By the time Jiang Yuxi woke up the next morning, the news had already spread.
Gu Zeyan's wife is going to work at Gu Corporation.
It was as if the entire upper-class social circle had synchronized their whispers overnight, turning her decision into the latest scandal. At first, she ignored it. She had expected people to talk. But as she scrolled through social media, she saw just how fast the rumors had spread.
"She won't last a month.""She's probably doing this to get attention. Everyone knows she's just a contract wife.""This is just another power play. Do you think anyone would dare challenge her at work? She'll probably sit in an office and drink tea all day.""She must be so desperate if she's choosing to work."
Yuxi's fingers tightened around her phone before she tossed it onto the bed.
She had known this wouldn't be easy. She had expected doubt, speculation, even outright ridicule. But that didn't mean it didn't sting. Even people she barely knew had an opinion about her life.
And yet, it wasn't their words that unsettled her the most.
It was her own creeping doubts.
Had she made the right decision?
Or had she just walked straight into another one of Gu Zeyan's traps?
That afternoon, Yuxi made her way to Gu Corporation to finalize her employment details. The moment she stepped into the sleek, towering building, she felt a shift in the atmosphere.
People turned to look at her—not with admiration, but with curiosity.
Some looked wary. Others whispered behind their hands.
She ignored them, keeping her chin high as she walked to the front desk.
"Jiang Yuxi," she said, her voice steady. "I have an appointment."
The receptionist, a young woman with sharp features, hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, Miss Jiang. You're expected. Please take the elevator to the top floor—Secretary Zhao Liying will meet you there."
Yuxi thanked her and walked toward the elevators, but she could still feel the weight of the stares following her.
Was it because she was Gu Zeyan's wife?
Or because they were already judging her, expecting her to fail?
Zhao Liying, Gu Zeyan's secretary, was already waiting when Yuxi stepped into the executive offices.
The woman was polished, composed, and completely unreadable. She had the kind of calm professionalism that made it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
"Mrs. Gu," Zhao Liying greeted smoothly when Yuxi entered.
Yuxi straightened. "I came to collect my employment details."
Zhao Liying stood, walking over to her desk and retrieving a folder. But instead of handing it over immediately, she studied Yuxi with an unreadable expression.
Then, with the faintest smirk, she said, "Welcome to the battlefield."
Yuxi frowned.
"What do you mean by that?"
Zhao Liying finally handed over the folder, her gaze steady. "You'll find out soon enough."
Then she turned and walked away, leaving Yuxi standing there with an uneasy feeling curling in her chest.
A battlefield.
It wasn't the first time she had heard someone refer to the corporate world like that.
But coming from Zhao Liying, it felt like something more than just a metaphor.
It felt like a warning.
That evening, Yuxi sat by her bedroom window, staring at the city lights.
Tomorrow was her first day.
Tomorrow, she would step into Gu Corporation—not as Gu Zeyan's wife, but as an employee.
The thought left a strange weight in her chest.
She had fought so hard to carve out her path.
But somehow, she had ended up right back in Gu Zeyan's world.
Was this her choice?
Or had she just walked straight into one of his carefully laid plans?
A part of her knew Gu Zeyan had given her this job on purpose.
Not just to help her. Not just because she had nowhere else to go.
But because this was another way to keep her tied to him.
She clenched her fists.
No.
She wouldn't let him control her.
If this was a test, she would pass it.
If this was a trap, she would find a way out.
Jiang Yuxi was done being a pawn.
She would prove to everyone—including him—that she was more than just a woman tied to Gu Zeyan's name.
She would stand on her own.
Even if it killed her.
And with that final thought, she closed her eyes, forcing herself to rest.
Tomorrow, the real battle would begin.