The morning after the gala was quiet—too quiet.
Rain had washed the city clean overnight, leaving the streets glistening beneath a faint haze.
Li Meiyun stood by the window of her bedroom, a cup of tea cooling in her hand. Below, she could see the family's driver walking Tian and Xiaoxi to the car, both children still moving hesitantly around her even after days of her gentle efforts.
She had saved her marriage from the first crack of fate.
But saving her children's love—that was going to take far longer.
---
A House Full of Shadows
When she came downstairs, the air in the Gu mansion was filled with the faint aroma of breakfast—soy milk, fried dough, and steamed dumplings. The housekeeper greeted her politely but with that same careful tone everyone used, as though waiting for her temper to flare.
It hurt, but she understood.
Once, she had ruled this house like a tyrant. Every command was sharp, every sigh impatient. Her husband's silence and her children's fear had been the price of her wounded pride.
Now, she could barely walk through the halls without seeing ghosts of her old self—sitting on the sofa, scolding a crying Xiaoxi, ignoring Tian's drawings because they were "childish."
How blind I was.
She entered the dining room to find Gu Yichen already seated, reading documents over coffee. His tie was loose, the first buttons of his shirt undone. Morning light brushed his sharp jawline, and for a moment, she simply watched him—remembering how she had once loved and resented that same face.
He glanced up. "You're awake."
"Yes," she said, setting her tea aside. "I wanted to see the children before they left."
"They already went."
"Oh." A faint disappointment slipped through her voice.
"They were nervous you'd scold them for being late," he added.
She froze. Then gave a small, sad smile. "They're still afraid of me."
Yichen's gaze softened for the briefest second, though his tone stayed neutral. "Children remember more than adults think."
"I know," she said quietly. "But I'll make them forget the bad memories, one day."
He didn't reply, but his eyes lingered on her longer than usual before he stood to leave for work.
---
A Memory Rekindled
After he left, Meiyun wandered into the children's playroom—somewhere she had rarely stepped before.
It was bright, filled with sunlight and toys she had never once noticed. Tian's art supplies were scattered across one table—colored pencils, sketchbooks, tiny paint stains. She opened one of the notebooks and paused.
The pages were filled with drawings of their family.
In every picture, Yichen stood tall, Tian beside him, Xiaoxi holding his hand.
And she—Li Meiyun—was drawn far away, small and faceless, often scribbled in dark shades.
Her throat tightened.
In one picture, little Xiaoxi had drawn herself crying, Yichen kneeling beside her. Above them, Meiyun's old self stood with crossed arms.
She closed the book quickly, pressing her palm against the cover, her breath shaking.
I did this to them.
---
A Chance at Healing
That afternoon, she decided to pick the children up from school herself.
When the school bell rang, Tian emerged first, holding his sister's hand protectively. The moment they saw her waiting by the gate, they both stopped short.
"Mommy?" Xiaoxi's tiny voice trembled. "You came?"
"Yes." Meiyun crouched down with a gentle smile. "Mommy wanted to walk home with you today."
Tian frowned slightly. "We usually go with Uncle Zhao."
"I know. But today's special."
Xiaoxi hesitated, then reached out slowly to touch her sleeve—as if testing whether this version of her mother was real.
When Meiyun didn't scold or pull away, Xiaoxi's eyes widened.
"Can we get ice cream?" the little girl whispered.
In her past life, she had once snapped "Ice cream will ruin your teeth!" and made Xiaoxi cry in the middle of the street.
Now, she smiled softly.
"Yes, but only if Tian wants too."
Her son blinked, startled. "You're… not mad?"
"Why would I be mad?"
Tian looked down, fidgeting with his backpack straps. "You… you never liked us asking for things."
Meiyun's heart broke cleanly in two. She reached out and smoothed his hair, her voice trembling slightly. "Then I was wrong, Tian. You can ask me for anything now. Even ice cream."
For a long moment, he just stared at her. Then, slowly, his shoulders relaxed. "Okay," he whispered.
---
Small Steps of Trust
They walked through the park on the way home, the late-afternoon sun turning the leaves golden. Xiaoxi licked her strawberry ice cream happily, while Tian ate his chocolate one in silence.
Meiyun watched them, the laughter of other children echoing nearby.
"Mommy," Xiaoxi said suddenly, "will you come to my school play next week?"
