The heat was unbearable.
It burned through Lin Xiyue's veins like wildfire, devouring every fragment of reason she desperately tried to hold onto.
Her consciousness drifted—half lucid, half lost in a dangerous haze where everything blurred… except one thing.
Him.
His scent.
Cold. Clean. Tainted with a faint trace of metal and gunpowder.
Safe.
So different from that room… that man… that fate.
Her fingers tightened instinctively around the rigid fabric of his military uniform.
Gu Beichen's body stiffened.
His gaze darkened.
The woman in his arms wasn't fully conscious… but she wasn't completely unconscious either. Her body reacted on instinct—vulnerable, defenseless.
It irritated him.
"Let go…"
Her voice was barely audible, her brows furrowed as if she were fighting something invisible.
Yet instead of pulling away…
She moved closer.
Her face pressed against his chest.
Heat seeped through the fabric like sparks.
Beichen clenched his jaw.
Trouble.
Big trouble.
He had seen this before—
A trap.
A filthy, common trick used to ruin reputations.
A drugged woman.
A closed room.
A scandal waiting to happen.
If it were anyone else—
He would've already called someone.
Or walked away without a second glance.
But…
His eyes fell on her face again.
Even like this, something felt off.
She didn't look like someone who came willingly.
Her body was too tense.
As if she were resisting.
Fighting.
His fingers tightened slightly.
"Who did this to you…?"
The question came out lower than he expected.
No answer.
Only uneven breathing.
And heat.
Too much heat.
Xiyue let out a soft sound, muffled against his chest, her body trembling faintly.
That was the limit.
Beichen closed his eyes for a brief second.
Thinking.
Calculating.
If he let her leave like this… she would fall into someone else's hands.
If anyone found her here… in his room—
Trouble.
Scandal.
Responsibility.
His eyes opened again.
Decisive.
"Tsk…"
In one swift motion, he lifted her into his arms.
Too light.
Too fragile.
Wrong.
He placed her on the bed.
But the moment he tried to pull away—
Her arms wrapped around his neck.
Tight.
Desperate.
As if he were the only thing keeping her from sinking.
Beichen froze.
His gaze lowered slowly.
Xiyue's eyes were half-open now.
Hazy.
But locked onto him.
For a brief second—
They stared at each other.
And something silent passed between them.
Something neither of them could explain.
"Don't… go…"
Her voice was broken.
But beneath it—
Something deeper.
Pain.
Loss.
A lifetime's worth of echoes.
Beichen's heart… wavered.
Just for a moment.
And that was enough.
His gaze darkened completely.
"You…" his voice turned rough,
"…have no idea what you're doing."
And yet—
He didn't pull away.
—
The night passed in silence.
Outside, the world remained the same.
But inside that room…
Everything had changed.
—
When Lin Xiyue regained consciousness,
It was slow.
Heavy.
But different.
No pain.
No blood.
No suffocating sense of death.
Just… exhaustion.
And a lingering warmth.
Her lashes trembled before her eyes opened.
The ceiling.
Different.
Her heart pounded.
Memories flooded back—
Death.
Betrayal.
Rebirth.
Escape.
And then—
Him.
Her eyes widened.
She sat up abruptly—
Only to freeze as a dull ache spread through her body.
Silence.
Her gaze slowly lowered.
Disheveled clothes.
The bed.
The room.
And then—
Realization hit.
"…I actually did it."
She pressed a hand to her forehead.
But strangely—
There was no panic.
No tears.
No despair.
Compared to her past life…
This?
This was freedom.
Slowly, she turned her head.
And saw him.
Gu Beichen stood by the window once more.
As if he had never moved.
His uniform was flawless.
His posture rigid.
But his eyes—
Were on her.
Watching.
Measuring.
Weighing every reaction.
Xiyue took a breath.
Then straightened.
Her gaze steadied.
Clear.
Calm.
Unashamed.
Something shifted in Beichen's expression.
Slightly.
"You're awake," he said.
"Mm."
Simple.
Direct.
Silence stretched.
He waited.
For panic.
For accusations.
For tears.
But—
Nothing came.
Instead, she got out of bed calmly and adjusted her clothes.
As if none of this mattered.
That… wasn't normal.
"You're not going to ask?" he said suddenly.
She paused.
Turned.
"Ask what?"
Their eyes met again.
"About what happened."
A beat of silence.
Then—
A faint smile curved her lips.
Not sweet.
Not innocent.
Sharp.
"I know enough."
That—
Caught him off guard.
"I was drugged," she continued calmly.
"I escaped. And I know…"
Her gaze flicked over him.
"…you weren't the one behind it."
Silence thickened.
"That's a lot of trust," he said.
"No," she corrected.
"Instinct."
A pause.
"And experience."
Something in that last word darkened his eyes.
But he didn't press.
"Name."
"Lin Xiyue."
"Gu Beichen."
She nodded slightly.
Memorizing it.
This time…
She wouldn't forget the man who changed her fate.
Again.
"So, Gu Beichen…" she said, folding her arms lightly, completely composed now.
"We have a problem."
One of his brows lifted.
"Do we?"
She stepped closer.
Confident.
Direct.
"If anyone finds out I spent the night in your room…"
Silence.
He understood instantly.
"…we'll have to get married."
The room went still.
One second.
Two.
Then—
He stepped forward.
His presence overwhelming.
His gaze locked onto hers.
"And you're saying that…" his voice dropped, dangerous,
"…this calmly?"
Xiyue lifted her chin.
Unyielding.
"I'm saying it," she replied,
"because I don't see a problem."
Silence.
Something shifted.
His gaze deepened.
As if seeing her for the first time.
Truly seeing her.
"You're interesting," he murmured.
"And you're convenient," she shot back.
A pause.
Then—
For the first time—
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
Cold.
But real.
"Then marry me."
Direct.
Final.
Like an order.
Like a decision already made.
Xiyue's heart beat once, harder.
But her expression didn't change.
"Alright."
No hesitation.
No fear.
No regret.
Because deep down—
She knew.
This marriage…
Was the first step.
To destroy everyone who betrayed her.
And maybe—
To finally have someone on her side.
Outside, the sun began to rise.
A new life.
A new fate.
And this time—
Lin Xiyue would not be the victim.
She would be—
The one in control.