After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

The skin on the back of my hand where his lips had touched was burning hot.

The temperature was so domineering and unreasonable that it traveled along her wrist, meandering upwards and bursting into her heart like wildfire.

Ye Zhen jerked her hand back as if electrocuted, her fingertips instinctively curling up and hiding inside her wide sleeves, trying to block out the heat that made her heart race. She turned her face away, her gaze fixed on the dark night outside the window, where there was nothing, yet it allowed her to avoid his overly burning eyes.

"The medicine has been changed, you should get some rest." Her voice sounded more tense than usual, and she spoke each word quickly, as if she was eager to end the conversation.

After saying that, she stood up and walked towards the door without looking back. Her hurried steps betrayed her turbulent state of mind.

"Ye Zhen".

Gu Zheng's voice rang out behind her, neither too loud nor too soft, yet it possessed a strange penetrating power, causing her to stop in her tracks.

She didn't turn around; her back was straight, a defensive posture she often adopted.

The man behind her got out of bed, his bare feet stepping on the cool wooden floor, and walked towards her step by step. There was no sound, but she could feel the change in atmosphere brought by him. He walked past her, his tall figure blocking the light from the doorway, then reached out and opened the door to the study next door.

He leaned against the door, not turning to look at her, but speaking in his deep, slightly hoarse voice.

"come over."

His tone was flat, neither commanding nor requesting, yet it made Ye Zhen's body react before her reason.

She took a deep breath, and finally turned around and followed him into the study.

The main light in the study wasn't on; only a desk lamp was lit. Its warm yellow glow cast a limited light on the desk, while the surrounding area remained shrouded in dim shadow. Gu Zheng took a document from the drawer, placed it in the light, and pushed it towards her.

It was a brand new "Military Personnel Marriage Application Report" that still smelled of ink.

The large, bright red printed characters at the top of the document stood out prominently under the light.

His personal information, from his name and unit number to his family background and political vetting, was filled out clearly in strong, vigorous handwriting. At the bottom were several bright red official seals, the ink still slightly damp, representing the approval process at each level. Those were the seals of the military, the political department, and the organization. Each seal represented an unquestionable authority.

The "woman's signature" section was completely blank.

That glaring blank space, under the light, resembled a giant vortex.

Ye Zhen's gaze fixed on that blank page, her breath catching for a moment. This thin piece of paper felt heavier to her than any of the most difficult surgeries she had ever performed. With a scalpel in her hand, she could decide the life or death of a patient, but this pen would decide her own fate.

"Our contract is for one year." She raised her eyes, her cool gaze piercing through the halo of light to look at the man under the lamp.

"The contract can be upgraded." Gu Zheng's slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the dark desk, each tap resonating deep within. His voice was deep, like the final notes of a cello, carrying a seductive undertone in the quiet study. "This report has a technical problem; regulations require your personal signature. Dr. Ye, Level 1 security is no longer sufficient; it needs to be upgraded to Level 3. Only with proper certification can it be legitimate."

His gaze was fixed on her, not missing a single subtle expression on her face.

Ye Zhen fell silent.

Justifiably.

These four words, like a heavy hammer, shattered the psychological defenses she had built with the "one-year promise." The reality she had been deliberately avoiding was laid bare before her without any mercy.

She needs this identity.

She knew better than anyone that she needed a strong protective shield to defend herself against the machinations and conspiracies lurking in the shadows. The Gu family was, at the moment, the strongest and only option.

But this piece of paper also meant complete binding. She would no longer be the independent Ye Zhen, but the granddaughter-in-law of the Gu family, and Gu Zheng's wife.

Her hand reached for the pen on the table.

The metallic touch of the pen tip was cool, yet her fingertips felt burning hot. She held her hand suspended, the pen tip hovering a few millimeters above the paper, hesitant to drop it.

A warm breath suddenly approached.