Meiyun blinked, surprised. "You have a play?"
"Uh-huh! I'm a butterfly!"
Tian added, cautious, "It's next Friday. Daddy said he'll try to come."
"I'll come too," Meiyun said immediately. "I promise."
Both children froze again—like the word promise was something fragile that could break.
"Really?" Xiaoxi whispered.
"Yes." Meiyun crouched to look them in the eye. "I missed too many things before. I won't miss them again."
The girl smiled, wide and innocent. "Okay!"
Tian just looked at her for a moment, then murmured quietly, "You're different, Mommy."
"I hope that's a good thing," she said softly.
He nodded. "It is."
And for the first time since her rebirth, Li Meiyun felt a small, precious piece of forgiveness take root in her heart.
---
The Shadows Stir
But peace never lasted long.
That evening, after the children were asleep, her phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
> "You've changed, Meiyun. Let's see how long you can keep pretending."
No name.
But she knew the tone.
Gu Zeyan.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
She typed slowly:
> "I'm not pretending, Cousin. I've just opened my eyes."
She hit send—and sat back, staring out the window where the city lights blinked like distant warnings.
Somewhere out there, Zeyan and Li Wen were plotting again.
But this time, she wasn't afraid.
This time, she had something to protect.
Her children.
Her husband.
And the fragile, growing warmth she'd thought she had destroyed forever.
Soft light filled the Gu residence the next day. The rhythm of ordinary life returned: maids watering the bonsai in the courtyard, the butler reminding the driver about Yichen's meetings, the faint chatter of birds outside the kitchen window.
Li Meiyun ate breakfast quietly beside her husband and the children. Tian was explaining a science project about volcanoes; Xiaoxi was hiding behind a cup of soy milk, humming a song from her upcoming play.
It looked peaceful—exactly the kind of moment she had once thought meaningless. Now it felt sacred.
When Yichen left for work, she handed him a folded lunch box.
"I made this," she said softly.
He blinked. "You cooked?"
She smiled faintly. "Just rice and vegetables. Nothing fancy."
He took it, still half-surprised. "Thank you."
In her past life, she'd thrown his lunch away in anger the same morning—furious that he'd been late for their anniversary. This time, she watched him drive off and whispered to herself, "Not again."
---
2. School, Friends, and Familiar Faces
Later, she accompanied the children to school. The principal, Madam Zhou, greeted her warmly—though Meiyun could see the curiosity in the woman's eyes. Last time, she'd lost her temper here, embarrassing Tian before the entire faculty.
Today, she bowed politely.
"I appreciate your patience with my children," she said.
Madam Zhou smiled, clearly impressed. "They are bright kids. Especially Tian. His art teacher, Miss Han, says he has real talent."
"Miss Han?" Meiyun repeated. The name stabbed at her memory—the same teacher she had fired years ago after a misunderstanding started by Li Wen's gossip.
As they walked through the hallway, she saw Miss Han—young, gentle-eyed, carrying sketchbooks.
"Mrs. Gu," the teacher greeted cautiously.
In her past life, Meiyun had accused this woman of being "lazy" and "unqualified." Now she smiled and extended her hand.
"My son admires you. Thank you for guiding him."
The teacher's shock melted into relief. "He's a joy to teach."
That small correction of fate sent a quiet satisfaction through her chest.
At the gate, she met Lin Qing, another mother from the class. In her previous life Lin Qing had later turned into a gossip blogger who spread scandal about the Gu family—after being humiliated by Meiyun at a parent meeting.
This time, Meiyun greeted first. "Mrs. Lin, your daughter's dance performance last week was lovely."
Lin Qing's eyes widened. "You… watched?"
"I did. She's very graceful."
By the time they parted, Lin Qing was smiling genuinely. Another ripple in fate quietly redirected.
---
3. The Whisper Before the Storm
At noon, Meiyun visited the Gu Group's charity department to finalize arrangements for a children's hospital fundraiser. There she met several staff members—
Director Fang, serious but kind;
Xu Jing, Yichen's efficient secretary;
and Lu Chen, the young PR officer who once, in her past life, had leaked the first rumor about her "affair" with Zeyan.
This time, she greeted him with composed warmth.
"I remember you handle public communications?"
"Yes, Madam Gu," he stammered.
