, his voice growing quieter before suddenly rising again.
"No! That's not the point. You're the one carrying a gun."
Damn it...
He didn't fall for my trick.
"Yeah, I have a gun."
I admitted it quietly.
"So what are you going to do?"
My expression remained calm, and I stopped trying to hide the gun behind my back.
He already knew, so there was no point anymore.
I just hoped he wouldn't try to take it from me.
"Hand it over. I can't let you walk into the mansion carrying that."
He held out his hand.
I stared at his outstretched hand for a few seconds.
As if sensing my hesitation, he spoke again.
"Look, I don't know what you've been through out there, but you don't need that in here. The guards will protect you."
I appreciated his reassuring words, but honestly, they didn't help me at all.
"Do I really have to hand it over? I promise I won't use it, and I won't let anyone see it."
I tried to sound as sincere as possible, but Gu Sheng firmly shook his head.
Looks like there's no other way...
If this makes Gu Sheng trust me more, I can accept the sacrifice.
"...Alright."
With one last farewell, I placed the gun in Gu Sheng's hand.
"Thank you for trusting me."
I watched as Gu Sheng tucked the gun inside his suit.
'There goes my guarantee of personal safety...'
I just hope it was worth it.
Gu Sheng stared at me for a few moments before turning around and walking ahead in complete silence, apparently lost in thought.
I followed him slowly while observing my surroundings, taking note of the security cameras and possible escape routes.
Now that I didn't have my gun anymore, I had to be prepared in case something went wrong.
"Hey, wait up," I muttered under my breath as I realized I was falling behind.
Damn Gu Sheng.
He's probably showing off those ridiculously long legs of his.
"So, you said you were being hunted. What exactly does that mean?" I heard Gu Sheng ask as I caught up to him.
I had been expecting that question, so I was prepared.
I just didn't think it would take him this long to ask.
"You know my mother, right?" I asked carefully, as though testing the waters.
"Yes, of course. Mrs. Bai is a role model for every businessperson." He paused before adding with unmistakable admiration, "It's honestly incredible to think she single-handedly turned the Bai family into the giant it is today."
I closed my mouth, the words I had been about to say dying in my throat.
For a moment, I didn't know what to say.
Gu Sheng was saying that the Bai family only became powerful because of Bai Ning.
Did that really make sense?
Then again, considering she's the daughter of an underworld queen...
Suddenly, it didn't seem so unrealistic anymore.
"Cough— Cough—"
I coughed a few times to hide my shock before continuing.
"Yes, my mother is truly impressive. But beneath that perfect facade hides someone rotten."
Gu Sheng stopped walking and turned toward me.
"Do you realize what you're saying?"
I caught a hint of confusion in his voice.
His reaction was perfectly normal.
Even I'd been fooled by Bai Ning's performance.
If I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't have believed it even if someone had told me.
But Gu Sheng could see the truth behind my words.
He knew I wasn't lying.
"I know exactly what I'm saying." I took a step forward, meeting his gaze without fear. "It hurts to say this, but after everything she's done, I can't stay silent anymore."
Gu Sheng raised an eyebrow, his interest clearly piqued.
"And what exactly has she done?"
"What I'm about to tell you isn't easy, so I'd like at least a little privacy," I said, pretending to be vulnerable.
I'd carefully planned everything I was going to say.
I was going to reveal the truth about Bai Ning while exaggerating a few things to make myself look as pitiful as possible in Gu Sheng's eyes.
Gu Sheng nodded as if he understood.
The dark mahogany door opened with a soft creak as Gu Sheng turned the handle.
"Let's go inside."
...
*Gu Sheng POV*
Bai Ryuu wanted privacy, so my office was the most appropriate place.
Within a few minutes, we arrived.
The office door closed with a soft click, shutting the rest of the world out.
I sat behind my mahogany desk, my fingers lightly tapping against its polished surface.
Bai Ryuu stood before me, his lab coat in tatters, dirt smeared across his cheeks, his golden hair completely disheveled.
I was curious how he'd ended up looking like this.
Now I was finally about to hear what had reduced him to such a state.
"Wouldn't you like to sit down?" I asked, gesturing toward the armchair across from me.
Ryuu hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
"I'd rather stand."
"As you wish."
He took a deep breath, his blue eyes meeting mine with an intensity I'd never seen before.
When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, but it carried an almost imperceptible tremor.
"My mother... Bai Ning... kept me imprisoned in the hospital for more than a week."
"Imprisoned?" My eyebrows rose. "You were recovering from serious injuries. Your sister—"
"No."
He cut me off, something very few people dared to do.
"You don't understand. I wasn't there to recover. I was there because she locked me up."
His words lingered in the air like an accusation.
"She forced me to stay in that room. Alone with her. She... she touched my body while I was asleep."
I watched his face as he spoke, searching for the signs of deception in the face that had once irritated me so much.
There were none.