Gu Zheng leaned down and whispered in her ear, his tall figure completely enveloping her in his shadow. His warm breath as he spoke brushed against her earlobe, sending shivers of ticklish sensations through her, making it impossible for her to concentrate.

"Scared?" His voice was low, like a lover's whisper, but the words were filled with undisguised aggression. "Scared that things will become real, and you'll lose yourself too?"

She suddenly raised her head, her cheek almost brushing against his nose. She could clearly see her own face, which was trying to appear calm, reflected in his deep eyes, along with the unnatural blush on her cheeks.

"Commander Gu," she began, her voice unusually calm, as if discussing a medical case unrelated to herself, "your heart rate seems to be above the normal range again. It's over the normal resting threshold by thirty percent. Are you nervous?"

This was her weapon, her armor. Whenever he overwhelmed her with emotional attacks, she would retaliate with cold professional knowledge, trying to regain the initiative in the conversation.

"It's excitement."

Instead of backing away, Gu Zheng moved even closer, his nose almost touching her cheek. He looked into her stubborn eyes, his voice tinged with a husky laugh.

"I'm so excited for you."

As he spoke, he reached out and covered her hand that was holding the pen.

His large, burning palm completely enveloped her slightly cool fingers. The heat penetrated her skin and burned directly into her bloodstream, leaving her nowhere to escape.

The two remained locked in a tense standoff, their intimacy juxtaposed with their tension. Every speck of dust in the air seemed strained by this silent tug-of-war, so quiet that they could hear each other's heartbeats. One was steady and powerful, the other teetering on the edge of losing control.

"Knock knock".

There was a gentle knock on the study door, and Uncle Fu's aged but respectful voice rang out from outside: "Young Master, the white fungus and lotus seed soup for Miss Ye is ready."

The sound was like a needle, instantly piercing the extremely tense atmosphere in the room.

Gu Zheng straightened up, his expression instantly returning to its usual composure. He walked over to open the door, took the small white porcelain cup from Uncle Fu's hand, his movements so natural it was as if the aggressive man from before had never existed.

"Let me handle this," he said to Uncle Fu.

He returned with the sweet soup and placed it on the table in front of Ye Zhen. In the small white porcelain bowl, glistening white fungus and plump lotus seeds floated in the sweet water, emitting a delicate fragrance. He then picked up a small spoon, stirred the soup, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to test the temperature, and then pushed the spoon and the entire bowl towards her.

"Drink this to soothe your throat, so you'll have the strength to sign later."

This series of movements was fluid and practiced, as if he had done it a thousand times before.

Ye Zhen looked at the bowl of steaming sweet soup in front of her, and then at the application report next to it.

On one side is the warmth of everyday life, and on the other is the coldness of documents that signify complete bondage.

She remembered the string of sweet and sour candied hawthorns in the alley, which he presented to her like a child showing off a treasure; she remembered the unique sesame sauce he carefully prepared for her at the hot pot restaurant; she remembered the piece of deboned fish he awkwardly picked up for her at the Gu family dinner table; and she remembered the warm glass of milk that had appeared on her bedside table late last night when she had been working...

These small, insignificant moments, little by little, are subtly seeping into the high walls she has built with professionalism and composure. What he gives her is never an empty promise, but a tangible warmth.

She picked up the spoon, scooped up a mouthful of sweet soup, and put it in her mouth. The warm, sweet liquid slid down her throat, soothing her slightly dry vocal cords and calming the last struggles and doubts in her heart.

That's it.

Life is a gamble, and she's already died once, so what else can she not afford to lose?

She put down the spoon and picked up the pen again.

This time, Gu Zheng didn't approach her. He simply stood aside, quietly watching her, his eyes shining brighter than the lamp.

Just as her hand was about to fall, his hand covered hers again.

His burning palm enveloped her hand as he held it, guiding her pen tip to write her name firmly on the blank sheet of paper, stroke by stroke.

Ye Zhen.