---

I glanced around, trying to find an opportunity to escape.

But before I could, Gu Yan was already standing in front of me.

A cold smirk appeared on his thin lips, and he asked, “Did you have fun?”

---

My heart was racing, and I forced a smile. “It was… alright.”

“Really?” Gu Yan slowly raised his hand.

My back was drenched in sweat.

Was… was he going to hit me?

I instinctively covered my stomach, fearing that Gu Yan might accidentally hurt the baby I was carrying.

Gu Yan seemed to misunderstand something.

He suddenly grabbed my hand and asked, “Is your stomach hurting?”

Huh? That sudden shift caught me completely off guard.

Wasn’t he about to hit me? Why does he seem concerned?

Before I could figure it out, I heard Gu Yan give an order to someone nearby: “Take him to the hospital.”

The word “hospital” snapped me back to reality.

I had no idea how Gu Yan planned to punish me for running away. If we went to the hospital and he found out about my pregnancy…

It could end terribly for both me and the baby.

After all, Gu Yan only cared about Su Jin, his “pure first love.” My existence was already a stain in his life—add a baby into the mix…

“I don’t want to go to the hospital. I’m fine.”

I struggled, trying to pull my hand away.

Gu Yan’s face instantly darkened, a shadow of anger flashing through his eyes.

He leaned in closer and coldly asked, “Still planning to run?”

A chill ran down my spine.

Facing his questioning gaze, I finally caved and stopped resisting, lowering my head in defeat.

Confronting Gu Yan directly would never lead to a good outcome.

---

Ten minutes later, I found myself sitting in Gu Yan’s car.

Still the same backseat, but this time, Gu Yan sat in the front passenger seat instead of next to me.

He must be distancing himself because of Su Jin.

What a loyal male lead—so dedicated to the female protagonist.

I inwardly rolled my eyes, though a faint sense of sadness lingered in my heart.

---

The Imperial Garden.

Setting foot inside the estate again felt surreal, like I had been gone for an eternity.

“Xiao Yu, you’re back!”

Mama Wu, the housekeeper, greeted me with tears welling up in her eyes.

She had taken good care of me when I lived here. I had always felt guilty for not saying goodbye before faking my death.

Seeing her now, I felt even more remorseful.

“Mama Wu, I’m sorry…”

“It’s alright, as long as you’re back. But please, don’t scare us like that again.”

“When the news of your death came, Master Gu was…”

“Mama Wu, make something to eat,” Gu Yan suddenly interrupted.

Mama Wu quickly nodded, her words trailing off as she glanced at me before leaving.

With her gone, it was just me and Gu Yan in the living room.

I felt uncomfortable. Everything in the room looked the same as before, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of strangeness.

I stood there, unsure of what to do.

From the moment he captured me until now, Gu Yan hadn’t said anything harsh or even lost his temper. But that made me even more uneasy.

After all, I’d spent three years by his side. I knew him well enough to sense that this was the calm before the storm.

“Go change your clothes,” Gu Yan’s voice broke the silence.

I blinked at him, not immediately understanding what he meant.

Then I followed his gaze and realized—he was annoyed because of his cleanliness obsession.

Change clothes…

After being gone for three months, I wasn’t sure if I still had any belongings left here, or if my room had already been taken over by Su Jin.

But since Gu Yan had given the order, I could only comply.

I went upstairs to my room. As soon as I stepped in, something felt off.

There were more items in the room than before. Watches on the nightstand—Gu Yan’s watches. A laptop and stacks of documents on the desk—also Gu Yan’s.

When I opened the wardrobe, I found a lot of Gu Yan’s clothes hanging inside.

Had Gu Yan moved into my room after I left?

And what about his own room? Was it left for Su Jin?

Curious, I changed into something else and headed to the room next door.

I pushed the door open to find the room empty, as if no one had lived there for a long time.

Scratching my head in confusion, I recalled that the room hadn’t always looked like this.

---

After leaving Gu Yan’s room, I hesitated but eventually decided to head downstairs.

I still didn’t know how Gu Yan planned to punish me, so it was best not to provoke him.

But just as I reached the stairs, I heard a woman’s voice from below.

That voice was unmistakably… Su Jin.

Is this the power of the plot? I return here, and the female lead immediately follows.

Is fate determined to reduce me to cannon fodder?

I touched my stomach, feeling a whirlwind of emotions.

Su Jin soon noticed me.

Standing at the foot of the stairs, she beamed up at me with a bright smile.

“Ye Yu, you’re back!”

She greeted me warmly, as if we’d known each other for ages.

But this was the first time we’d ever met.

I nodded slightly and slowly descended the stairs.

As soon as I reached the bottom, Su Jin eagerly approached, trying to grab my hand. Instinctively, I stepped back.

Suddenly, she stumbled and fell to the floor.

Before I could react, Su Jin’s voice choked with emotion.

“Ye Yu, do you have some misunderstanding about me? If so, let’s sit down and clear things up. Please, don’t be mad at me anymore, okay?”

Her words quickly answered my confusion.

“I know you didn’t mean to push me.”

So, she’s saying I pushed her? Is this a setup?

I thought heroines in novels were supposed to be pure and virtuous. Turns out, Su Jin’s more of a scheming type.

At that moment, Gu Yan appeared.

My heart jumped. Was he coming to defend the female lead?

“Gu Yan, don’t blame Ye Yu. He didn’t do it on purpose.”

Su Jin’s words made me want to roll my eyes.

She was playing the perfect damsel in distress.