"I pretended to be asleep," he continued quietly. "It was the only thing I could do. Pretend to be dead while she... while she..."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
He didn't have to.
"Every day, she'd clean me afterward. Bathe me. Touch me again. And I couldn't do anything." He looked away, his hands slowly clenching into fists. "She's stronger than anyone. Do you know what happened when I tried to stop her? She pinned me down with one hand. One hand."
"Are you suggesting she has superhuman strength?" I asked carefully, even though I found the idea hard to believe.
"Yes." Ryuu nodded, his eyes still fixed on the floor. "And that wasn't all. She imprisoned Bai Xue too. She took her somewhere. I saw them dragging my sister out of the room. They took her away, and I... I did nothing. I just stayed there, pretending I couldn't move."
His voice cracked, and he covered part of his face with one hand.
"I'm a coward."
"You're not a coward."
The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
"You did what you had to do to survive. That's why you're here now. That's not cowardice."
Ryuu slowly looked up at me, surprise plain on his face.
"And Bai Yue..." His voice grew even quieter. "I don't know if she's safe. My mother... she doesn't like anyone getting close to me. And Bai Yue... she..."
"What about her?"
"She visited me at the hospital. My mother found out. I don't know what my mother might do to her."
Something icy ran down my spine.
Bai Yue.
My wife.
The woman I loved.
She had been avoiding me for days.
Distant.
Always busy.
Changing the subject whenever I tried to help.
It had all started right after Ryuu was hospitalized.
And now, hearing Ryuu's words, the pieces began falling into place like a puzzle I hadn't even realized I was putting together.
There was no way all of this was just a coincidence.
Yue wasn't avoiding me on a whim.
She was afraid.
Afraid of her own mother.
"I should've realized," I murmured, my fingers curling into a fist on top of the desk. "I should've seen the signs. She was different. Distant. I thought it was only temporary, but..."
"Do you think my mother threatened her?"
Ryuu's question hung in the air.
Yes.
That was exactly what I believed.
Bai Yue, my sweet and gentle wife, was being intimidated by her own mother.
A woman who, according to Ryuu, was capable of imprisoning her own son and abusing him while he slept.
If she'd done that to Ryuu, what would stop her from doing something even worse to Yue?
"I'll protect Yue," I said, my voice sounding steadier than I felt. "She's my wife. I won't let anyone hurt her."
Ryuu looked at me with what seemed to be genuine gratitude.
"Thank you."
But I wasn't doing it for him.
I was doing it for Yue.
For myself.
For the marriage I had sworn to honor.
"Don't thank me yet." I rose from my chair and walked toward the window. "You said she has superhuman strength. If that's true, ordinary guards won't be enough."
"I know."
"Then we need a plan."
I turned to face him.
Ryuu was still standing in the same spot, his blue eyes watching me carefully.
"Will you help me?" he asked hesitantly.
"You told me the truth. Despite everything that happened between us, you were honest with me." I paused. "That's more than most people would do."
Ryuu managed a faint smile.
"So... allies?"
"Allies."
The word felt strange coming out of my mouth.
I, Gu Sheng, forming an alliance with Bai Ryuu—the man I had seen as a threat only weeks ago.
But the world had changed.
"You can stay here until we figure out what to do. No one will find you in the Gu mansion. And if Bai Ning tries anything... she'll have to go through me first."
Ryuu blinked in surprise.
"That's... unexpectedly heroic of you."
"It's not heroism. It's responsibility." I folded my arms. "Yue is my wife. Xue... well, regardless of everything that's happened, she doesn't deserve to be imprisoned. And you..."
"Me?"
"You annoy me. But that doesn't mean I'm going to hand you over to a lunatic."
For the first time since I'd found him in the park, Ryuu smiled for real.
"You're not as bad as I thought, Gu Sheng."
"And you're still a nuisance."
But there was no venom in my words.
Only... acceptance.
"A maid will take you to the bathroom so you can wash up and change your clothes. After that, I want to hear every last detail about Bai Ning."
Ryuu nodded.
"I'll tell you everything. But first..."
He hesitated.
"Are you sure you want to get involved in this? My mother... she isn't human. She could destroy everything you've built."
I thought of Yue.
Of the distance that had grown between us.
Of the fear she must have been carrying all by herself without telling me anything.
"Then let her destroy it," I replied. "My empire can be rebuilt, but some things, once lost, can never be recovered."
Was my money more important than Yue?
Of course not.
"Get some rest, Ryuu. We'll talk tomorrow."
He nodded and turned to leave.
"Gu Sheng."
"What is it?"
"Thank you. Truly."
I closed my eyes for a brief moment.
"Just... don't make me regret it."
When the door closed behind him, I was alone in my office once again.
And for the first time in weeks, the emptiness in my chest felt just a little smaller.
The anguish that had been eating away at me had a cause.
And now I knew what I had to do.
*End of POV*