Regret, fury, and frustration surged like tidal waves through her mind, suffocating her until she could scarcely breathe.
The man she had loved so deeply now belonged to someone else—this reality was a dagger to her chest, stealing the very air from her lungs. Each time the thought resurfaced, it was more agonizing than death.
But she would live. She would live long, and she would live well. She would fight to survive.
She had been foolish once, burying everything deep within her heart.
But never again.
So what if he was married?
She would reclaim what was rightfully hers.
Just wait and see.
When Long Yubei returned home, he found Gu Lili lying quietly on the bed, immersed in a book.
So focused?
Curious, he stepped closer—only to discover she was reading a steamy romance novel.
Caught red-handed, she remained unbothered. "You're back, darling?"
"Where did you even get this kind of book? I thought they were banned from the market?"
"Collector's edition—you wouldn't understand," she said with a straight face. "It's called research. Studying the techniques so I can better navigate our… practical sessions."
Long Yubei snatched the book from her hands and tossed it aside. "This stuff's boring. Come here—spread those legs for your husband. Time for a proper, hands-on lesson from the real textbook."
She pushed him away. "No."
"No?" he arched a brow. "You really mean that?"
"I. Said. No."
A wicked smile curled his lips as he pinned her wrists above her head. "No isn't an option tonight. I'm going to have you begging for more."
"Ah—mercy, my dear husband!"
Long Yubei narrowed his eyes and gave her a teasing squeeze. "You little minx… no matter how much I have you, it's never enough."
"You brute—my back hurts!"
…
And with the echo of playful moans, they plunged once more into an intimate abyss.
By day, Gu Lili studied computer skills under a formal tutor. By night, she was guided through far more personal lessons by her so-called husband-instructor.
This became her daily rhythm.
And truthfully…
Ever since marrying this man with near-superhuman stamina, she'd felt perpetually consumed by him.
So much so, she could rarely rise before eight each morning.
All his fault.
The moment he touched her, it was endless.
Around six one morning, still caught in a deep slumber, she was rudely awakened by his voice.
Gu Lili groaned and kicked at him beneath the covers. "So sleepy… leave me alone…"
"Gu Xichen's stepmother is here. She's been waiting at the gates for two hours. Says she must see you."
Lifting her head from under the blanket, she said coolly, "I know why she came."
Long Yubei chuckled. "You really gave her a fright, didn't you?"
Supporting her aching waist, she sat up. "She deserved it. My master, the true wife, lived alone on Mount Xiliang all those years, while that woman clung to her position, bore Gu Xichen's father a son, and still dared show up at the mountain once. I remember it clearly—she came wrapped in mink, flaunting a designer bag, her words dripping with scorn as she tried to force my master into a divorce. But my master refused. So in the end, the mistress never did marry him—until after my master died.
"My master rarely smiled. She spent her whole life steeped in sorrow."
"If Gu Xichen's father truly wanted a divorce, he could've filed for one. Why wait until her death?"
Gu Lili dressed as she spoke, shaking her head. "I don't know. Maybe for Gu Xichen's sake, maybe out of guilt. Only he knows. But to my knowledge, he never once met with my master. Not because he didn't go to Mount Xiliang—but because she refused to see him."