It was a dream—Gu Xiyan saw her own ending.
[Liang Liang]
A woman named Liang Liang appeared before her. Behind her was an endless cliff.
"Gu Xiyan, I know you've been investigating me recently. Let me be honest with you—yes, I did all of those things. I've been using you to climb up the ranks, but isn't that a good thing?
I'm the only one who loves you. Without me, you would have died in the Yellow Sand Ruins. It's just a little bit of manipulation—can't you turn a blind eye to it for the sake of love?
We already hold the greatest power in the Empire. I'll never have to be a lowly lower city dweller again. In my heart, you are the only one. Other women are nothing more than passing shadows—why do you care?"
[I can't]
The face before her changed into one Gu Xiyan had never seen before. Perhaps this was her true face, one Gu Xiyan had never truly known.
"Then go and die. Disobedient people are worthless to me."
Gu Xiyan felt a force push her off the cliff. She reached out desperately, trying to grasp onto something—anything—but her hands caught nothing. The figure above her grew more distant, the face fading into obscurity.
It turned out that the salvation she had believed in was nothing more than a calculated move to use her, a means to fulfill someone else's ambition.
In the end, she still couldn't understand the human heart. From beginning to end, everyone—whether it was the Gu family or Liang Liang—had treated her as a puppet to be controlled.
This was the result of her enduring humiliation and bowing to others' will.
If only I could understand the human heart…
If I had another chance, I wouldn't trust anyone, wouldn't love anyone. I would live only for myself.
Her outstretched hand grasped at nothing, and then she woke with a start. The harsh light above her stung her eyes, and the noise around her was overwhelming—voices of researchers and Gu Jingbo surrounded her.
Her body felt like it was burning, as if she were on fire, unable to breathe. Yet the chaotic voices grew clearer and clearer.
"Why did her temperature suddenly spike?" Gu Jingbo's tone was urgent as he questioned the accompanying doctor.
"The Second Miss's constitution is too weak. It's likely a reaction to the change in climate," the doctor responded.
"Have you checked for mutations?"
"There's no sign of mutation. Please rest assured, Mr. Gu."
It was common knowledge that humans who mutated into either superpowered beings or monsters would experience a fever. Thankfully, there were no signs of infection, so it was treated as an ordinary fever.
Gu Xiyan felt as though she could breathe again. She looked at Gu Jingbo, whose expression seemed tense—almost as if his concern for her was genuine.
{Damn it, this mute really knows how to pick the worst times to get sick. Always causing trouble for me. If this delays the mission, it'll be a real problem}
The voice seemed to echo directly in Gu Xiyan's mind. She stared at Gu Jingbo in disbelief. His lips hadn't moved.
This… was this mind-reading?
To confirm her suspicions, Gu Xiyan shifted her gaze to the doctor.
{What should I do? I have no idea why the Second Miss has a fever. I'll just make up an excuse and hope Mr. Gu doesn't blame me. I really don't want to lose this job}
Her wide eyes darted around the room as more voices flooded into her head. The sheer volume of information was overwhelming. The splitting pain in her head forced her to close her eyes tightly, and when she did, the voices vanished.
The world was quiet again.
"Xiyan? Xiyan?"
The voice startled her. Gu Xiyan wasn't sure if it was real or just another thought she'd overheard. But when she felt someone grasp her hand, she slowly opened her eyes to see Gu Jingbo's face—handsome, as always, but it now filled her with disgust.
Unaware that his thoughts had been exposed, Gu Jingbo returned to his usual facade of the caring gentleman. He spoke to her with concern that was laced with hypocrisy.
"Xiyan, don't worry. Just rest here and recover. We'll leave when you're feeling better."
{If she doesn't get better by tomorrow, I'll have to leave her here with someone to watch over her. It shouldn't be a problem. The mission can't fail, and I'm sure the old man will understand}
Gu Xiyan's gaze bore into him, causing Gu Jingbo to feel inexplicably uneasy. Something about her expression was different, as if she could see through him.
After a moment, Gu Xiyan moved her hand away from his grasp and shook her head.
Gu Jingbo frowned slightly, unable to decipher her response.
{What does that head shake mean? It's so hard to understand what this mute is trying to say}
Gu Xiyan had always known that Gu Jingbo's kindness toward her was likely self-serving. But hearing his true thoughts with her own ears made it much harder to accept. As expected, no one in this world truly cared for her.
Just then, the sound of the door opening broke the tension. Chu Ling entered the room with an air of urgency, drawing everyone's attention.
Gu Jingbo turned to look at her, his expression darkening as he silently cursed her boldness. {As expected of a lower-city dweller, so uncouth}
"I heard Miss Gu was ill, so I came to check on her," Chu Ling said. Her gaze landed on Gu Xiyan, and upon seeing that she was awake, she let out a small sigh of relief.
