Chapter 1: Clinging After Rebirth

Nancheng, late at night.

A raging fire engulfed an abandoned warehouse in the suburbs. Ruan Yu, driven to a corner by the flames, was pale and weak, but her stunning beauty couldn’t be concealed.

Her eyelashes fluttered, her lips were cracked and streaked with blood, her beautiful brows were furrowed, and a look of pain appeared on her delicate and exquisite face. Her eyes were filled with bottomless despair and intense hatred.

Thick smoke filled her nostrils, and she couldn’t help but cough violently.

The fire was slowly approaching, and she had nowhere to retreat, her back against the wall.

In her despair, a loud “bang” echoed as the warehouse’s iron door was kicked open. A man charged into the fire, like a god descending from the heavens, walking through the flames without fear, as if the fire couldn’t harm him at all.

Seeing the familiar figure, Ruan Yu’s heart skipped a beat. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she called out with all her might, “Gu Yan-zhi, leave, there’s a bomb…”

If he left now, everything would still be in time. He wouldn’t be able to escape with her, a burden. She had done so many things to hurt him, and in the last moments of her life, she couldn’t drag him to death with her.

Gu Yan-zhi strode over to her side, stretched out his long arm, and embraced the weak Ruan Yu in his arms. “Wherever you are, I’ll be there. I’m not going anywhere.”

Even though they were in a sea of fire, Ruan Yu felt an unusual sense of peace nestled in his arms. But she had done so many things to hurt Gu Yan-zhi, she couldn’t drag him down and lose his life. “Gu Yan-zhi, I despise you, I hate you. Get out, I don’t want to see you. Even if I die, I don’t want to die with you.”

Gu Yan-zhi’s fingers twitched, his expression was obscure, his thin lips were slightly pursed, he didn’t say anything, and his arms around Ruan Yu tightened.

Seeing him motionless, Ruan Yu roared, pushing Gu Yan-zhi away. “Gu Yan-zhi, can’t you understand human language? I told you to get out!”

She was incredibly weak, but she didn’t know where she found the strength to push Gu Yan-zhi away.

Gu Yan-zhi was stunned for a moment, his eyes, deep as a cold pool, held a tenderness. He tightly embraced the hysterical Ruan Yu in his arms. “I’m not leaving. I can’t leave my little girl alone here. She’ll be scared without someone by her side.”

His expression was serious and determined.

“Gu Yan-zhi, Yan-zhi gege.” Ruan Yu cried out, her voice trembling, she reached out and hugged Gu Yan-zhi back. “Is it worth it? For me?”

“Worth it.” Gu Yan-zhi gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks. He tried his best to suppress a certain emotion in his heart. “It’s my fault for not protecting you.”

He was wrong. He shouldn’t have let his little girl leave. He should have kept her by his side. Even if she hated him for the rest of her life, at least she would be safe under his eyes, and she wouldn’t be driven to this point.

Gu Yan-zhi looked down at her, his eyes filled with guilt.

“No.” Ruan Yu shook her head, her lips were bitten white. “It’s my fault.”

It was all her fault. She had listened to the villain’s words and been manipulated by him. She was stupid, she didn’t understand human nature, she deserved it…

“Gu Yan-zhi, in the next life, I’ll be your wife.” Ruan Yu grabbed Gu Yan-zhi’s arm, supporting her weak body, and lightly pecked his cool lips. “I love you.”

Gu Yan-zhi’s body stiffened. These words pierced his heart, and the warmth spread through his shattered and cold heart.

He didn’t know how long he had been waiting for these words…

“Ayu, I love you. Meeting you is my luck. You made me understand joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.” His voice was low and hoarse, but firm.

With a “boom,” a deafening explosion echoed through the deep and silent night, followed by a blaze of fire.

In that moment, the dilapidated warehouse turned into a pile of rubble.

In the last moments of his life, Gu Yan-zhi held her tightly in his arms, using his body to shield her from harm.

As her consciousness blurred, she saw Gu Yan-zhi covered in blood, lifeless. Ruan Yu was heartbroken, unable to breathe.

She supported her aching body, tightly hugging Gu Yan-zhi, holding his large hand.

