On the day of graduation, I was dragged by my rich father to get the certificate

Gu Wan's steps suddenly grew heavy, each one like treading on the edge of a knife. She wished she could run towards that figure right now. But her mother's cold voice echoed in her ears: "If you dare to act trickishly at the ceremony, you won't be able to see Nian Nian again."

"Xiao Wan?" Liang Heng noticed her hesitation and exerted a little force with his arm to pull her closer.

Gu Wan forced herself to look away and followed Liang Heng toward the center of the stage. She could feel Si Yehan's scorching gaze following her like a shadow, as if burning through her disguise.

The ceremony moved quickly. As Liang Heng took out the ring and took her hand, Gu Wan caught a glimpse of Si Yehan standing up and walking toward the stage. Her heart nearly burst through her chest, a mixture of anticipation and fear.

"Now, I declare you—"

Before Si could finish his words, a dark figure leaped onto the stage. Si Yehan pulled Gu Wan into his arms, his familiar cold aura instantly enveloping her.

"Wanwan, let's go." His low voice sounded in my ears, with an irresistible determination.

When Si Yehan turned around to hold Gu Wan's hand, someone dressed exactly like Gu Wan got there first and grabbed his hand.

At that moment, she felt Si Yehan's body tremble violently. Looking down, she saw a dagger lodged in his abdomen, blood quickly staining his white shirt. Gu Wan looked up in horror, meeting the crazed eyes beneath her mask—that wasn't her!

Si Yehan reacted quickly, ripping off the attacker's mask, revealing Yang Die's distorted face. "You?" His voice was as cold as ice. "Where is Wanwan?"

But at this time, Gu Wan had already been knocked unconscious by someone and was secretly taken away through the back door.

When Gu Wan regained consciousness, she found herself locked in the same room she had been imprisoned in. Outside the window, she could faintly hear sirens in the distance, and a sense of foreboding washed over her.

Suddenly, the sound of the door lock turning made her tense. The person who came in was not her mother, but Liang Heng, with a flushed face and a vacant look in his eyes.

"Master?" Gu Wan took a step back, his back against the cold wall.

Liang Heng's breathing was heavy, and his tie had been ripped open, revealing his red neck. "Xiao Wan..." His voice was abnormally hoarse, "Help me... I'm in so much pain..."

Gu Wan understood immediately—her mother had drugged Liang Heng! She looked around. The door was locked and the windows were barred. Despair coiled around her heart like a venomous snake.

“Master, wake up!” She grabbed the vase on the table and held it against her chest. “You can’t do this!”

Liang Heng stumbled forward, his eyes no longer filled with his usual gentleness and restraint, only with bestial desire. "Xiao Wan... please... I will take responsibility for you..." His fingers grasped her wrist with such force that it nearly broke the bone.

Gu Wan struggled desperately, tears blurring her vision. Just as Liang Heng pressed her down on the bed, a loud bang shook the room—the door was kicked open.

In the glaring light, a tall figure stood at the door. The face could not be seen clearly in the backlight, but Gu Wan could recognize the outline even with his eyes closed.

"Si Yehan..." She called out the name with a choked sob, as if she had used up all her strength.

Si Yehan took a few steps forward, pulled Liang Heng away and threw him into the corner. There was blood on his white shirt, and his face was terrifyingly pale, but the rage in his eyes was enough to burn everything.

Si Yehan picked up a vase and smashed it at him. Liang Heng fainted instantly.

"Wanwan..." He turned around and hugged Gu Wan tightly in his arms, almost suffocating her, "I found you, I finally found you..."

“How did you find this place?”

“It’s Xiaomei.”

"Ye Han..." Gu Wan buried her head in his chest, tears that she had suppressed for days bursting out. The familiar temperature, the familiar heartbeat, everything seemed the same, yet with a touch of vicissitudes. She reached out with a trembling hand to touch the wound on his abdomen, "How are you..."

"It's not important." Si Yehan held her face in his hands, his eyes filled with ecstasy at having regained what he had lost. "Wanwan, do you know how I've been spending the past few days..."

His words were interrupted by a round of applause. Nangong Xuan stood elegantly at the door, followed by several bodyguards. "How touching!" she sneered. "It's a pity that the game has only just begun."

Si Yehan protected Gu Wan behind him, his eyes sharp as a knife. "Nangong Xuan, you imprisoned my wife. We should settle this account."

"Wife?" Nangong Xuan raised an eyebrow sarcastically. "She is now Nangong Wan, and will soon be Liang Heng's fiancée. As for you, Mr. Si, trespassing into a private residence is illegal."

Gu Wan stepped out from behind Si Yehan, her voice trembling but firm, "Mom, that's enough! I've done what you asked. You can't hurt him! Otherwise, I don't mind a fight to the bitter end."

Nangong Xuan's eyes wavered slightly, but quickly returned to their icy coldness. "Do you think Si Yehan's arrival can change anything? When the Si family murdered your grandfather over twenty years ago, they didn't even give us a choice!"

"Things aren't what you think." Si Yehan suddenly spoke up. "I've investigated the Nangong family's bankruptcy, and it's not—"

"Shut up!" Nangong Xuan interrupted harshly, "I don't need to listen to the Si family's excuses!" She turned to Gu Wan, a trace of pain in her eyes, "Wan Wan, Mommy will ask you one last time, will you choose to stand on the side of the enemy, or come back to Mommy?"

Gu Wan burst into tears, but firmly held Si Yehan's hand. "I love him, Mom. Please give us some time regarding the Nangong family matter. We will definitely give you a satisfactory answer."

“You…” Nangong Xuan’s face turned pale as if struck by lightning, and she stumbled back a step: “This is totally unreasonable!”

"Mom!" Gu Wan broke free from Si Yehan's embrace and knelt in front of Nangong Xuan. "Please trust me just this once! Si Yehan has been investigating the Nangong family's frame-up, and he says there's something else going on! Give us a chance, okay?"

Nangong Xuan looked at her daughter's tearful face, her hard mask finally cracking. Twenty years of hatred and maternal love clashed fiercely in her eyes. Finally, she turned away dejectedly: "Take her away... but don't let me see you again..."

"Mom! Don't worry, I will get to the bottom of the Nangong family's frame-up and make sure the bad guys get the punishment they deserve." Gu Wan said anxiously.

Nangong Xuan paused. "Let's go... Let's all go... But Wanwan, remember, I only give you three months. If the Si family still can't give me a satisfactory answer after three months, you and Nian Nian must leave with me. Otherwise, you will never see me again in this life."

“Okay, I promise you…”

After hearing Gu Wan's answer, Nangong Xuan left without looking back.

Si Yehan helped Gu Wan up and gently wiped the tears from her face. "Let's go home, Wanwan. This time, I won't let you leave again."

Gu Wan leaned on his shoulder. She knew there were many difficulties ahead—her mother's hatred, Liang Heng's entanglement, Yang Die's conspiracy, and the mystery that changed the fate of both families twenty years ago. But now, in Si Yehan's arms, she found the courage to move forward.

"Take me home," she said softly, "Nian Nian is waiting for us at home."