Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

Gu Jinghuai sat in his study for half the night, the candlelight on the desk flickering, reflecting his irritation.

Since his rebirth, the Marquis's mansion has become increasingly impoverished.

Yun Shuyao was completely unmoved by his words, and the thought of breaking off the engagement weighed heavily on his mind.

He thought more than once that if he could go back to his past life, to those smooth-sailing days, he would be so happy.

At that time, he had already established himself in the Ministry of War and was only one step away from becoming a vice minister. Everyone who saw him would respectfully call him "Lord Gu".

But if you really think about it, how did he go from being a carefree prince to gradually gain real power in the Ministry of War at this time in his previous life?

He remembered submitting a memorial on the improvement of military equipment and receiving a few words of praise from His Majesty.

I remember once when the border troops were rotated, his proposed dispatch plan was adopted.

I remember once when the court was debating the price of grain transported by the Grand Canal, a few words he casually uttered were praised by the Minister as "insightful".

These were the key moments in his promotion.

But... how was that folding slip written?

How could a prince raised in a secluded mansion know so much about the advantages and disadvantages of military equipment?

How did he figure out the key to border troop deployment and the intricate network of connections involved?

He didn't even bother to look at the accounts for grain prices transported by canal, so how could he suddenly say something so "insightful"?

Gu Jinghuai rubbed his temples, trying to recall the details of that time.

Only vague fragments remain in my mind:

It seemed to be one evening when Yun Shuyao placed a transcribed copy of "A Study of Military Weapons" on his desk, pointed to a certain page with her fingertip and said, "Perhaps this is where we can make a point."

It seemed to be a private letter she had someone bring back from the border, filled with details of the general's temperament and the shortage of military supplies.

It looked like a table of grain price fluctuations she had calculated, with several key figures circled in red...

He dismissed it as a woman's trivial matter, glancing at it briefly before letting it go, even thinking she was meddling.

Looking back now, those seemingly trivial matters that he ignored were actually the steps that led him to the top of his official career.

He tried to pick up the military newspaper in front of him, wanting to write a memorial in the style of his previous life.

Looking at the words "armor loss rate" and "grain transportation loss", I felt my head was about to explode.

Where should we begin?

Who should we ask to verify the data?

How should I phrase my words to appear professional without offending my superiors?

He had absolutely no clue.

It's as if someone has ripped out my backbone; all those "foresight" and "planning" I had in my past life have vanished into thin air.

He then realized with a start that he was like a puppet being pushed around, unable to even remember the path to promotion, let alone take the initiative to follow it.

"waste."

Gu Jinghuai cursed under his breath and slammed his fist on the table, causing the candlestick to shake and nearly tip over.

He always thought he had climbed up the ladder through his own abilities, and that Yun Shuyao was just a tool to provide him with money.

But now he realizes that without her paving the way, he wouldn't even be able to take the first step.

This mediocrity was more humiliating to him than the decline of the Marquis's mansion.

But he was not convinced; he was unwilling to accept the fact that he was mediocre.

Gu Jinghuai decided to find his own way out; he wanted to prove himself!

This proves that even without Yun Shuyao, he is still the chosen one of heaven!

The Vice Minister's Residence.

As soon as Gu Jinghuai stepped into Vice Minister Zhou's study, he saw the other man playing with a translucent jade Pixiu in his hand. The carving was exquisite and it was obviously very valuable.

"Jing Huai is here?"

Vice Minister Zhou looked up and smiled, his fingertips tracing the patterns on the jade Pixiu.

"Look at this item, it was sent by your fiancée, Miss Yun."

She said I always talked about wanting to find a nice piece of furniture, and then she found this wonderful thing.

Gu Jinghuai stood there, stunned. The shape of the jade Pixiu looked familiar to him; it should be an heirloom of the Qin family.

"Miss Yun is very thoughtful."

Vice Minister Zhou slowly swayed the Pixiu, his words carrying a hint of profound meaning.

"They know this old man is susceptible to this kind of thing; they always manage to deliver something that touches people's hearts."

In one's career, one cannot simply blindly forge ahead; one needs a mentor to guide and support one's progress.

Vice Minister Zhou paused, then looked up at Gu Jinghuai with a half-smile.

"Speaking of which, your transfer to the Department of Lifang a while ago was made possible thanks to her giving me a reply beforehand; otherwise, how could things have gone so smoothly?"

Gu Jinghuai's mind went blank, as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer.

He clearly fought for the transfer to the company himself, how could this be...?

