Chapter 2: Rebirth

“No—!”

“Don’t!”

Qu Wanwan jolted awake from her nightmare, drenched in cold sweat.

“Miss Qu is awake?”

A familiar voice rang in her ears, and Qu Wanwan whipped her head around.

“Qingyun?”

Qingyun was someone who worked closely with Fu Ciyu. Which meant… Fu Ciyu—

She threw off the covers, only to freeze in shock—she could see?

Hadn’t she died in that raging fire?

Qu Wanwan glanced around the room. Everything looked so familiar.

“Qingyun, what year is this?” she asked, her voice trembling with excitement.

Qingyun sneered. “Miss Qu, is this your new tactic now?”

“Answer me!”

“June 6th, 2022.”

“June 6th, 2022… That’s the day Fu Ciyu and I got engaged. Fu Ciyu…”

Qu Wanwan kept murmuring to herself, her eyes brimming with emotion. Had she really been reborn—returned to the night of her engagement to Fu Ciyu?

“Where’s Fu Ciyu? I want to see him!”

“What for? Haven’t you hurt our young master enough already? Planning to stab him again?”

Qingyun’s words stunned Qu Wanwan. “Are you saying Fu Ciyu was injured? By me?”

Qingyun’s face was full of scorn. “Miss Qu, some things should have a limit. If you dare hurt our young master again, even if he tries to protect you, I won’t let it slide.”

Qu Wanwan smacked her forehead as the memory hit her—on the day of the engagement, she’d insisted on going out to meet Lu Yu. Fu Ciyu had refused, so she’d stabbed him with the dagger Shen Man had given her…

Regret surged through her. Damn it! If only she had been reborn a little earlier. Now, at this moment… how was she supposed to ask for his forgiveness?

“I want to see him! I must see him!” Qu Wanwan calmed herself, her voice firm with resolve.

Qingyun replied coldly, “The young master said once you woke up, you’d be sent back to the Qu family. This engagement is over.”

“No! I don’t agree to that!” Qu Wanwan shouted, her voice filled with urgency.

Qingyun looked as if she had seen a ghost. This woman had been desperate to get away from her young master, and now what? Pretending to be deeply in love?

In the study.

The man stood there in silence. His presence was naturally noble and aloof, like pine and bamboo after a snowfall—pure and untouchable. Yet even so, his solitary back appeared distant and cold.

“Master.”

“She’s gone?” the man asked, his deep voice tinged with loneliness.

“Miss Qu refuses to leave. She insists on seeing you,” Qingye reported truthfully.

“Heh, she wants to see me? I’m sure it’s really about Lu Yu,” the man said with a bitter, self-mocking smile.

Qingye lowered his head, waiting for further instruction.

“Let her come in,” the man said flatly.

“Yes,” Qingye replied.

He then left the study and went to the bedroom on the first floor, knocking on the door.

It was Qingyun who opened it. Her brows furrowed when she saw Qingye. “What is it?”

“The young master wants to see Miss Qu.”

Qingyun’s expression shifted slightly. She stepped aside to let him in.

“Miss Qu, the young master says you may see him. He’s waiting in the study.”

Qingye’s words sent a wave of excitement through Qu Wanwan. She was finally going to see Fu Ciyu!

Fu Ciyu, your baby is coming—

Watching the woman dash out of the bedroom with sheer joy written all over her face, Qingye was momentarily stunned.

“Why does the young master want to see her? Hasn’t he suffered enough because of her?” Qingyun said coldly.

Qingye shot her a warning glance. “Qingyun, we are subordinates. We have no right to gossip about our master behind his back. And put away those thoughts you shouldn’t be having.”

Qingyun sneered in response. “Qingye, I haven’t overstepped. But if anyone dares to hurt him, no matter who it is, I’ll act.”

Qingye let out a helpless sigh. He didn’t know when Qingyun had started harboring feelings for the young master. The brothers had tried to talk sense into her, but she refused to listen.

“Take care of yourself.”

Meanwhile, Qu Wanwan ran all the way to the study.

Standing outside the study, her heart was racing. She didn’t know how to face this lifetime’s Fu Ciyu.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, gave herself a silent pep talk, and gently knocked on the study door.

“Come in.” That low, familiar voice from within made her heart tremble.

She cautiously pushed the door open and stepped inside.

At this moment, Fu Ciyu stood with his back to her. Qu Wanwan couldn’t help but think she must have been a complete idiot in her past life—why else would she have run away from a man this handsome?

“Um… Fu Ciyu…” After much internal debate, she finally spoke.

Hearing her voice, Fu Ciyu turned around, and their eyes met.

Qu Wanwan hadn’t expected to see him again. His handsome face was expressionless, his lips pressed into a thin line. Long lashes cast shadows over his eyes, dark as ink, holding a hint of chill.

She didn’t know why, but the moment she saw Fu Ciyu, she felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

Maybe it was because she remembered how things had ended in their last life. Her lashes were faintly damp.

Her delicate, exquisite face—normally radiant—was now pale, fragile to the point of invoking pity.

Fu Ciyu’s gaze dropped slightly. His expression remained calm, his lips drawn in their usual cold, proud line.

“Fu Ciyu—”

Qu Wanwan softly called his name.

He looked at her reddened eyes, a flicker of pain flashing through his gaze—though he quickly buried it.

“I’ll release Lu Yu—and you. Leave the Yuyuan Residence. From this moment on, there will be nothing between us.”

Fu Ciyu’s voice was cold and solemn, devoid of any emotion.

Qu Wanwan panicked. Her voice trembled. “No! I don’t want to leave Yuyuan, and I don’t want to leave you.”

Her words made Fu Ciyu’s already furrowed brows tighten even more. “Qu Wanwan, I’m setting you free. You’re free to go. Once the engagement is called off, you’ll be completely rid of me.”

“I don’t want to leave you! I won’t run anymore—I want to marry you. Right now!” Qu Wanwan blurted out anxiously.

Fu Ciyu let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Qu Wanwan, do you really think this is amusing?”

“Fu Ciyu, I’m serious. I’ve thought it through—I want to marry you. I even want to have children with you.”

Qu Wanwan spoke with such urgency, desperate to prove that her words were sincere. Even the part about having children had slipped out without a second thought.

He had already been disappointed too many times—Fu Ciyu no longer held onto any hope.

He called out toward the door, his voice low and firm. “Qingye!”

Qingye awkwardly pushed the door open and entered. He had overheard unintentionally from outside just moments ago.

When had Miss Qu become so… unhinged?

She even said she wanted to have a child with his Lordship.

“Master.”

“Send Miss Qu back,” Fu Ciyu said coolly.

“I’m not leaving.” Qu Wanwan stood her ground, refusing to budge.

Qingye sighed helplessly. “Miss Qu, Master hasn’t slept for two days now. Please, go back for now.”

On the eve of the wedding, she ran off. After being brought back, she caused a huge scene. Master hadn’t had a moment’s rest, and on top of that, he was stabbed by her. If this went on any longer, he’d collapse.

Qu Wanwan looked up at Fu Ciyu’s exhausted face and thought to herself, There’s no point in rushing right now. I need to take this one step at a time.

Her top priority now was to make sure he rested well—she had bigger plans to carry out next.

In the end, she relented. “Alright then. Get some rest. I’ll come see you tomorrow. As for the wedding, I’ll find someone to choose an auspicious date.”

Qingye stared at her like she’d grown another head. Qu Wanwan rolled her eyes at him. “What?”