Yan-zhi gege, in the next life, let me love you…

——

With a loud “bang,” the bedroom door was kicked open with force.

Ruan Yu flinched in fright, her body shrinking. She opened her eyes and her gaze fell on the tall figure leaning against the side of the bed, the man’s face was gloomy.

Gu Yan-zhi…

He wasn’t dead…

Ruan Yu propped herself up on her arm and slowly sat up. Her head ached violently, and she looked around in a daze. This was her bedroom in the Gu mansion…

She felt like she was in another world, like she was dreaming.

Gu Yan-zhi looked at Ruan Yu, who was pale on the bed. At this moment, she was like a fragile porcelain doll, her features were exquisite and beautiful, her skin was white and tender, without a single flaw. Her thick and long eyelashes fluttered, and her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were a little dazed.

She reached out and squeezed her white and tender arm hard. The pain made her cry out, her brows furrowed tightly, and tears almost fell.

Pain…

She wasn’t dead, so what was this?

Finally, she came to the conclusion that she had been reborn!

The anger in Gu Yan-zhi’s heart was completely ignited by her action. Seeing the bruise on her white and tender arm, his jaw tightened, and he tried to suppress the anger that was about to burst out of his chest.

He was radiating anger, his brows furrowed, he looked down at her, his eyes, deep as a cold pool, exuded a chilling coldness. “Ruan Yu, you can torment me however you want, but don’t torment yourself, okay?”

Gu Yan-zhi’s heart ached. She had starved herself, cut her wrists, and hurt herself, just to force him to let her go.

His voice was filled with helplessness. In front of Ruan Yu, he was as humble as dust, begging her not to hurt herself.

Did she really think his heart was made of iron, that it wouldn’t hurt?

Gu Yan-zhi knew that Ruan Yu didn’t want to see him, so he had been living in the company for a while, sneaking back to see her when she was asleep.

This time, Tang Ma called and said that she had been starving herself, and she hadn’t eaten anything for a day. He put down the multi-million dollar contract he was about to finalize and rushed back.

Seeing her silent, Gu Yan-zhi looked at Yang Feng, who dared not breathe behind him. “Spread the word, if Miss doesn’t eat, everyone in the Gu mansion will accompany her and not eat.”

He understood Ruan Yu. She was soft-hearted and kind, and she didn’t want to implicate others.

Ruan Yu was very hungry. That’s right, the same scene, the same words, the same person.

She had been reborn three years ago, when she had eloped with Jiang Chen and was caught and imprisoned by Gu Yan-zhi. She had starved herself to force him to let her go.

She looked at the calendar on the bedside table in disbelief. The time and the people all matched up.

Ruan Yu was overjoyed. She knelt on the bed, excitedly reaching out to grab Gu Yan-zhi’s clothes, pulling him hard.

Gu Yan-zhi was caught off guard and was pulled hard, falling onto the soft bed.

Ruan Yu took the opportunity to pounce on him, lying on top of him, her face full of smiles, her eyes curved into crescent moons.

Gu Yan-zhi was shocked and a little confused. He didn’t understand. “You…”

Before he could finish, Ruan Yu’s slightly red lips lightly pecked his cool lips, her eyes full of affection. “Gu Yan-zhi, cling to me.” She pressed her lips against his again, then left his thin lips. “Gu Yan-zhi, hug Ayu.”

Her voice was soft and sweet, her cheek pressed tightly against his chest, feeling his slightly flustered heartbeat.

Gu Yan-zhi was stunned by her actions. He felt the soft body lying on top of him, his body stiffened, his breath stopped, and he was a little at a loss.

This was the most intimate action they had ever had since she became an adult. Usually, when Ruan Yu saw him, she would avoid him like the plague, not even wanting to look at him. Their relationship was like fire and water.

Not only was Gu Yan-zhi at a loss, but Yang Feng behind him was also completely dumbfounded, his jaw almost dropped.

What was wrong with Miss Ruan? Had she starved herself crazy?

Usually, the two of them would meet like enemies, and every time they would end up arguing.

Perhaps his boss had finally found happiness and finally got the beauty. Yang Feng retreated, closing the bedroom door behind him, guarding the door and preventing other servants from disturbing them.