Gu Jingbo couldn't help but feel suspicious of Chu Ling's intentions. Why did she always treat Gu Xiyan so differently? Could she be trying to use Gu Xiyan as a way to get closer to the Gu family?
{Coming to visit? She must have ulterior motives!}
Though Gu Jingbo's inner thoughts were speculative, they weren't entirely baseless. Chu Ling's overly enthusiastic behavior toward Gu Xiyan was indeed unusual, almost deliberate.
Gu Xiyan shifted her gaze to the doorway where Chu Ling stood, wanting to know what was truly behind her outwardly kind gesture.
{Why did Gu Xiyan have to fall ill? Even when she's sick, she looks so beautiful—truly the person I like. Should I have brought food to comfort her? But all I have is instant noodles. Are instant noodles nutritious enough? ...Wait, is she looking at me?}
Startled, Gu Xiyan quickly averted her eyes. Chu Ling's thoughts had been so loud and clear, completely devoid of any deceit or pretense. It was just three simple words: I like her.
Those words struck Gu Xiyan like a bolt of lightning.
She... likes me?
Chu Ling did, in fact, like Gu Xiyan, but it wasn't the romantic kind of love Gu Xiyan assumed. Chu Ling's feelings were pure and selfless—she simply wanted Gu Xiyan to live well and be happy. But Gu Xiyan, overwhelmed by the flood of new information that day, misunderstood.
Although Gu Jingbo remained suspicious of Chu Ling's motives, he didn't stop her from visiting. "Xiyan just woke up, and her fever hasn't subsided yet. Perhaps another day would be better for a visit."
Chu Ling, reassured that Gu Xiyan was awake, decided not to insist and nodded. "Alright. I'll come back another time then."
With that, she left, planning to check on Gu Xiyan again later in the evening.
After Chu Ling's departure, Gu Xiyan no longer wanted Gu Jingbo to linger either. She closed her eyes and feigned sleep. As expected, Gu Jingbo didn't stay long. After instructing the doctors on a few matters, he finally left.
To her surprise, She soon drifted back into sleep.
In her dream, a voice echoed repeatedly, warning her: Don't trust anyone. Live for yourself.
In the dream, she opened her eyes to see Liang Liang standing before her. But before long, Liang Liang dissolved into a swirl of yellow sand, vanishing completely. The next figure to appear was Chu Ling, holding a cup of instant noodles.
Chu Ling wore her signature casual smile, one that revealed nothing of her true thoughts.
Yet the calls in her dream were deafening: I like you.
The voice was so loud and persistent that it was impossible to ignore.
Gu Xiyan couldn't tell if the dream was real or fake. Was it a glimpse of her future, or just a meaningless illusion? If it wasn't a dream, then it meant that love could only lead to her ruin.
She had to live for herself—just for herself.
The repeated confessions in the dream startled her awake. When she opened her eyes, she saw Chu Ling standing before her, holding a cup of instant noodles. For a moment, Gu Xiyan thought she was still dreaming and was so frightened she nearly gasped aloud.
Chu Ling had indeed returned, intending to bring Gu Xiyan something to eat. But after waiting and seeing that Gu Xiyan wasn't waking up, she decided to eat the noodles herself. Midway through her meal, Gu Xiyan suddenly woke up and looked at her with a face full of shock and disbelief.
{What's with that look? Is my face really that scary?}
"Miss Gu, are you afraid of me?" Chu Ling asked, her tone carrying an unexpectedly soft hint of grievance.
It was only then that Gu Xiyan realized this was reality. To her astonishment, Chu Ling had snuck into her room late at night. Was her affection so deep that she would go to such lengths? Why? They'd only met a few times.
Gu Xiyan thought it best not to drag things out. She decided it would be better to cut off Chu Ling's feelings sooner rather than later.
She picked up the tablet on her bedside and wrote a message carefully:
[I understand how you feel, Miss Chu, but please allow me to decline]
Without waiting for a response, Gu Xiyan immediately closed her eyes, unwilling to hear the sound of Chu Ling's heartbreak.
Chu Ling, however, looked utterly baffled. What feelings? Is she talking about the noodles?
"Alright, I understand," Chu Ling said, albeit a little confused.
{So she doesn't like instant noodles, huh? I'll bring her something else next time}
Noticing that Gu Xiyan still seemed tired, Chu Ling decided not to linger. "I'll be going now. Rest well, Miss Gu."
Watching Chu Ling's retreating figure, Gu Xiyan noticed the subtle dejection in her posture, like a poor soul crushed by rejection. She wondered how long Chu Ling would be sad about this.
Cutting her off was the right thing to do, Gu Xiyan told herself.