Chapter 22: Secrets of the Heart

People continued to stream into the museum, but Gu Xinyao had lost all interest in visiting. As she walked out of the main entrance, she let go of Dugu Yi’s hand.

The moment Dugu Yi saw Shangguan Lü inside the museum, he knew he could no longer pretend to be untainted and proud. When he heard her mention those photos, he felt an urge to rush over and perish with her, but it was already too late.

Gu Xinyao letting go of his hand—did that mean she cared? So, she did care after all. He stopped in his tracks, unable to call out for her to wait. He simply watched her walk ahead, his heart filled with despair, tears welling in his eyes.

Gu Xinyao was well aware of the shock Shangguan Lü’s words had caused him. She did not want him to be hurt, yet the blow had come so suddenly. She chose not to comfort him immediately; she wanted him to understand that they were husband and wife, and that they should face burdens together. His erratic behavior that morning had likely been triggered by Shangguan Lü sending him those photos, which was why he had been so tense and had lost his usual composure. However, he had chosen concealment over sharing, so now she would punish him, letting him realize the disadvantage of bearing things alone.

She continued walking, her mind racing. She was not a person who only thought without acting. Back when she agreed to his mother’s request to be a full-time housewife, she had already decided that while she might not be able to hold a public career, she could secretly learn from Dugu Yi. At the time, she thought she could take it slow, but the current situation did not allow for patience. With Dugu Nan and Dugu Ning at home, and Shangguan Lü outside—the Shangguan family, a dying camel that was still larger than a horse, remained aristocrats despite their decline—there was no peace to be found. She realized she had to use the Dugu family’s limited resources to thoroughly topple the Shangguan family.

As she walked, lost in thought, she reached the roadside and realized that Dugu Yi, who should have been right behind her, was missing.

She paused, immediately turning back to look for the man she had told to wait. She found him still standing outside the museum entrance. Amidst the passing crowd, he remained striking, yet he looked utterly helpless.

A sharp pang of pain pierced her heart. She had neglected him; he was the primary victim, yet he had to bear the greatest pain. It was her carelessness.

Without a second thought, she hurried back to his side.

Dugu Yi suffered in silence, unable to express his anguish. He tilted his head slightly, staring at the stone statue outside the museum. It was a sculpture of one of the founding generals of the Republic, a man who was also a child of the Dugu family. He was clad in battle armor, holding a firearm in one hand and a book in the other—the firearm representing force, the book, wisdom.

The general was formidable and heroic, yet his features carried an air of scholarly elegance. He was the youngest and greatest man in the history of the Republic. Regrettably, he had died alone, for he was never meant to excel in a world ruled by women; no woman dared to marry a man of his stature.

Such a man was great and respected. If he were in the modern era, he would surely be outstanding. Perhaps a man of his caliber had to bear more than others. "General," he asked silently, looking up at the statue, "did you ever regret it?"

He desperately wanted to be like the general, but everything had gone awry. He had failed to be as unyielding and incorruptible as the general; instead, he had been humiliated, failing the Dugu name.

"I'm sorry!" Just as his heart was tied in knots, he felt a warm breath against his ear and arms wrapping around his waist. It was her. Her voice carried a hint of sadness. Yes, she should be sad, but what was her apology for?

He did not turn to face her, so she could only see his near-perfect profile.

She reached out to touch his face, almost like a blind person exploring an object. She traced his lips, his nose, and then his eyes. His cheeks were dry; there were no traces of tears.

She felt slightly relieved. Under her touch, Dugu Yi felt uneasy. In their current position, it looked as if he were carrying her on his back, and due to their height difference, she had to stand on tiptoe to reach his face.

His heart tightened. Why did she come back for him? A man like him should be left to fend for himself, he thought, giving in to self-loathing.

Gu Xinyao sensed his muscles tensing. Perhaps it was because they were in public, but she refused to let him go.

After a long while, she decided to move around to stand in front of him.

"My apology was not fake. I shouldn't have let go of your hand just now." She held his hands, creating a little distance so they could face each other. She saw his face—his eyes were red and swollen, his lips pursed like a child who had been wronged but refused to complain.

Her explanation ignited the fire he had been suppressing. Tears spilled down his face. He pulled his hands away, forgetting his usual image, and wiped the tears with his sleeves.

Gu Xinyao felt a mix of amusement and pity at his childish gesture. She wanted to stop him from rubbing his eyes so hard; she wanted to say she had a handkerchief, but he turned away.

There weren't many people in front of the museum, but those who passed by kept looking back, perhaps surprised to see such a handsome man, or perhaps shocked to see him crying.

Gu Xinyao, somewhat at a loss, wasn't sure whether to soothe him or wait for him to calm down. The boundaries between man and woman felt blurred here.

After a moment, he remained with his back to her. Knowing this wouldn't do, she stepped forward and stood directly in front of him, but he continued to shield his face.

