The moment Ye Siyu said the words "I'll do it," she felt something inside her die. In its place was a cold, hard resolve.
[Host has accepted the mission.]
[Initiating first-stage protocol: Restore physical functions to prepare for subsequent objectives.]
The system's voice was an invisible shackle, binding her soul.
A few moments later, the door to her hospital room creaked open. Gu Jingshen walked in, carrying a thermos. He looked like he hadn't slept, his eyes bloodshot, but he forced a comforting smile when he saw her.
"You're awake. Are you hungry? My aunt made some congee. Here, have some."
He walked over, opened the thermos, and scooped up a spoonful. He blew on it gently and held it to her lips. The aroma of the congee, mixed with the faint, reassuring scent that always clung to him, drifted toward her.
A sharp pain, like a needle, pierced Ye Siyu's heart. This was the warmth she had once craved more than anything. Now, it felt like a hot iron against her skin.
She couldn't accept his kindness anymore. She had to push him away.
Ye Siyu said nothing. She just looked at him, her expression calm, her eyes empty. "I'll do it myself."
Her voice was quiet and cold.
Gu Jingshen froze, the spoon hovering in mid-air. He looked into her unfamiliar eyes, and a sudden wave of unease washed over him. "Siyu?"
Ye Siyu didn't look at him. She reached out with her uninjured hand and took the bowl. Her hand was still trembling, and a few drops of hot congee spilled onto her wrist, but she didn't seem to notice. She just ate, spoonful by spoonful, her face a blank mask.
She wasn't hungry. In fact, the food made her nauseous. But the system was right. She needed her strength. She couldn't afford to collapse.
Gu Jingshen watched her in silence, his throat tight, his eyes filled with a mixture of worry and heartache. He thought she was just numb with grief. "Slow down," he said softly, handing her a napkin.
Ye Siyu finished the entire bowl and handed it back to him, her expression still icy. "Thank you."
The words, polite and distant, hung in the air between them like a glass wall. Gu Jingshen's heart sank.
"Siyu, I know you're in pain," he said, sitting down. He reached for her hand, but she subtly pulled it away. His hand hung awkwardly in the air for a moment before he withdrew it.
"I've already started making the arrangements... for the funeral," he said, his voice low and firm. "You don't have to worry about a thing. Just focus on getting better. I'll handle everything."
If this had been yesterday, Ye Siyu would have thrown herself into his arms and sobbed. But now, she just lowered her gaze, her long lashes hiding the emotions in her eyes. "Don't."
Gu Jingshen froze. "What?"
"My family's arrangements," Ye Siyu looked up, her eyes meeting his. "I'll handle them myself. This is my family's business."
She emphasized the word "my," drawing a clear line between them. Gu Jingshen's face paled. He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. He couldn't understand how, in just one night, she had become so sharp, so distant.
"Siyu, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice pleading. "Are you blaming me? Is it because I wasn't there for you?"
"It has nothing to do with you," she interrupted, a hint of impatience in her voice. "I just think it's time for me to grow up. From now on, I'll handle my own affairs. I don't need your help."
"My help?" Gu Jingshen let out a bitter laugh, his eyes filled with hurt. "Siyu, when has helping you ever been a bother?"
His words were a dagger to her heart. She turned away, unable to meet his gaze, afraid that if she looked at him for one more second, the walls she had so carefully built would come crashing down.
[System prompt: Emotional indulgence will compromise mission efficiency.]
The cold voice echoed in her mind. Ye Siyu took a deep breath, forcing down the turmoil in her heart.
"I want to be discharged," she said.
"No!" Gu Jingshen refused instantly. "The doctor said you need to stay here for at least a week!"
"I said, I want to be discharged," she repeated, her voice slow and deliberate, her eyes filled with an unwavering resolve. "If you won't help me, I'll do it myself."
She threw back the blankets and tried to get out of bed.
"Are you crazy?!" Gu Jingshen rushed to her side, his voice rising in panic. "You're still injured! Are you trying to kill yourself?!"
"Kill myself?" Ye Siyu laughed, a sound more painful than a sob. "What's the point of me living anyway?"
Her words left him speechless. They stood there, locked in a standoff, the air in the room thick with tension. In the end, Gu Jingshen broke. Looking into her lifeless eyes, he was terrified that if he pushed her any further, she would do something reckless.
"Fine," he said, his voice strained. "I'll handle the paperwork."
The discharge process was quick. Ye Siyu changed into the clothes Gu Jingshen had brought her—a black tracksuit. She stared at her reflection. Her face was as pale as paper, her lips colorless, her eyes swollen and hollow. She was no longer the same person.
Stepping out of the hospital, the sunlight was blinding. She instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes.
"I'll take you... home," Gu Jingshen said, his voice hoarse.
"Home?" Ye Siyu murmured the word, her eyes welling up. She didn't have a home anymore. That place, once filled with laughter, was now just an empty shell. She couldn't go back. She was afraid she would lose her mind.