He suddenly remembered that Yun Shuyao had indeed said she was going to visit Minister Zhou that day, only saying it was "on the way to pay her respects," and he had thought she was being nosy at the time.

"What does Your Excellency mean?"

His voice was strained.

"That means..."

Vice Minister Zhou placed the jade Pixiu on the table, making a crisp sound.

"The path of officialdom cannot be paved by brute force alone. Only with someone's help to pave the way can one walk steadily."

But even important people have their little hobbies, you know?

Gu Jinghuai froze, cold sweat instantly breaking out on the back of his neck.

Those promotions he thought were earned through his own abilities, those seemingly natural advancements behind his "appreciation," were actually all the result of Yun Shuyao's quiet and unassuming maneuvering.

He had never realized that she had become so familiar with these joints.

"What's wrong?"

Vice Minister Zhou raised an eyebrow at him.

"Could it be that Young Master Gu didn't understand?"

Gu Jinghuai opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

He understood, of course, but he... had no money.

Gu Jinghuai emerged from Vice Minister Zhou's residence, his steps unsteady and his face ashen.

He was unwilling to accept it, and even more unwilling to believe it—how could those "discerning eyes" he thought he had been given be all just a result of money?

He gritted his teeth, turned around, and went to Manager Liu's house.

Although Chief Liu was not present, his wife was very polite and invited him to sit in the hall for a while.

During their casual conversation, Mrs. Liu pointed to a gilded Maitreya Buddha statue on the display shelf and said with a smile:

"This was given to me by Miss Yun last year."

"My husband is a Buddhist, so he specially asked someone to bring this blessed amulet from Mount Wutai. Look at the craftsmanship, it's so exquisite..."

Gu Jinghuai's gaze fell on the Buddha statue, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

He remembered that Yun Shuyao did indeed go to Mount Wutai last year and brought back a brocade box. At the time, he thought it was just a girl's trinket and didn't ask any questions.

After leaving the Liu residence, he went to the home of Supervisor Wang.

Supervisor Wang was tending to the flowers and plants in the yard. When he saw him, he pointed to the cluster of orchids that were in full bloom and said:

"This Cymbidium goeringii is a rare variety; your fiancée asked someone to bring it from Jiangnan."

My mother said she likes quiet places, so it's perfect to put it in the yard.

This girl truly understands people's hearts...

Gu Jinghuai stood in front of the orchids, feeling his hands and feet grow cold.

Jiangnan? He had never heard Yun Shuyao mention sending anyone to Jiangnan, but Supervisor Wang's tone clearly indicated that he had been indebted to her for a long time.

Finally, he went to the home of his old superior, Dr. Zhang.

Doctor Zhang didn't mention any specific items, but simply patted his shoulder and sighed:

"Jinghuai, I'm not trying to be mean, but your personality won't get you anywhere in officialdom."

The position you wanted to transfer to a while ago, how many people were eyeing that position?

If Miss Yun hadn't come and told me in advance, and hadn't prepared some "military funds for turnover", how could it have been your turn?

But they promised to pay the soldiers' wages, so why haven't they heard back?

The phrase "military pay turnover" made him feel extremely uneasy. How could he possibly support the turnover of military pay?

Gu Jinghuai staggered out of the Zhang residence and walked home, his steps unsteady as if he were walking on cotton.

It turned out to be the case.

It turns out that every promotion he received and every "appreciation" he gained was backed by Yun Shuyao's intervention.

She paved the way with silver, carefully considered people's hearts, and cleared away all obstacles for him.

And what about him? He knew absolutely nothing.

They really thought it was because of their outstanding abilities, and that there was genuine "appreciation" in officialdom.

He always looked down on her merchant lineage, thinking she reeked of money.

In the end, however, what supported his "lofty official career" was precisely the "stench of money" that he despised.

Gu Jinghuai clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.

The sense of defeat—being stripped of all his glory and left with only mediocrity—overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

For the first time, he realized with such clarity that his so-called "future" was nothing more than something she had lifted up.

Now, she's taking those hands back.

Even though he was unwilling to admit it, Gu Jinghuai finally understood that Yun Shuyao had indeed been secretly helping him in his past life.

But the woman never claimed credit. Was it to save face for him?

That's right, Yun Shuyao loves herself without considering gains or losses.

Gu Jinghuai suddenly felt that he had figured everything out.

Her current antics stem from her excessive concern for herself, which makes her unable to resist being jealous of Yu Yan.

If all I want to do to go back to the way things were, I just need to clear up this misunderstanding!

He immediately went to find Shu Yao and cleared up the misunderstanding with her.

This time... he'll be more polite...