One year later – Gu Family Mansion, Northern City.

“Splash—”

The sound of someone falling into the water echoed crisply.

The Gu family mansion was instantly thrown into chaos.

A servant screamed at the top of her lungs, “Something terrible has happened! Madam has fallen into the water!”

Within moments, a crowd gathered, and a bodyguard had already taken off his jacket, preparing to jump in and save her.

But just as he was about to dive, a low, commanding voice cut through the commotion: “Hold it.”

The crowd immediately fell silent, instinctively parting to create a wide pathway.

A man exuding an air of nobility strode forward. He was dressed in a custom-made Italian suit, with understated yet luxurious gold cufflinks glinting subtly on his sleeves.

Walking down the path, his expressionless face carried a weighty aura of authority that made those around him hold their breath in fear.

Despite the oppressive atmosphere, a maid mustered her courage and stepped forward to report, “Master Gu, Madam has fallen into the water. She needs to be rescued immediately.”

Gu Qinghan stood tall, his long legs motionless, hands casually tucked into his pockets. His cold gaze swept over the lake, where the girl’s body bobbed up and down in the water. His face remained calm, devoid of any hint of concern, instead carrying a trace of mocking amusement.

“I wonder,” he said, his tone indifferent, “how long does it take for someone to drown?”

His nonchalant remark sent chills down everyone’s spines, their hairs standing on end.

No one doubted Gu Qinghan’s words—he genuinely seemed intent on letting Madam drown.

Thankfully, the housekeeper, Aunt Liu, arrived just in time. She cast an exasperated yet reproachful glance at Gu Qinghan. “Stop fooling around; this could be fatal.”

With that, she gestured for the bodyguards to hurry and rescue the girl.

Sixth Aunt, previously a servant at the old Gu family estate, had a unique bond with Gu Qinghan. It was said that his childhood was particularly harsh, filled with bullying and suffering, and she was the only one who treated him kindly. Later, when Gu Qinghan became independent and started his own household, he brought Sixth Aunt along to serve as the housekeeper.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yanxi, the girl who had fallen into the water, was quickly rescued. Gu Qinghan’s eyes, dark as the night, stared at her intently for a long moment.

When he confirmed that she wasn’t dead, his interest immediately waned. Without a second glance, he turned to leave.

Sixth Aunt grew anxious and hurriedly called after him. “Master Gu, Madam nearly drowned. She needs a doctor.”

“Doctor?” Gu Qinghan echoed, the word rolling off his tongue with a faint, mocking smile. “If she wanted to die and you saved her, you’ve already gone against her wishes. Now you want to call a doctor? Aren’t you afraid she’ll resent you for it?”

The crowd was stunned but too terrified to refute him.

“No doctors. Let her fend for herself.”

Having lost interest, Gu Qinghan left with long strides, throwing out his parting words casually.

No one knew that at this moment, the girl lying on the ground was no longer Cheng Yanxi. She had been replaced by Su Yanxi.

A year ago, Su Yanxi had not died in the hospital. Instead, her senior sister had secretly taken her away. Reduced to a vegetative state, she had been unconscious for an entire year before slowly awakening.

By a stroke of coincidence, she discovered something shocking: she looked exactly like Cheng Yanxi, Gu Qinghan’s newlywed wife in Northern City. Not only were their appearances identical, but even their names matched—one was Su Yanxi, the other Cheng Yanxi.

The original Cheng Yanxi had jumped into the water to end her life the previous night. When Su Yanxi’s senior sister found her, she was barely clinging to life and could only utter a few last words before passing away.

On a sudden whim, her senior sister swapped their identities.

There was no safer place than staying by Gu Qinghan’s side.

Su Yanxi knew little about the original Cheng Yanxi but had learned a few key details:

Cheng Yanxi had been secretly in love with Gu Qinghan for a long time. However, because of her low status, she didn’t dare to confess. She was the daughter of the Xia family’s servant, while Gu Qinghan was a powerful figure who could dominate Northern City, as well as one half of the famous “North Gu and South Lu” duo alongside Lu Huaichen of Southern City.

In Northern City, only Gu Qinghan was addressed as “Master Gu.”

An unexpected opportunity arose when Xia Ning, the Xia family’s eldest daughter, discovered Cheng Yanxi’s feelings. Xia Ning urged Gu Qinghan to marry Cheng Yanxi.

Gu Qinghan had always followed Xia Ning’s words. Since Xia Ning wanted him to marry, he agreed without hesitation.

“To marry someone is just to marry,” he had thought. To please Xia Ning, Gu Qinghan was willing to risk his life, let alone give away the position of his wife.

But while it meant nothing to Gu Qinghan, for Cheng Yanxi, it was a dream come true. She was so overjoyed that she couldn’t sleep for days, her eyes sparkling like fireworks.

Yet, after the wedding, reality hit her like a bucket of cold water.

To Gu Qinghan, she didn’t exist. He didn’t even look at her. In six months of marriage, she had barely seen him a few times.

Finally, Cheng Yanxi couldn’t take it anymore and secretly drugged him with an aphrodisiac. But to her dismay, Gu Qinghan’s eyes turned red from the drug’s torment, veins bulging on his wrists, yet he remained utterly indifferent as he stared coldly at her.

He would rather let the drug consume him than touch her!

Realizing this, Cheng Yanxi completely broke down and ended her life by jumping into the water.

“What a foolish girl,” Su Yanxi sighed

Before dying, Cheng Yanxi had confided in her senior sister, saying she had never blamed Gu Qinghan. Instead, she believed the problem lay with herself- she wasn’t good enough

“If only I were better, if only I had a more prestigious background,” she had lamented. “Then I could be worthy of Gu Qinghan.

She willingly allowed Su Yanxi to take her place, hoping that Su Yanxi could treat Gu Qinghan better on her behalf.

Even at death’s door, the foolish girl was still thinking about Gu Qinghan.

After a long sigh, Su Yanxi picked up her phone and searched for news about Southern City.

A striking headline caught her attention, its bold letters almost blinding her:

“Southern City’s Wealthiest Man, Lu Huaichen, Strikes a Deal with Rongda Group.”

Wealthiest man? Lu Huaichen?

Su Yanxi couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. How quickly people forget. It’s only been a year, and no one remembers the once-great Su family. Now, all anyone talks about is Lu Huaichen.

She had mocked Cheng Yanxi for being foolish, but wasn’t she the same? She had lost her child, nearly lost her life, and even lost her family’s fortune.