Everything was finally settled. Mu Ya had been committed to a psychiatric facility abroad under Gu Si-yan’s direct intervention, and the online trolls who had maligned me in the name of internet justice had been taught a lesson they wouldn’t soon forget.

Gu Si-yan spared no one.

Setting his phone down on the desk, his eyes were calm, but dangerously cold. “Bullying my wife? They should have asked if I’d allow it first.”

A second later, that icy gaze softened into something deep and all-encompassing as his eyes swept over me. “Tue-Tue, from now on, there are no obstacles left between us.”

I nodded, but staring deep into his gaze, I suddenly caught a flicker of something dangerously sweet lurking beneath the surface.

—

Bonus: His POV

Wen Tue and I grew up together. In my earliest memories, she was this soft, obedient little girl. Very early on, I realized my feelings for her were anything but innocent.

Evaluating myself back then, I knew I was far from noble. Honestly, I felt like a predator. But I had to exercise control. If I scared her off, I’d lose her forever.

Whenever she saw me, her eyes would light up like stars. “Si-yan Ge!”

Hearing her call me “older brother” melted my heart into a puddle, yet I still had to force a stern expression. “Don’t call me ‘Ge’.”

I was only a year older than her. Letting her view me as a brother was equivalent to digging an early grave for any future romance. I had to nip that in the bud before it could even take root. Watching her pout in frustration, all I wanted was to ruffle her hair and scream inside: She’s too cute, someone save me!

Sometimes, I’d foolishly delude myself into thinking she liked me back, only to mentally slap myself awake: Stop dreaming.

And as it turned out, I really was just dreaming.

The day she brought a love letter to school, I had mentally prepared myself to accept her confession. The result? That letter was meant for some kid in her class.

I silently sized up my rival: shorter than me, less attractive than me, and nowhere near as mature. Yet there he was, talking about “improving together.” Improving his way straight into my crosshairs, more like! Then came the news that they were dating, followed shortly by a swift breakup. At the time, I wanted to laugh out loud, high school romance really was built on sand.

But seeing her look so down broke my heart. I secretly bribed her with candied hawthorns and cotton candy to cheer her up, but she remained gloomy, even starting to actively dodge me. I was completely lost: What on earth did I do wrong?

Then, one day, I overheard her confiding in a friend: “The absolute worst kind of person is someone who insists on clinging to you when you don’t even like them back.”

My heart plummeted into my stomach. She knew I liked her, and she hated me for it.

Right then and there, I made a decision: silence is golden; speaking up means losing her for good.

—

In truth, the business marriage was entirely my idea. It sounded noble on the surface, but the reality was that I was thoroughly selfish. I wanted to keep her by my side at all costs, preferring a “wife on paper” over watching her belong to someone else. When she agreed, I was both thrilled and heartbroken. I assumed she was only going along with it because the person she truly loved was gone, and to her, marrying anyone was the same.

To give her the freedom to walk away whenever she pleased, I told her: “This is strictly a marriage of convenience. When the time is right, if you want out, we can call it off.”

What I actually meant was: If he ever comes back, and if you still love him… I’ll let you go.

She wasn’t happy that day. Her strained smile made my chest ache, but I told myself to take whatever time I could get. As long as it was her, I was willing to settle for being a husband in name only.

After the wedding, terrified that she’d discover my one-sided obsession, I put on a show of being completely detached. It was only when others were around that I used “acting” as an excuse to openly dote on her.

When news broke that Jiang Tian was returning to the country, my internal alarms went off at full blast. I used a business dinner as an excuse to drink myself senseless, the kind of drunk where logic takes a backseat and emotions take the wheel.

Every night was the same. I’d sneak into her bedroom after she fell asleep, using alcohol as liquid courage to gently trace her face. She was breathtaking… especially those lips. Just looking at her was dangerous.

There were moments I genuinely considered throwing caution to the wind and keeping her by any means necessary, no matter how underhanded. But reason always dragged me back from the edge. Doing that might keep her body near me, but I’d lose her heart forever. I didn’t need her to love me right away, but I refused to let her hate me for the rest of her life. So I’d retreat, taking ice-cold showers to cool down my overheated head.

As for Mu Ya returning, I couldn’t have cared less, until she decided to throw herself into my frame and fake a faint directly in my arms. Her acting was appalling. If I hadn’t been worried about causing more trouble for Tue-Tue, I would have dealt with her long ago.

But then a bigger issue arose: why was Tue-Tue pulling away again? Was it really because of Jiang Tian? I didn’t care who he was, she was my wife, and that was an unshakeable fact. Yet Mu Ya still managed to barge into my office. Which idiot secretary let her in? Right, I fired him the very next morning.

The problem was, every single time Mu Ya put on her pathetic little show, my wife happened to witness it. To put an end to the misunderstandings once and for all, I grabbed Tue-Tue’s hand and delivered a resounding slap right across Mu Ya’s face. Okay… maybe I was a bit impulsive. I quickly realized a fatal tactical flaw: doing that made my wife’s hand hurt.

Then Tue-Tue suddenly became obsessed with getting a divorce. Absolutely not. Never going to happen.

I immediately deployed my backup strategy: fake business trips and strategic avoidance. I flew out on a business trip, ignored her calls, and dragged out the clock as long as humanly possible. My logic was rock solid: as long as I didn’t sign those papers, she was still my wife.

Until I found out she was meeting up with Jiang Tian again. Excellent. The guy even dared to lean on her! I dragged him off her instantly and dumped him onto my secretary. Honestly, I was being exceptionally merciful by not slamming him straight into the pavement.

But then… Tue-Tue cried.

Every time her tears fell, my anger evaporated into thin air. I scrambled frantically to soothe her, and that’s when she said it… she said she loved me.

Hold on. My ears weren’t playing tricks on me, were they?

So all these years, my love hadn’t been a one-way street? I nearly slapped myself for being such a complete idiot, why didn’t I just say something sooner? We had wasted years trapped in stupid misunderstandings. But it wasn’t too late. The road ahead was long, more than long enough for me to make it up to her, piece by piece.

Anyone else planning to step between us? Sorry, but I’m done playing nice.

—

Mu Ya’s little drama finally closed its curtains at a psychiatric facility overseas. Without my permission, she can enjoy her long-term stay there indefinitely. From now on, no one will ever hurt Tue-Tue again. If anyone tries, I’ll deal with them far less gently than I did this time.

Tue-Tue, having you in my life really is the greatest stroke of luck I could ever ask for. The future is long, and we’re going to walk it hand-in-hand.

This time—we’re never losing each other again.

— THE END —