She turned.
A man stood behind her, dressed in the same sharp suit as the others, but there was something different about him. He wasn't as stiff, wasn't as emotionless.
His gaze was almost… pitying.
"You don't belong in this world," he continued. "It will destroy you."
Wei Zhinian studied him. "And what if I want to stay?"
A flicker of something passed through his eyes—surprise, perhaps. Or maybe something else.
"You love him," the man said finally.
It wasn't a question.
Wei Zhinian looked out at the darkened sky.
"Yes."
A heavy silence stretched between them.
Then, finally, the man sighed. "Then I hope you're ready, Young Madam."
"For what?"
"For war."
Because being Helian Duxuan's woman wasn't just about love.
It was about survival.
And now, there was no turning back.
