The road back to the Lin family house felt shorter than ever.
Or maybe…
It was simply because Lin Xiyue was no longer running.
Beside her, Gu Beichen walked in silence, his presence steady as a wall. He didn't ask unnecessary questions, didn't interfere—he simply watched.
And that was exactly what she needed.
Not someone to fight for her.
But someone who wouldn't stop her from fighting.
"Going straight in?" he asked, his voice low.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
Her gaze was fixed ahead.
On that house.
That place which, in her previous life, had been nothing more than a prison disguised as a home.
The old gate.
The worn walls.
Nothing had changed.
But she had.
The moment she pushed the gate open—
CREAK—
The sound cut through the quiet like a signal.
"Xiyue?!"
The sharp voice came from inside.
Footsteps rushed closer—
Then the door flew open.
Lin Meiqing appeared, dressed delicately, her face arranged in perfect concern.
Too perfect.
"Xiyue! Where were you?!" She hurried forward, grabbing her arm tightly. "I was so worried! You just disappeared!"
That touch.
That voice.
That flawless act.
Once, Xiyue would have believed it.
She would have apologized.
Lowered her head.
Given in.
But now?
Her gaze slowly dropped to the hand gripping her arm.
Then lifted again.
Straight into Meiqing's eyes.
"Let go."
The words were calm.
Flat.
Unfamiliar.
Meiqing blinked, caught off guard.
"What?"
"I said…" Xiyue's voice lowered slightly. "Let go."
Something in her tone made Meiqing hesitate—
But not enough.
So Xiyue made her.
SLAP!
The sound cracked through the courtyard.
Clean. Sharp.
Meiqing stumbled, her hand flying to her cheek, shock flooding her face.
Silence followed.
Even the air seemed to still.
"That," Xiyue said evenly, lowering her hand, "was for drugging me."
The words hit harder than the slap.
"What are you talking about?!" Meiqing's voice trembled, panic flashing beneath her expression. "I would never—"
"Do you want me to continue?"
Xiyue stepped closer.
Not fast.
Not aggressive.
Just… certain.
And that certainty was far more terrifying.
"Or should I mention the man you prepared in that room?"
The color drained from Meiqing's face.
Whispers began to ripple through the neighbors gathering outside.
Something was wrong.
Deeply wrong.
And for the first time—
Meiqing felt it.
This wasn't the girl she controlled.
"Xiyue… you're scaring me…" she tried again, softer now. "I only wanted to help you…"
A quiet laugh left Xiyue's lips.
Cold.
Empty.
"Help me?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"Like you helped arrange my marriage?"
Silence fell again.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
"What is going on here?!"
Madame Lin's voice cut through the tension as she stepped outside—
And froze.
Meiqing, red-faced.
Xiyue, unmoved.
And behind her—
A man in a military uniform.
Watching.
Cold. Untouchable.
Her attention snapped back to Xiyue, anger rising instantly.
"You ungrateful girl! How dare you hit your sister?!"
"She's not my sister."
The words landed without force—
But shattered everything.
"And you're not my mother either."
For a second, no one moved.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Madame Lin snapped.
"No." Xiyue's voice was steady. "I've just woken up."
That answer struck deeper than any insult.
Meiqing clenched her fists.
Something was slipping.
Fast.
"Do you want me to talk about the drug?" Xiyue continued.
Her voice didn't rise.
Didn't shake.
But every word tightened the air.
"Or about what you really planned for me?"
No one spoke.
No one dared.
A faint smile touched Xiyue's lips.
Then—
"Or should I reveal who you really are?"
That was enough.
Meiqing's composure cracked.
Completely.
And before she could recover—
SLAP!
The second strike was even harsher.
This time, she staggered back, unable to steady herself.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Madame Lin lunged forward in fury, her hand raised—
But it never landed.
A firm grip stopped her mid-air.
Gu Beichen.
He hadn't moved fast.
Hadn't raised his voice.
Yet the moment he stepped in—
Everything changed.
His gaze fell on Madame Lin.
Cold. Absolute.
"Don't touch her."
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
But final.
Madame Lin froze.
Because she understood.
That wasn't a warning.
It was a line.
And crossing it would have consequences.
Slowly, he released her wrist.
She stepped back, shaken despite herself.
Fear had replaced anger.
Behind them, Meiqing lifted her head again.
Her eyes were red now.
But beneath that—
Something darker.
"Why…?" she whispered. "I only wanted what was best for you…"
Xiyue smiled.
This time, without restraint.
"What was best for me?"
She stepped closer, her voice dropping low.
So only Meiqing could hear—
"What was best for me… would've been you never entering my life."
Meiqing froze.
Before she could react—
Xiyue had already stepped back.
As if she meant nothing.
"Let's go," she said calmly, turning to Gu Beichen. "I've wasted enough time."
"Wait!"
Meiqing's voice broke through again, sharper now. Desperate.
"You can't just leave like this!"
Xiyue paused.
Then turned her head slightly.
A faint smile curved her lips.
"Can't I?"
Her gaze locked onto Meiqing's.
"Then tell me… what exactly is going to stop me?"
No answer came.
Because there wasn't one.
"You're still part of this family!" Madame Lin insisted, though her voice lacked its previous force.
"Family?"
Xiyue turned fully now.
The word sounded almost distant.
"When I was humiliated… were you my family?"
Silence.
"When I was forced into marriage… were you my family?"
No one spoke.
"When I begged someone to believe me…"
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"Where were you?"
Nothing.
Not a single answer.
Xiyue nodded once.
As if confirming something she had long known.
"Exactly."
And just like that—
She let go.
Of everything.
Every tie.
Every illusion.
Every last trace of hope.
Without another word, she turned and walked out through the gate.
This time—
No one stopped her.
Because no one could.
Outside, the air felt different.
Lighter.
Freer.
Xiyue took a deep breath, slow and steady.
Beside her, Gu Beichen watched her for a moment before speaking.
"You didn't hesitate."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"I already did enough of that in my past life."
He didn't ask for more.
But he understood enough.
His gaze lingered briefly on her face.
There were still faint marks.
But they didn't weaken her.
If anything—
They made her look more real.
More dangerous.
"You solve things directly," he said.
Xiyue shrugged lightly.
"Some people only understand it that way."
Then, after a pause—
"And it felt good."
That earned the faintest hint of a reaction from him.
Almost a smile.
They continued walking.
Side by side.
No rush.
No destination.
Yet moving in the same direction.
"Where to now?" he asked.
Xiyue was quiet for a moment.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Then—
Her eyes sharpened.
"First… I make money."
Direct.
"Then I find my real family."
A brief pause.
Her voice lowered slightly.
"And after that?"
She stopped walking.
Turned to face him.
The wind brushed softly past them.
Her gaze steady.
Unwavering.
"After that…"
A small smile appeared.
"I destroy everyone who destroyed me."
Silence followed.
But it wasn't heavy.
It wasn't uncertain.
Because Gu Beichen simply nodded.
As if that answer made perfect sense.
"Then we'll do it properly," he said.
And just like that—
This was no longer a marriage of convenience.
It was an alliance.
A real one.
Behind them—
Inside the house—
Lin Meiqing stood frozen.
Her fists clenched tightly.
Her face still burning.
But the real pain—
Came from something deeper.
Humiliation.
Loss of control.
Fear.
"She's changed…" she murmured.
Her gaze darkened slowly.
"But it doesn't matter."
A cold smile formed.
"I've already beaten her once."
A pause.
Her voice dropped.
"I can do it again."
But this time—
She was wrong.
Because the Lin Xiyue she once knew…
Was already dead.
And the woman who returned—
Did not lose twice.