"I'm not going home," she said, shaking her head. "Take me somewhere else."
"Where?"
"The 'Mei Se' club."
Gu Jingshen froze, certain he had misheard. "What are you going there for?" "Mei Se" was a high-end club known for its wild parties—it was Shen Boyan's favorite haunt, and no place for a girl like Ye Siyu.
"I need to find someone," she said, offering no other explanation.
Gu Jingshen wanted to argue, but seeing the stubborn set of her jaw, he swallowed his words. He started the car and drove in silence. The car pulled up to the entrance of "Mei Se," its decadent opulence a jarring contrast to the sterile hospital.
"Siyu," Gu Jingshen said, turning off the engine. "Who are you looking for? Just tell me, and I'll help you."
"No, thank you." Ye Siyu unbuckled her seatbelt. "You can go. I can handle this myself."
"I'll wait for you."
"I said, you can go!" Her voice was suddenly sharp. "Gu Jingshen, don't you get it? I want to be alone! I don't want to see you!"
Her words were a physical blow. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. He watched as she walked into the club he despised, her back straight and resolute, without a single glance back. A wave of helpless confusion, unlike anything he had ever felt, washed over him.
He didn't understand. Her family was gone. This was when she should have been leaning on him the most. Why was she pushing him away? And why had she come to a place like this?
Inside "Mei Se," the deafening music and blinding lights made Ye Siyu's head spin. She forced down her discomfort and scanned the lobby.
[System notification: Target is in the third-floor VIP area, booth B07.]
Ye Siyu walked straight to the elevator. The third floor was quieter, more luxurious. She quickly found booth B07.
She saw him immediately. Shen Boyan was sprawled on a massive sofa, one arm draped casually over the back, a cigarette dangling from his fingers. He was laughing with his friends, the same carefree smirk on his face as always. Two scantily clad women were perched beside him, pouring him drinks.
The sight of his casual indulgence, while her family lay cold in the morgue, sent a surge of pure, unadulterated hatred through her. This was the man she had to sell her soul to. *Why?*
[Host, you are running out of time.]
The system's cold voice was a bucket of ice water, dousing the flames of her anger. Right. She didn't have time for this. She took a deep breath, shoved her emotions down, and walked forward.
Her appearance immediately drew the attention of everyone in the booth. A girl in black mourning clothes, her face as pale as a ghost, was a jarring sight. The chatter and laughter died down. All eyes were on her.
Shen Boyan saw her too. The smile on his face faltered, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He stubbed out his cigarette and sat up a little straighter. "Ye Siyu?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"
His friends recognized her, and they started whispering. "Isn't that the girl from the Ye family? Didn't something happen to them?" "God, what's she doing here? Dressed like that... it's bad luck."
Ye Siyu ignored them, her eyes fixed on Shen Boyan. She walked right up to him and stopped. "I came to find you," she said, her voice hoarse but clear.
A playful smile touched Shen Boyan's lips. He waved a hand, dismissing the women and his friends. Soon, they were the only two left in the large booth.
"Looking for me?" he said, leaning back and studying her. "What for? I don't remember us being that close."
"I..." Ye Siyu opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't come. What was she supposed to say? *Please marry me?* She couldn't. Her mind went blank.
Shen Boyan didn't rush her. He just watched, a curious glint in his eyes. He noticed she was different from the girl who had spoken to him so coldly in the hallway a few days ago. The fire in her eyes was gone, replaced by a complex mixture of pain, despair, and a desperate resolve he couldn't quite decipher. It intrigued him.
"What, you've come to your senses?" he said, deliberately misinterpreting her, his tone flippant. "Decided Gu Jingshen is too boring and came looking for some excitement?"
His words made her tremble with a rage she could barely contain. She clenched her teeth, swallowing her humiliation. "Shen Boyan," she finally managed to say. "You know what happened to my family, right?"
"I heard," he said with a nod, his tone devoid of sympathy. "My condolences."
"My parents' company is gone. It'll be bankrupt soon," she said, her voice slow and deliberate. "I have nothing left."
Shen Boyan said nothing, just watched her, waiting.
"Are you still willing to stand by what you said to me in the hallway?"
Shen Boyan paused, then a look of realization dawned on his face. "'I can give you more than he ever could'?" He chuckled, as if mocking her naivety. "Ye Siyu, you didn't actually take that seriously, did you? I was just messing with you."
Her heart sank. She should have known. For someone like him, words were just a game.
Just as she was about to give up, he spoke again. "But..." He stood up and walked over to her. He leaned in close, his voice a low, suggestive whisper for her ears only. "Now... I'm starting to find this 'game' very interesting."
His warm, alcohol-scented breath brushed against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. Ye Siyu froze.
And that was the scene that greeted Gu Jingshen. Unable to shake his worry, he had followed her inside. He stood in the shadows, watching the two of them in the light. He watched Shen Boyan whisper in her ear, and he watched as she stood there, unmoving, showing no resistance.
He felt the world drop out from under him.