"Good. I trust you'll verify sources carefully before any release. The Gu name deserves precision, not gossip."
He flushed and nodded rapidly. Message delivered.
By the time she left the building, Lu Chen's fingers were already trembling over his phone—deleting a draft post someone had just sent him anonymously.
The wheel of fate had shifted another notch.
---
4. The First Leak
That evening, over dinner, Yichen placed his phone on the table, brows furrowed.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"An entertainment outlet just published an 'anonymous insider' story," he said. "Claiming you were seen arguing with my cousin at the gala. They used last night's photos."
Her stomach tightened; it was exactly the first headline that had ruined her reputation before. Back then, she had screamed, accused Yichen of mistrust, and fed the fire herself.
Now she inhaled slowly. "Show me."
The article read:
> 'Gu Family's Young Madam in Heated Exchange with Cousin—Marriage in Trouble?'
She smiled faintly. "The same words as before."
Yichen looked at her, surprised by her calm. "You're not angry?"
"I was once. It didn't help." She reached for his phone. "I'll handle this."
Before he could object, she called Xu Jing.
"Miss Xu, please schedule a press clarification tomorrow morning. I'll attend personally."
Her voice was even, confident.
When she hung up, Yichen stared at her for a long moment.
"You don't have to face the media yourself," he said quietly.
"I do," she replied. "Because I avoided it before, and the rumors became truth."
His eyes softened just slightly, pride flickering beneath his calm mask. "Then I'll stand beside you."
---
5. The Press Clarification
The next day's small conference room buzzed with reporters. Meiyun stood beside Yichen in a simple white suit—no luxury brands, no diamonds, just quiet dignity.
"Mrs. Gu," a reporter asked, "is it true you quarreled with Mr. Gu Zeyan during the charity gala?"
She smiled politely. "Cousin Zeyan and I exchanged greetings. If that looks like an argument, perhaps the photographer caught the wrong angle."
Another asked, "Then what is your relationship with him?"
"A family one," she said evenly. "Nothing more, and nothing that deserves gossip."
Someone shouted, "But you left the gala early!"
"My husband and I left together," she replied—and turned slightly toward Yichen.
He met her gaze, then faced the cameras. "Our marriage is not entertainment news," he said calmly. "We appreciate the concern, but please direct your attention to the charity work my wife supports."
Click, click, click—camera shutters flashed. The sight of the two standing shoulder-to-shoulder spread across the internet within hours, silencing most rumors.
In her past life, that picture had been of her storming out alone. Now, it showed unity.
---
6. Threads of Redemption
That evening, the house filled with unexpected visitors: Yichen's mother Madam Gu, his sister Gu Lina, and their old family friend Dr. Zhou Wei. Each had been part of Meiyun's downfall before, thanks to her pride and Zeyan's lies.
She served tea personally. Madam Gu's brows lifted slightly—astonished but approving.
"I heard about the press meeting," she said. "You spoke well."
"Thank you, Mother."
Gu Lina laughed lightly. "Sister-in-law, you've changed so much that I almost didn't recognize you."
"I hope that's a compliment."
"It is."
Even Dr. Zhou, who once took Zeyan's side, smiled kindly. "If you ever need help with your foundation project, I'll volunteer."
More ripples of fate quietly rewritten.
---
7. A Father's Shadow
That night, as she tucked the children into bed, Tian hesitated.
"Mommy," he whispered, "Grandma said people used to say bad things about you on TV. Is that true?"
Meiyun froze, then stroked his hair. "They did. But Mommy wasn't smart back then. I believed the wrong people."
Xiaoxi's small voice piped up. "But Daddy said you're good now."
Tears stung her eyes. "Did he?"
Both children nodded.
She kissed their foreheads softly. "Then I'll make sure he never has to say 'now' again. Only that Mommy's good, always."
---
8. Beneath the Calm
As the house quieted, her phone buzzed once more.
> Zeyan: "Well played, Cousin-sister. But games don't end with one round."
Meiyun stared at the message, then typed back:
> "You're right. They end when the player stops playing."
She turned off the phone and walked to the balcony. In the cool night breeze, she whispered to herself,
"Let the past keep trying to repeat. I'll keep rewriting it."
Inside, Yichen watched her from the doorway—silent, thoughtful. For the first time in years, he saw a woman he wanted to understand again.
---