"Yi, let me tell you a little secret, okay?" she coaxed, her voice soft and gentle.

Dugu Yi’s tears had stopped. The stifling frustration and grievance had dissipated with the tears; now, it was merely a matter of pride. He didn't want her to see his calm expression so easily. After all, what she had done earlier had truly hurt him.

Seeing that he didn't respond but stopped turning away, Gu Xinyao figured he wasn't truly angry. She continued, "Yi, listen, you can't tell anyone else. I promised your mother I’d support your work at home, but I can't just sit idle. I plan to secretly join you at the company; perhaps I can learn something. Also, I’ve been reading books on energy. Some of what I learned before isn't applicable here, but I believe no knowledge is ever truly wasted. Who knows when it might come in handy?"

Dugu Yi’s tear-washed eyes were exceptionally clear. A flash of surprise crossed his face, followed quickly by a surge of eagerness.

"My understanding isn't perfect yet, but from what I’ve read, the natural resources here are excellent and well-utilized, with little pollution. However, energy is monopolized by the aristocracy, and commoners are still using outdated raw materials. That’s a flaw. To fix it, we would need..."

Gu Xinyao stopped intentionally, waiting for his reaction.

Dugu Yi had been listening intently. Being cut off mid-sentence, he grew anxious for the solution. He let his hands fall, the tear tracks still visible on his face, but his spirit was renewed.

"Need what?" Dugu Yi asked, frowning anxiously.

Gu Xinyao calmly wiped his face with her sleeve. He wasn't meant for tears; his features were too sharp, lacking the occasional fragility of ordinary men. Seeing him cry was truly heartbreaking.

"Hey! Tell me, what is it?" He grabbed her hand, asking impatiently. While the Republic was largely pollution-free, some civilians still used makeshift pipes to handle polluting materials. If this happened repeatedly, it would eventually lead to widespread contamination, threatening the very core of the nation. The government had known about this for years but was powerless to find the source. He couldn't believe that she, having arrived only half a year ago, had already pinpointed the key to the problem. How could he not be excited?

Gu Xinyao looked at his glowing face with mixed feelings. How could this man be so concerned about the people and the nation, yet treat her own affairs as less important?

"Not crying anymore? Not angry? Willing to forgive me?" She took his hands again. His were larger than hers, and holding them gave her a sense of peace.

Dugu Yi glared at her, unable to believe she would ask such a trivial question at such a critical moment.

"Don't worry about what Shangguan Lü said; I’ll find a way to deal with her. Just remember that you are the only one I care about." She couldn't bear to let him guess her thoughts, so she wrapped her arms around him and leaned against his shoulder, whispering affectionately. She wanted him to know she didn't care about the photos or the rumors; she only wanted him to keep his heart focused on her.

He stiffened at her embrace, then slowly relaxed. Her words made his eyes dim. She told him not to care, but how could a man not care about his own body being violated, or that such lewd photos existed?

She stroked his back, reached into her pocket, and pulled out a thin, small mobile phone with a button on the top right. She pressed it, and the sound of Shangguan Lü threatening Dugu Yi echoed from the device.

Dugu Yi felt physically ill hearing the recording again. Trapped in her embrace, he couldn't pull away and was forced to listen.

"When I saw Shangguan Lü, I knew she was up to no good, so I secretly recorded it. Whether or not we go to the police, it’s your call." She soothed him gently. This was the knot in his heart; she believed that by untying it, he would find peace.

"No, I can't..." His face went pale. He knew the true power of the Shangguan family; if they didn't hold some resources, they would have collapsed long ago. That was why Shangguan Lü was so arrogant. Even Duanmu Feng hadn't been able to fully take them down. If they went to the police, they might only be inviting further humiliation.

She hugged his waist, reaching up to steady his face, trying to calm his frantic heart.

"Listen to me. I know the Shangguan family may have power you can't touch, but believe me. If we consolidate the energy, put it all under one authority, and distribute it equally to everyone, then the Shangguan family won't be a problem anymore. Do you understand?" Gu Xinyao said each word clearly.

Dugu Yi’s chaotic heart gradually settled as he listened. Her words drew him into deep thought, making him forget that his face was still inches from hers.

That was it—energy consolidation. At the founding of the nation, energy had been divided among the four great families. While the Dugu family held the most, it wasn't the best. Part of the highest-grade energy belonged to the Duanmu family, part to the Shangguan family, and the rest to the Ji family.

The Shangguan family’s greatest pride was their method of "farming" energy; they didn't just consume it, they cultivated it. He had found it hard to imagine how such a family of spendthrifts could possess such power. Although the current generation, including Shangguan Lü, could farm energy, they lacked the ability to utilize it effectively. That was why they were targeting the Dugu family.

In the Republic, energy wasn't everything, but it was the life force that no one could survive without. Controlling energy meant controlling life and death. If all of the Shangguan family’s energy were reclaimed by the state...

Dugu Yi fell into a profound silence.