The abandoned daughter of the Lu family turns around and marries a celibate tycoon.

As soon as Gu Yanshen got into the car, before the door was even fully closed, he made a phone call.

My fingers are shaking.

He stared ahead, the veins bulging on his hand gripping the steering wheel.

The moment the call connected, he practically gritted his teeth and spoke:

"Why didn't you tell me she went back to her country?!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

Then Lin Chen's voice came, calm as a stagnant pool:

Why should I tell you?

Gu Yanshen's breath hitched.

"Lin Chen—"

"Gu Yanshen," Lin Chen interrupted him, "the moment you decided to push her away, everything about her became irrelevant to you."

Gu Yanshen's knuckles turned white as he gripped the phone.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something.

Lin Chen did not give him a chance.

"Mr. Gu," his words pierced his heart like a knife, "don't forget, you're getting engaged in three days."

beep--

The phone hangs up.

Gu Yanshen remained in that position, the phone pressed against his ear, the only sound coming from the receiver being a busy tone.

He just sat there.

Yes.

Three days later, he was to hold another person's hand and put on a flawless act in front of everyone.

And she is in this city.

But the bride was no longer her.

Gu Yanshen slammed his phone onto the passenger seat.

He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

His Adam's apple bobbed violently.

Over the past six months, he has used swift and decisive methods to expose the treacherous members of the Gu family who were lurking in the shadows.

Gu Qiran's former subordinates were all dismissed, not one was spared.

They don't ask why, they just pay compensation.

Gu Qishan made several attempts to attack him, but he fought back time and time again, slowly uprooting the old fox's power.

What's the cost?

Car chases are commonplace.

Adding ingredients is an essential part of daily life.

He was walking on a tightrope.

Beneath their feet lay a bottomless abyss; the slightest misstep would mean utter destruction.

After countless near-death experiences, he crawled out of the rubble covered in blood, and his first reaction was always—

Thankfully, she wasn't there.

Fortunately, she was in Switzerland.

Thankfully, she's safe.

He doesn't regret that decision.

He told himself a thousand times that he would not regret it.

But longing is something that doesn't follow reason.

Especially today—

She stood there the moment the elevator doors opened.

Thin.

Those eyes looked at him like a startled fawn, showing a moment of panic before looking away.

The moment she looked away, he felt as if something had gripped his heart tightly.

He wanted to rush forward.

I wanted to pull her into my arms.

But he did nothing.

He simply stood there, and with all his might, uttered a single word:

"Um."

When that word was squeezed out of his throat, he felt like he was swallowing a knife.

Gu Yanshen opened his eyes.

He started the car and stepped on the gas.

As soon as I arrived at the company, I pushed open the door to Lin Chen's office.

Why did she come back?

Lin Chen didn't look up: "It's none of your business."

"Lin Chen!"

That shout carried with it the anger, longing, and grievances that he himself was unwilling to admit, all of which had been suppressed for half a year.

Lin Chen finally put down his pen.

He looked up and saw the thin layer of tears in Gu Yanshen's eyes.

I noticed his fingers, hanging by his sides, were trembling slightly.

Seeing his desperate attempts to control himself, yet his inability to do so—he looked utterly pathetic.

Lin Chen sighed.

"Kiki is about to give birth," he said. "She wants to be there for the delivery."

Gu Yanshen was stunned for a moment.

For a fleeting moment, something in his eyes darkened.

"...Just accompanying her during childbirth?"

"Otherwise what?" Lin Chen looked at him. "You think she came back to find you?"

Gu Yanshen did not speak.

He sat down opposite Lin Chen.

Silent for a long time.

"...When is she going back?"

"Qiqi will go back after she gives birth," Lin Chen said. "Her project is nearing completion, so she won't be staying for more than a few days."

Gu Yanshen lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.

a long time.

"...Why has she lost so much weight?"

The voice was very soft, as if afraid of being overheard.

It was as light as the question he had asked countless times in the past six months while looking at that photo on his phone late at night.

Lin Chen looked at him.

Suddenly I felt a surge of anger.

"You're asking me?"

His voice turned cold.

"Gu Yanshen, when you said those things to her and did those things, did you ever think about how upset she would be?"

Gu Yanshen raised his head.

Lin Chen met his eyes.

In those eyes, there was something he had never seen before—not coldness, not sharpness, but a kind of almost humble…pleading.

Lin Chen paused.

He recalled what the girl was like in Switzerland over the past six months.

don't cry.

He didn't laugh either.

Eat meals on time, attend classes on time, and complete assignments on time every day.

Like a machine with a pre-programmed sequence.

Only occasionally, late at night, would he see her standing by the window, gazing in the direction of Haicheng, standing there for a long time.

I don't know what she's thinking.

I don't know if she cried.

Because when she appeared before him the next day, her eyes were always calm, without a trace of tears.

"In the past six months," Lin Chen said softly, "she hasn't cried, but she hasn't laughed either."

He looked at Gu Yanshen.

Looking at that face, I saw the pain spreading inch by inch.

"Sometimes I think," Lin Chen said, "if my brother were still alive and saw her like this, he would definitely give you a good beating."

Gu Yanshen closed his eyes.

"Then hit me."

His voice was terribly hoarse.

"Give me a good beating for your brother."

He opened his eyes, looked at Lin Chen, and a grotesque smile appeared on his lips.

"Perhaps... I'll feel better then."

Lin Chen remained silent.

He looked at the man.

Looking at the tears that never fell from his eyes, at his efforts to maintain his composure, at how he was driven to the brink of madness by longing and guilt.

—Clearly, I love her so much.

—She was clearly about to collapse.

—But I still had to push it away.

Lin Chen suddenly understood him a little.

It's not about forgiveness, it's about understanding.

"Now that I've made the decision," he heard himself say, "I'll keep moving forward."

Gu Yanshen looked at him.

"Every time you were in danger," Lin Chen said, "I was also grateful—grateful that you pushed her away."

He paused.

"There's no turning back."

"Isn't that right?"

The office fell silent.

Lin Chen's phone suddenly vibrated.

Three words appeared on the screen: Lu Xiran.

He looked up and instinctively glanced at the other side.

Gu Yanshen's gaze fell on the small screen, as if he were nailed to it.

Those eyes, which had been lifeless just moments before, now seemed to have been struck by a stone—ripples spread outwards in circles, impossible to hide.

Lin Chen sighed.

He pressed the hands-free button.

"Uncle."

The moment that voice came from the phone, Gu Yanshen's breath caught in his throat.

It just stopped there.

It felt like someone had squeezed his chest hard, forcing all the air out.

For the past six months, he has thought about that voice countless times in the dead of night.

He misses the soft, sweet voice she used to call him "Uncle," the drawn-out tone of her coquettish voice, and the aggrieved nasal voice she used when she was bullied.

But no imagination has ever felt more real than this moment.

"I just ran into... an older man."